So, it's been awhile huh? I'm very, very sorry it's taken so long. It has been very hard finding energy to write out my ideas even though I really love this story. I graduated law school almost a year ago, but I could still barely write or find motivation to think about this story. I'm not giving up, obviously since I'm posting this chapter, but I am asking for patience.

I know this story has been ongoing for literally years with major breaks between updates, and you all have been super patient. The fact I still get notifications for people bookmarking my story makes me very happy people are enjoying it, even as it is.

I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best to do more than one update every few years.

Disclaimer: I don't own any franchise that is used in this story nor do I make any profit from it whatsoever.

Chapter 18: Witch, Warlock, Angel, Devil

Nunnally twisted and turned in her sleep, her body feeling like it was on fire. Deep in her mind, chaos reigned. She didn't know how long it had been, the last thing she could recall was a vision flashing before her eyes before her brother reached out to touch C.C.'s shoulder. Then, without warning, she found herself falling through an abyss deep within her own mind.

Memories sped past her eyes, too fast for her to follow, and she wondered if this was what people meant when they say their life flashed before their eyes. She had curled up in the void and closed her eyes ages ago, but that didn't stop the images from bombarding her. Her knees at her chin, her arms wrapped around her shins. Nunnally was scared.

She wanted her brother. She wanted Nemo. She wanted Alice. She wanted her friends.

She wanted her mom.

She wanted anyone who could find her to save her from this abyss filled with memories. Both inside her mind and beyond, tears flowed from her sightless eyes.

Meanwhile, outside Nunnally's warring mind, the world continued to move on.

(Graveyard – October 18 2017 a.t.b.)

The funeral was quiet.

The sky was overcast, a dark grey shrouding the city. A sign of the worsening weather people could expect at this time of year.

The priest droned on, his words meaningless to Lelouch as they rattled around in his skull. But when Shirley's mom wailed as they began to put dirt on the coffin containing the corpse of Shirley's father, Lelouch had to bite his cheek to keep from flinching.

'This is my fault.' He thought morosely, his lips still burning from the kiss he and Shirley shared under the storm the previous evening. The comfort he'd offered her had been spur of the moment, but it only increased his sense of hollowness. Shirley had unknowingly sought comfort in the arms of the very man who'd stolen her father from her.

Lelouch immensely regretted the fact he had permitted what had happened the previous night. He should not have allowed himself and Shirley to do what they did, even if it was everything she wanted.

Soon, the funeral came to an end, leaving just those closest to Shirley standing before her father's grave. Lelouch's attention was drawn to Suzaku as his friend called out Zero for his self-righteous actions causing the death of an innocent person. Lelouch couldn't even disagree, he had taken the life of the father of one of his closest friends.

Shirley's words did little to absolve him of the guilt he was feeling, but it did apparently signal to the others that it was time to go. It didn't take long before Lelouch and Shirley were standing in front of one another in a position very similar to a few days ago.

"Lulu." Shirley's voice was quiet, sad, but firm. "About last night."

Lelouch shook his head. "It never happened." He stated firmly, he couldn't let Shirley get the wrong idea. "You were desperate, you needed comfort, that's it." He put his hands in his pockets and clenched his fists. "Don't worry, it won't happen again."

Shirley fiddled with her clasped hands as she looked down. "What if… what if I wanted more?" She whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

Lelouch avoided her eyes. "It won't work." He responded with an equally quiet murmur. "I'm sorry, Shirley." Suddenly, he found himself embraced, the scent of Shirley invading his senses.

"It's ok." Shirley pulled back from their hug and gave him a trembling grin. "I understand you're going through a lot too right now, I'm sorry for taking advantage of you." Nunnally was in a coma, the fact Lelouch had even left Nunnally's side to be there for her was enough.

"I'm sorry, Shirley." Lelouch repeated himself again as his friend walked away from the graveyard, leaving him alone in front of the headstone of the man he'd effectively murdered. He found himself walking towards the slab of stone before any thoughts could cross his mind.

Zero stood before the grave wearing Lelouch's face as a mask for a change as he stared at the headstone. "I can't turn back anymore." If he stopped now, he would be making the loss of life he'd caused completely pointless. He would have to see everything through to the end, no matter what.

