Code Geass 1. One Change, One Game

Luigi Legends here back from inactivity again with my new Code Geass story Changing Hands, though sadly I will not be able to live up to my promise of a mass release I have redeveloped my style in a way that I will try to keep consistent between all my new stories from here on out, but that's enough about that as for a brief note on why I started this story. I am a major Kallen X Lelouch fan and while I will be bringing up several pairing that were never flushed out in the main storyline itself Kallen x Lelouch will be a major point for this Story along with another pairing which may or may not give some people divided feelings, also within this story there will be a mix of the familiar and the original to a certain point as well as I will be fleshing out The Code Geass World in areas the anime did not even bother to cover, there will also be changes at certain key points after the first few chapters some that many will be familiar with, but that will come in time for now enjoy the first chapter

Code Geass ©Sunrise

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><p>Some would say that the gods shaped events, that some all powerful figure held every little thing about you in the palm of its hand. Everything that you could have possibly worked for preordained under whatever power shepherded the world.<p>

God

Others would call it will and just random chance a simple galactic roll of the dice nothing certain everything a gamble, nothing ordained

Luck

There are those who believe in neither or so they believe, a so called calling that they would carry that would change the world and everyone in it.

They know it as fate…

Fate, in a world divided split along the lines among three great powers some would say things were fated to happen that some power carried each to its founding, from the proud Frenchmen with the will to forge a Union, from an ancient conqueror that some would say cheated death and formed a proud Dynasty and Federation, to the exiled Queen who had charisma to rebuild an Empire

They would call this providence; they are not far from wrong

It is Destiny…

And it is destiny that once again shines upon two forgotten nations

The Land of the Morning and the Land of the Rising Sun

Carried by several individuals and a man known simply as…

Zero

But even destiny requires change… one more ripple one change and for better for worse, fate has decided and destiny turns

And the world bows to the changing hands…

**Chapter 1: One Change, One Game**

**Ashford Academy, Study Hall Garden**

It was a nice cool summer day, like any other day in the former Land of the Rising Sun

It was one of the kind of days where someone would feel like they just had to get out and enjoy the day, and for a certain green haired witch that was all she planned on doing, C.C took to Ashfords many walkways just to ease off her boredom, maneuvering though the elegantly crafted paths to wherever her whim would take her. In spite of what her purple eyed accomplice had warned her of wandering unless it risked either his life or involved compromising the both of them to Britannia and V.V, she really could have cared less what the boy wished, he was a means to an end like so many others and despite being Marianne son he had no idea how to have "real fun" a fact she noticed since the day she had started watching him, he always had a plan for everything so it seemed and he had no concept of anything falling outside of his own personal "scenario"

"Such a shame too" she thought quietly Marianne had warned her about that and like she almost always was, she was right

C.C continued to amble waiting for her old friend for contact her again, though as she did so she stumbled on a familiar half blood red head who looked particularly confused and annoyed while deep in thought, with nothing better to do she took a pause from her wandering and decided to watch.

Kallen "Stadtfeld" Kōzuki was having an off day, with her leads to that mysterious voice dried up she had little to go on, her last lead her classmate Lelouch was a dead end and now their resistance wouldn't be able to get their hands on a tactician that was worth a damn, she didn't want to have to go to in front of the group and say she had nothing but she really had nothing else to go on, Kallen furrowed her brow and buried her eyes in the palm of her hand frustrated though everything had pointed to the purple eyed pureblood including his suave charm and yet the moment she thought she had him the world thought to add another spin on things and dash her certainty.

Already angry to begin with she kicked one of the marks in the wall in front of her, hitting one of the marked bricks causing it to crack leaving a heel shaped indention where her foot had hit

C.C was busy watching the scene when a familiar presence flooded her head, complete with a thrill seekers pride and an irritating laugh

_Hello C.C long time no see, I take it you found Lelouch?_

"Marianne…" the witch whispered to the summer air, her normally unbreakable composure ruffled due to her "partners" presence. She quickly recovered it and answered her friend "I found him"

There was several moment of pause before the Empress spoke again

_Well, is he everything that we said he would be_ she conferred not bothering to hide the excitement and smugness in her thoughts, C.C blew a strand of hair out of her face in utter contempt for her friends insinuation. She really hated it when the ex-knight rubbed it in, indeed she was really was one of the few people in the world that could get a rile out of her.

"Yes, yes he is…"

_Well that's settled hopefully he'll give Charles something to do, he's been so occupied with the Junction that he hardly has anything to worry about and that's never fun. Not to mention Cornella and Schneizel need someone worth fighting, the world's so tedious without fighting, by the way who's the girl? _

C.C felt her eye tingle as the late Empress looked through it, viewing the half breed vent her frustration on a nearby wall

"Just a girl that's getting a little too close for Lelouch's liking"

She could feel the amusement coming from her friend at the mention of that, as well as a tinge of mischief clouding her thoughts. There was a moment of quiet as Marianne withdrew from her mind clearing her thoughts for just an instant; her presence returned a second later shaded with what could be described as a mental smile, with a sigh she decided to ask her what she was planning though with Marianne it was likely something completely unnecessary but would amuse her to no bound.

"What are you planning?"