Zero closed his eyes, and Lelouch's mindset reasserted itself seamlessly. Gently he placed his fingertips on the headstone and sent a whispered apology to the man's spirit, if there was an afterlife where he could hear. "I'm sorry." Footsteps drew Lelouch's attention away from the headstone, down the path on the opposite side of the graveyard.

A young girl walked barefoot in the grass of the graveyard as she approached. She was wearing a red hoodie zipped up to her chin, and her hood was pulled over her eyes leaving only the barest hints of silver hair and hazel eyes visible. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets and she was wearing a black skirt. Her legs had light scars on them, but her bare feet drew more of Lelouch's concern. They were slightly scarred and red, making it obvious she'd been walking for quite some time without shoes.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at the girl and stepped back from the headstone, allowing her the chance to stand in front of it with her back to him. "Who are you?" He asked, suspicious of this girl around his sister's age who seemed to know Shirley's father. There was a hint of concern in his voice as well, she looked like she'd gone through a rough time.

"Nobody who matters." The girl said blankly, half turning to stare at him curiously. "I found that girl by chance." She admitted, causing Lelouch to step back at the look of coldness in her hazel eyes. "I wanted to see the daughter he so desperately wanted to protect." Her eye shifted, the cold hazel softening into something slightly warmer before she turned away to stare at the headstone. "He saved my life, you know." She continued, a sense of bitterness in her voice. "No matter how much I wanted to die, he kept me alive." She reached up and clasped something hanging around her neck. There was silence for a few minutes as Lelouch stared at the girl as she tried to come to a decision, the wind the only witness to their interaction.

"He was a doctor." Lelouch broke the silence softly, causing the girl to stiffen. "It's only natural a doctor would want to try and help people in need." The good ones at least, and Joseph Fenette, to Lelouch's knowledge, had been a good man.

The girl hummed in consideration of Lelouch's words. "Perhaps." Her voice was quiet, Lelouch almost couldn't hear it over the wind.

Apparently having come to a decision, the girl began walking away. "Take care." She tossed out over her shoulder, her hazel eyes filled with a fire that hadn't been present when she'd arrived.

"You as well." Lelouch eyed the mysterious girl as she vanished back into the graveyard on the opposite side, taking the more woodland path to her destination. The exiled Prince decided it was time to return to his sister's side and turned to leave as well.

That girl was… interesting, but Lelouch put her out of his mind, focusing entirely on returning home as quickly as possible. Nunnally needed him, and that's all that mattered.

Cornelia pinched the bridge of her nose in a failed attempt to stifle a yawn. Squinting, she stared balefully at the paperwork on her desk. She had been working to organize the efforts to recover bodies from the mountain, identify them, and develop a final count of the overall casualties. On top of that, she had to arrange everything for the newly arrived Glinda Knights led by her sister, as well as handle the fact Anya Alstreim was on Area Eleven's soil as well.

Clasping her hands in front of her, Cornelia rested her forehead against her hands. She closed her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them, her office was dark. A mechanical breathing echoed all around the room, putting her on guard. She rose to her feet, carefully reaching for the knife she kept concealed. "Whose there?" She refused to be intimidated, but when she found even the moonlight that had been illuminating her office had vanished, even she felt a spike of fear.

It was as if she were trapped in her deactivated Knightmare again, back on that mountain.

"Come here." A demented, dark voice whispered behind her, causing her to turn. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw Zero in front of her window, darkness shrouding his form. His body was hazy and cloaked, blacker than a moonless night, and the mask staring menacingly at her. "COME HERE!" The demonic voice she'd heard at Narita repeated and then the dark figure charged.

Cornelia awoke with a gasp, still at her desk, her head resting on the paperwork she'd been staring at moments ago. "Just a nightmare." The Princess muttered, shivering slightly as she recalled the voice in her dream and wiped the sweat from her forehead. The knocking at her door allowed her to shake her momentary fear. "Come in." She spoke, hoping there was no tremble in her voice.

She had never seen a man peel open a cockpit into a Knightmare Frame before, what Zero had done was just messing with her mind, that's all.

"Sister, it's late." Marrybell was one of the few siblings Cornelia liked. "Please, your work can wait until tomorrow." The other Princess walked to her half sister and gently tugged her hand. A soft smile gracing her face. "Euphie is already asleep, you should follow her example and get some rest."

"And what about you?" Cornelia retorted, though allowing herself to be pulled to her feet by her half sister. "Why are you awake at this hour?" The giggle that escaped Marrybell's lips sounded almost angelic.

"I still haven't completely adjusted to the new timezone." Marrybell admitted, nodding at Oz as she and Cornelia left the office. Her bodyguard and friend fell into step beside her while Cornelia walked her other side.

Cornelia sighed, understanding all too well exactly what Marrybell was talking about. It was a common issue after first being transferred to a new location far from the Homeland. "I hope you'll at least be rested enough for a briefing and your speech tomorrow?" That was one of the things she had been working on scheduling over the last few days, while she was displeased her Father saw fit to send help in the form of the Glinda Knights and a Knight of the Round, she would not ignore the resources she had been provided.

Marrybell and Oz shared a secret look before the other Princess answered. "I assure you, I will be quite ready." Marrybell's eye narrowed. "I am quite eager to get to work." There was little she hated more than terrorism and she was quite proud of her Glinda Knights when it came to their counter terrorism operations. They had been the ones to stop the Wings of Talleyrand after all.

Cornelia nodded with a yawn and entered her private quarters once they'd arrived. "Good, I will see you later in the morning then." With that, the Second Princess shut her door and began getting ready for bed.

"Rest well, sister." Marrybell and Oz proceeded to walk in relative silence as they made their way to their private quarters. Looking over at Oz, a flirtatious grin graced Marrybell's face. "Will you help me sleep tonight, my dear Oz?" She batted her eyelashes and Oz's ears turned slightly red, but she smiled.

"I will ensure you sleep deep and well tonight, my Princess." Oz purred in response, eliciting a giggle from her Princess. Picking up the pace, the two eagerly entered Marrybell's bedroom and began working on making sure the Princess had a good night's sleep.

Back at Ashford, classes had been canceled in light of what had happened at Narita over the weekend, even for the many unaffected students. But after a few days off, things began to return to a semblance of normalcy. Or so Lelouch thought.

"What's going on?" Lelouch asked with a yawn as he slid into his seat behind Rivalz in the back of the room, eyes flickering around the room as he noticed everyone talking over each other excitedly. He had spent the night with Reuben in his lab below Ashford Academy for most of the night so the man could keep track of his recovery, so Lelouch hadn't exactly had the best night's sleep. On top of that, Nunnally's status was weighing on his mind every second he was away from her, but Reuben forced him to try and maintain a normal life while Sayoko took care of his sister. He couldn't afford to arouse suspicion by disappearing so soon after Zero was confirmed injured in battle, the bandages and cast around his ribs concealed beneath his school uniform kept him safe and well enough to move about but it was still a risk he had to take to keep up appearances.

"You haven't heard anything?" Rivalz looked at his friend in shock from his seat in front of Lelouch, the morose look in his eyes from the previous day at the funeral relatively gone. "Apparently we're getting a new transfer student from the Homeland and there's a new Princess arriving in the Area this morning." Rivalz leaned towards Lelouch and whispered playfully in Lelouch's face, "Rumor has it they may even be the same person."

Lelouch flicked his wrist and batted Rivalz out of his personal space absentmindedly. "Yeah right." He responded choking back a yawn. "There's no way a Princess would be coming here." At least, not one whose name wasn't Nunnally. A smack at the front of the classroom halted all conversation as the teacher placed her clipboard on the front desk loudly.

"That's enough!" Clearing her throat, the teacher continued. "Clearly, as you are all well aware, we have a new transfer student joining us." Her eyes narrowed at the class. "I expect you all to be on your best behavior, she skipped a few grades back in the Homeland, but has not been in school for awhile due to personal reasons." The teacher's eyes flickered slightly to the clipboard before returning to the class, making Lelouch narrow his eyes. "Please treat her with respect and assist her if she has any trouble adjusting to school life once again." This was scripted. "You may come in now." The teacher turned her head to the door at the front of the classroom and announced to the new transfer it was time.

The door opened and Lelouch almost felt his heart stop. A pink-haired girl wearing the middle school uniform walked into the classroom staring at her phone. Her pink eyes flickered slightly around the room, glazing over most of the people, but Lelouch noticed her eyes stopped on Suzaku for a little longer. Before her eyes could shift from the opposite side of the room to him, he cast his gaze out the window to observe her through a reflection. He couldn't afford anyone to think he recognized her. Her eyes paused on him too, but Lelouch couldn't figure out if she recognized him or not before her gaze went back to her phone as she stood beside the teacher.

"Ah… hello. My name is Anya." Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six, spoke softly to the class. "Pleased to meet you." There was a click which drew Lelouch's attention, his eyes narrowed as he stared at her phone. He frowned and realized she had taken a picture of the class. At least he was seated far enough in the back to where it would be hard to pick him out specifically unless someone was… looking… great.

It's the Knight of Six's class, of course people would be digging at every person in her class. Lelouch didn't know if OSI was operating around her, but he would have to be incredibly careful while she was in school.

"Ah, Lelouch." He turned to look at the teacher whose gaze unfortunately landed on him. "I know you're dealing with some stuff in your personal life at the moment, but as our Student Council's Vice-President I would like you to show Miss Anya around the campus after class." A sympathetic smile on his teacher's face did nothing to alleviate Lelouch's mood. "I'll be sure to write up a note so you don't have to attend PE." Involuntarily Lelouch felt his ears prick up.

"Alright." Lelouch nodded and waved Anya over so she could sit next to him. Avoiding PE right now was far more important than it usually was, Lelouch could not allow anyone to see his injuries. It helped that was one of the easier bribes his teachers knew he'd take any day of the week so it wasn't suspicious that he agreed so easily.

Ignoring the exasperated look from Suzaku and the snickers of his classmates, Lelouch observed Anya out of the corner of his eye as she sat down next to him, her eyes still on her phone. The teacher nodded and placed the clipboard down on the desk before turning to the board to begin the lesson.

"Thank you." Anya's soft voice whispered, her gaze flickering between her phone, to the front of the room, and Lelouch.

"First time away from the Homeland?" Lelouch whispered back, wondering if he'd be able to get any information about why a Knight of the Round was in the Area with a little conversation.

The pink-haired girl shrugged, appearing disinterested as she typed quickly on her phone. "I moved around a lot." A satisfied hum escaped her lips, a corner quirking into a smile. "It's my first time here though."

"I see." Lelouch murmured back before both of them had their attention drawn to the front of the room.

The teacher cleared her throat at the front of the classroom. "I understand you haven't been in school for awhile, Miss Anya." The teacher narrowed her eyes. "But I would appreciate it if you put your phone away and remain quiet unless you have questions for the duration of the lesson." Her eyes shifted to Lelouch. "You too, Mr. Lamperouge."

"Yes ma'am." Lelouch and Anya replied in unison, both voices nearly equally flat causing some snickering to break out before the teacher's gaze shifted over the classroom, demanding silence.

Class went by relatively quickly and, when it was time for PE, Lelouch and Anya found themselves wandering the halls of Ashford. Most of the student body was in class, either at the gym or a classroom, so their tour didn't have any audience besides the two of them.

"The bathrooms are this way." Lelouch directed Anya as they walked through the halls. "They're in about the same place on every floor, so if you need anything you can look for one of these signs." Gesturing to the universal signs, he continued. "There's more around the campus as well, so you don't have to worry about too many people using them at the same time."

Anya hummed along, following along with Lelouch's words. "Thank you." Her voice was deeper than it had been when they were kids, but Lelouch couldn't help feeling familiar as he continued to guide his newest classmate through the school. He had to do something very similar when she'd first arrived at the Aries Villa, although that had been his mother's way of punishing him after he took the blame for breaking her decorative plate so Nunnally and Euphie wouldn't get into trouble.

As the tour continued, Lelouch found himself meeting Anya's gaze more often. Her eyes would flicker to where he was talking about or gesturing towards before returning to him rather quickly. It took a little while for him to realize, but once he realized she was observing him he began trying to do the same only to find himself meeting her eyes.

"Here's the elevator." Lelouch pressed the up button and waited quietly as it made its way to their floor. "There are a few areas off limits to students, but I have some special privileges as Vice-President of the Student Council." Despite his concern with her appearance in Area Eleven, Lelouch couldn't help the desire to see if Anya was still like the person from his memories.

With a ding, the elevator arrived and opened. The pair stepped in and Lelouch pressed a button causing them to begin moving upwards. "How do you like Ashford so far?" Lelouch found himself asking, curiously staring at Anya who met his gaze after observing the insides of the elevator.

Anya blinked slowly, carefully considering the question before she looked at her phone. There were a few notes about the important things her guide had shown her, like the location of her classes based on the schedule she'd been provided and the like, but all her pictures were of Lelouch. She couldn't help it, some part of her deep down inside felt happy even though she didn't have any memories of him. Still, just being in his presence made her comfortable. "I like it." She answered quietly, a soft smile appearing on her face for reasons she couldn't quite explain.

The elevator doors slid open and a brisk wind entered, catching the pair by surprise. "Here we are." Lelouch spoke carefully, gently taking Anya's hand as he escorted her out of the elevator. "This rooftop is one of the best places to come if you want some peace and quiet."

Anya's hand felt warm as she was gently tugged forward. Her eyes widened as she took in the view. While not as expansive as the top of the Viceroy palace or other places she had been, the rooftop gave a beautiful bird's eye view of the campus. Her eyes shifted over to the track where their PE class was running laps with some middle school students, many of the students out of breath though Suzaku and a middle school blonde haired girl seemed perfectly fine at the head of the pack.

Lelouch's gaze was firmly on Anya before he saw a flash of emerald hair at the window to the clubhouse. He groaned internally and realized C.C. was once again eating some pizza and people watching… in only her underwear. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand, letting go of Anya. "Idiot." He murmured quietly, though not quietly enough.

Anya's gaze shifted to where Lelouch had been looking, but all she saw was a flash of green and her memory went blank.

Lelouch noticed Anya begin to stare off into the distance. "Anya?" His tone was cautious as he gently grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, are you ok?" Anya had loved the view atop Aries Villa when they were kids, but had she become afraid of heights since they were kids?

"I'm fine." Anya replied automatically, shaking her head slightly as she felt Lelouch's grip fade from her shoulder. Her free hand went to her forehead as she felt a pulsing headache begin to form. "I'm sorry, I just…" Anya felt cold as she realized she almost admitted her blackouts to this boy. "Sorry." She settled for repeating her apology, her hand and shoulder feeling oddly cold now that Lelouch had let go of her.

"You're not afraid of heights are you?" Lelouch voiced his concern, once again grasping Anya's hand, noticing her trembling grip as she allowed herself to be pulled away.

"That's not it." Anya shook her head, frantically searching her phone. The hand being held by Lelouch tightened stiffly as she came across an old picture. A picture of a boy that looked a lot like Lelouch. "Hey… can I ask you something?" Her voice was soft.

"You have a question?" Lelouch asked, gently holding the trembling hand in his grip.

"Do…" Anya gulped slowly. "Do you ever feel like there are blank spots in your memories?" Her shoulders sagged and her grip went limp. Her eyes were fixated on nothing as she held her phone close to her chest.

Lelouch stared at Anya carefully, wondering how to answer her question. "I mean, people forget things all the time." He tried to play it off with a short laugh. "That's normal." Suddenly Anya's grip grew tight, her hand shaking.

"That's not what I meant!" She raised her voice to almost a shout before becoming still. "I keep a diary." She admitted quietly, her voice near a whisper. "But there are things I've written down that I don't remember ever happening." Anya blinked as she turned to glare fiercely up at Lelouch, causing him to step back slightly. "I don't want to keep forgetting things!" Anya shoved the picture on her phone into Lelouch's face. "Who are you?!" Her voice demanded an answer despite it's trembling. "Who am I?" She whispered, desperately seeking an answer. "Why do I feel so safe around you?" Anya's body collapsed into Lelouch's, her phone falling from her grip, the machine clacking against the ground as she burrowed her face into his chest. "We've only just met, but I feel like I could trust you with my life."

Lelouch found himself all but trapped as Anya collapsed against him, her forehead pressing into his chest as the picture she'd shoved in his face flashed through his mind. 'That was… from the day we first met.' Lelouch had wanted to put on a good first impression for their guest so he'd gone to the rose garden to find a good flower to present as an offering. After he picked it, he turned around and saw a flash and a young girl holding a camera pointed right at him.

"Anya." Lelouch's voice was soft as he gently placed his arms around her body, embracing her. "What do you mean, blanks in your memories." His question was more of a statement, but Lelouch wanted to know what was causing his friend so much pain.

"I meant what I said." Anya's voice was tired as she sunk into Lelouch's embrace. "It's like my memories vanish without warning." The pair sunk to the ground, Anya placing herself into Lelouch's lap as he sat on his heels. She grasped the phone which had hit the ground after it slipped from her fingers. It wasn't damaged thankfully, and she held it up. "When I noticed, I started taking pictures and keeping a diary." Anya stared up at Lelouch, her face blank. "But there are so many pictures I'm in or that I took, but I have absolutely no memories of them." She couldn't show them all to Lelouch, since she knew a lot of her photos were of classified information, but she hoped he believed her.

If they had been friends before, she desperately wanted to know.

Lelouch stared down at his friend, meeting her desperate gaze as he did his best to think of something he could say to help. Then, an idea suddenly came to him. 'This…this is probably really stupid. But if I could get her on my side, even if it's not Zero's…' Lelouch sighed internally and closed his eyes, the power behind his gaze building as he did something he had a feeling he'd regret later. "Anya, tell me something." Lelouch opened his eyes and flared his power at the exact moment he needed. "Do you Remember Lelouch?" The last two words of his question were a command enforced by his Geass.

He had no idea the impact the command could have, but he had a chance to essentially subvert a Knight of the Round if things went his way.

Anya's face went blank as the name sent reverberations throughout her mind. Memories came spilling forth and… "Lelouch…." She smiled as she whispered his name before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted, collapsing on top of Lelouch with her full body weight.

Lelouch grunted as he fell over backwards, Anya's body weight pinning him as it fully pressed down on his ribs. "Anya!" He tried shaking her shoulders and winced in pain as it aggravated his wounded ribs. He sighed in exasperation and stared up at the sky plaintively. "I guess I should have expected something like that." He mumbled to himself in exasperation.

Any memories she would have had of him before today were years old. It's hardly a surprise she blacked out after having years old memories reawakened like that.

At about the same time Lelouch saw C.C. from the rooftop, the Witch found her solitude quite rudely interrupted by a spiritual presence invading her personal space. "Hey C.C.! Long time no see!" The emerald haired immortal slowly chewed and savored the taste of the pizza while the spiritual presence loudly and rudely introduced herself.

"It hasn't even been a month." The Witch's voice was dry as she turned and saw the faded image of Marianne's. "I assume this manifestation means your host is nearby?" Back when Marianne had first begun experimenting with C.C.'s gift, the woman had only been able to manifest like this very rarely. However, now that her original physical body was dead, it appeared Marianne had gained quite the skill with projecting her original form.

Minus the bullet holes.

Marianne giggled as she twirled around, her dress phasing through the furniture without a single thing out of place. "Indeed, my host is with my son as we speak." Marianne pointed to the roof where Lelouch and Anya were standing. "As soon as I saw you though I wanted to see you in person!" It had been years since they had been face to face, hell last time had been when Marianne was alive. "Where did you go after I died?"

Unpleasant memories drifted into C.C.'s mind, almost souring the taste of the pizza melting in her mouth… Almost. "The Federation." While it hadn't been her first trip to what is now the Chinese Federation over the centuries, her most recent memories of that place left a bitter taste in her mouth. One she quickly covered with melting cheese. "Shouldn't you be spending time with your son?" C.C.'s painfully obvious redirection drew a pout from Marianne.

"Oh come now C.C." Marianne whined as she stared deadpan at her friend. "The most I can do when I'm near him is watch him through my puppet's eyes." Crossing her arms Marianne huffed. "That's hardly a proper reunion between mother and son."

C.C. raised an eyebrow. "I assume then that you don't care to see your daughter?" The Witch knew the youngest vi Britannia was going through something of an interesting metamorphosis, she hadn't seen Nemo since Narita and that's exactly the time Nunnally had gone comatose.

The girl was lucky C.C. was able to smuggle her back from Narita and place her in her bedroom without Lelouch, Sayoko, and anyone else noticing.

"Nah." Marianne waved her hand back and forth. "It just isn't the same as seeing them properly." Marianne also wanted to avoid any feeling that may draw her away from Anya. Her Geass reacted to her will and she didn't wish to possess either of her children if a mistaken wish to be with her kids again was subconsciously enough to trigger her powers.

Suddenly, a feeling rushed through Marianne's spectral form. "Oh you cheeky boy." The Empress' voice had a hint of pride though her smile looked strain. "Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I have to go see what my son did." Her body faded away, leaving C.C. alone with her now cooling pizza.

C.C. stared at the place where Marianne had just been 'standing' before she sighed. "Insufferable as ever." She murmured as she brought the chilled pizza to her lips. C.C. pouted, Marianne always did have a knack for interrupting her when she was enjoying herself.

She had a feeling she'd be seeing more of Marianne now that her host was near where she was living. It was only a matter of time before things started moving again. Despite herself, C.C. felt her lips quirk into a smile.

So many secrets were crawling around Ashford, it was only a matter of time until they all were exposed. Which those would be, not even C.C. could say for certain.

Lelouch winced slightly as he found himself jolted by a classmate while he shuffled around the auditorium. Anya tugged at his sleeve behind him. "Don't worry, we're almost there." He whispered as the crowd's whispering grew around the large room, rumors spreading fast as lightning about the speech the Princess who had just arrived in Area Eleven was going to give.

Anya nodded silently, still holding onto Lelouch's sleeve, red rings around her eyes invisible to all due to the natural pink shade of her iris. "Thank you." She had to be careful with what she said, the apparent Geass command her son had given Anya was to remember him. That meant any conversation would naturally form as part of her host's memories. It felt almost like they were sharing control for the first time in Lelouch's presence as Marianne rested on the surface of Anya's subconscious mind.

He truly was a troublesome boy, unintentionally ruining her ability to spy on him like that.

Soon enough, the pair, with a hidden third, found themselves standing in the midst of the crowd, staring up at the large screen against the wall of auditorium. Marianne whistled internally, impressed at the enormity of the school her old friend Ashford had created in the years since Area Eleven's colonization.

A hushed silence fell over the crowd as a new face to the Area appeared on the screen, a severe pair of violet eyes and pink hair that looked similar to the Viceroy's sister to an extent, though no one could mistake this Princess for the kind-hearted Euphemia that had appeared rarely in her capacity as Sub-Viceroy.

The military uniform this Princess was wearing, red and white with a glinting badge over her heart, made her appear more akin to the Viceroy than her younger sister. "People of Area Eleven!" The Princess' voice reverberated throughout the auditorium and throughout the Area. "Britannians, Honorary Britannians, Elevens, and even the terrorists watching this right now." Lelouch's eyes narrowed at the last part while a gasp went throughout the crowd. Lelouch's gaze shifted around the crowd, noticing Kallen gritting her teeth while Suzaku was clenching his fists. He recognized the girl on the screen.

"My name is Marrybell mel Britannia." The Princess Lelouch remembered rather fondly spoke with a voice of steel. "I am a Princess of the Holy Empire of Britannia and I am here today to make a declaration!" The camera zoomed out revealing a squad in uniform much like the Princess standing behind her, their hands over their hearts. "I absolutely despise terrorism of all kinds!" She swung her left arm out to the side. "Terrorism stole my mother from me, a suicide bomber destroying our home, which I only survived due to blind luck." Her right hand was placed over her heart, gripping the insignia. "Terrorism ravaged more than my life." Her eyes closed for a moment before blazing through the camera. "My brother and sister lost their mother to terrorism, and one was crippled in the attack, her legs and sight stolen from her!"

Lelouch felt a cold sweat break out as Marry revealed information about the Aries Villa attack to the public, the world at large had only been told Marianne was murdered by terrorists, not that her children had been nearby. Let alone the extent of Nunnally's injuries. 'What is she doing?!' Nobody had turned to him yet, but Lelouch could hear the confused whispers throughout the crowd.

"When I heard my dear brother Clovis had been murdered, my heart was once again torn asunder." Marry swung her left arm out straight to the side, palm facing outwards. "Terrorism in Area Eleven has stolen the lives of three of my dearest siblings, it has stolen the lives of my mother and so many more!" Marry swung out her left arm, mirroring her right. "I am here to announce an end to terrorism in Area Eleven!" She glared forward, daring anyone to come after her. "For the sake of all those who have lost their lives and loved ones to terrorism, my Glinda Knights will illuminate those who hide in the shadows and strike out from the darkness!" Returning her hands to her sides for a moment, she clenched her right fist and pointed forward with her left hand, the index finger extended. "Black Knights, Zero! Your days are numbered. That is a promise."

With that, the screen cut out and the people in the auditorium began filtering out slowly. Anya and Lelouch remained together as they shuffled along with the crowd, the two of them remaining silent though for different reasons.

After Anya had awakened earlier, remembering just who Lelouch was, she asked why he hadn't returned to the Homeland. Lelouch told her that, after the invasion, all he and Nunnally wanted was peace and so they stayed with the Ashfords. Lelouch managed to convince Anya to keep it a secret for his peace of mind, the fact she could now only remember things consistently around him making her at the very least willing to hear him out.

But now things could change very rapidly. The fact the public 'knew' about other members of the Imperial Family had died in Area Eleven now would make people curious and it's possible someone could find out about the Prince and Princess who'd been sent to Japan before the invasion. And their names.

Lelouch bit his lip as he carefully guided Anya to the clubhouse, knowing Milly would want to rope Anya into her madness in the Student Council. He figured the best way to deal with that was to just offer her up and let Milly be her usual chaotic self.

Things were at a tipping point. The slightest push could send everything he'd built at Ashford spiraling out of control.

A ship from the Chinese Federation reached the port in Kyushu with eerie stillness as night fell across what had once been known as the nation of Japan. The ship was a small personal boat and had suffered quite a bit from the journey. It wasn't built for crossing international waters, but the captain of the vessel didn't have much of a choice.

"This is what you wanted right?" The captain's voice trembled as he looked out across the deck, towards the strangely dressed white haired man as he mumbled to himself. The boat drifted gently against the dock after he dropped anchor. "You said to take you to Area Eleven and you'd-" A shot rang out and the captain choked as a new hole appeared in his neck before a second shot rang out and all thoughts went dark.

"Ahh silence." The white haired man's eyes glowed a malicious red as he tossed his gun overboard. "All those thoughts of 'Oh God is he gonna kill me?' blah blah blah." Mao snickered as he walked down onto the dock, leaving behind the cooling corpse of the captain who'd taken him to Area Eleven. "Honestly, the constant ringing in my head from your stupid brain made me want to kill you more than finding out your sick thoughts towards your friend's wife."

In exchange for a promise to help the man find out the darkest secrets of his friend to steal his wife, he'd agreed to take Mao to Area Eleven. Of course that promise was a lie, but Mao didn't care. He'd do whatever he needed in order to find her again.

"I love you Mao." The voice rang out from his headphones, barely drowning out the cacophony of voices that slowly flooded his mind as he began walking through the port in the darkness. Despite the fact nobody was outside nearby, the minds of the residents of the Kyushu Port rang loud inside Mao's mind.

Cranking up the volume, an innocently malicious grin graced his face. "I'll find you soon, C.C." Mao took his first steps on the soil of Area Eleven, the voice of his beloved ringing in his ears.

Soon, soon, everything would come tumbling down.

And that's a wrap for this chapter. I'll do my best to get something out soon after this, since I'm kinda in a groove when it comes to ideas.

Again, as I said in the first AN though, I can't make any promises other than trying my best to not make it years between updates.

By the way, this chapter finally marks the end of this arc, the Knights of War. The next chapter is the beginning of the new arc.

Wonderland Unraveling

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and that everyone looks forward to the next arc

King Draconias Over and Out.