_Just a little game for my son, can you get me into contact with her there's something I want to give her_

Kallen observed her handiwork on the wall with a mixture of pride and frustration

_Well damn, I really don't know my own strength, better get out of here before… _she turned to leave and almost ran face first into a pale green haired girl _crap…_

"Uh… hi, can I help you?" she managed taking in the other girl's features, her almost unholy yellow eyes and her distinctly European looks. If she had to guess the girl looked French and had the air of someone who was unbelievably bored which said a lot considering her expression betrayed almost nothing

C.C merely sighed berated herself for being talked into this and reached for the half breed's forehead, not sure of what she was trying to do Kallen grabbed her hand trying to dissuade her while maintaining her sick act. It didn't work C.C simply shrugged off her grip and pressed two fingers to Kallen's forehead, her code flashed on her own forehead as she imparted Marianne's gift on to the young Japanese girl, she could see the girls eyes dilate as her mind struggled to keep up with what was happening to it

For Kallen the world around her literally faded into white as whatever the green haired witch was doing to her took full effect drowning her in a sea of different feelings and nausea, the world started to spin and blur but as soon as the invertigo had begun it had vanished and the world came back into focus, taking in her new surroundings she wasn't at Ashford any more. It took her a moment to full take in where she was, she was in a throne room but not just any throne room she was standing in the Imperial Palace throne room watching something she would never had expected to see.

A young Lelouch Lamperouge striding up to the Emperor and challenging the man for not protecting his mother or his sister, she could feel every bitter emotion swirling inside of him as if they were her own, unbelievable anger, uncertainty, fear and doubt mixed in with a familiar ringing feeling of loss and loneliness. She could hear the nobles whispering and even in certain cases snickering at the young boy, she could certainly see the arrogance written on their faces as Lelouch rebuked the Emperor for his inhumanity.

"The Eleventh Prince going against the Emperor? This should be quick"

"The boy has no idea what he's getting into"

It was hard to believe the boy in front of her was going to grow up to be her cynical antagonistic ass of a classmate, then again she really wouldn't have believed he was a prince as well but hearing him try to tear into the Emperor was something else she would have been impressed had not every word of the confrontation triggered a flash of memory, that she could see though his eyes.

Looking over his mother's death scene with a young Nunnally blood soaked and cradled in her arms like a broken angel squirming under a shattered sky as the world slowly crumbled all around her, she could hear her squeaks of fear and pain and blood stained and soaked every part of her tiny body. The image seared itself into her mind alongside memories of her brother and how he would never be coming home, the scene faded and was replaced with another scene Lelouch was looking over his broken sister her eyes permanently closed to the world around her and her legs crippled beyond the point of repair, she almost couldn't bear the weight of sorrow and pain that Lelouch was feeling over the state of his sister, she could barely look at the young girl when she was confined to her wheelchair this… this was too much.

Another flash Lelouch was holding his sisters hand as he played chess with himself she could feel him trying to mask the fear and uncertainty with the game but out of a nearby window she could see Japan was slowly appearing on the horizon and she could feel his dread growing stronger the closer it got. Another shift it was Lelouch as she knew him leading them at Shinjuku acting like the cold unfeeling bastard that his father and the empire had turned him into, he was almost blissfully unaware of the destruction surrounding him as he led them with the skill of a masterful tactician leading her and her friends to a victory of sorts against the nation that did them both so much wrong.

The memories returned her to the throne room where she watched Lelouch world dissolved around him as if fate itself was spiting him, his father had just denounced his existence and was humiliating him for thinking the world was a nice and pleasant place, and finally to add insult to injury he had him exiled to Japan as a political bargaining chip with only his sister and nothing else. The revelation hit her like bucket of ice water and she could finally understand his cynical nature. Who walks away from something like this and doesn't become angry at the world, who doesn't think that having a father who doesn't care about you, your mother or your sisters and then exiles you for having the gall to challenge him wouldn't leave you scarred for life. She watched a bright light engulf Lelouch and then the throne room.

After another moment of invertigo she was snapped back to reality standing alone again, in the garden of the study hall the green haired girl who had given her that glimpse nowhere to be found. She could feel her head throbbing a not so friendly reminder of what she had just experienced along with her new "memories" the vivid experience still drawing reactions from her body.

Reactions was an understatement the young red head really felt like she was going to collapse, still she managed to rest herself on the stonewall behind her as she reviewed her experience in her mind. She had a lot of thinking to do about her classmate and what she was going to do about him and what she was going to do about her new found sympathy for him.

"Lelouch…"

Elsewhere C.C continued her stroll her friend's presence long gone from her mind, her fun to be followed up on later but for the green haired witch only one thought lingered on her mind

_I hope you know what you're doing with this game of yours __Marianne, the world can change on the whim of one person in the right place at the right time…_

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><p>For the record, like so many other Code Geass stories The European Universe will be replaced with the European Union for simplicity's sake, as well as points to who can figure out who the aforementioned ancient conqueror is<p>

But for now, Please Read and Review and hold on for the next chapter it may be a while


	2. Memories and Trust

**Chapter 2: Memories and Trust  
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**Next Day**

**Ashford Academy **

Kallen resumed her daily routine as if nothing had happened, she went to class talked with her so called "friends" as she would have normally while keeping up her entire sick as a kitten façade indeed no one among her classmates knew that on the inside she was struggling with the revelations that her "gift" had shown her.

Most of the day was a fight to stay focused, she couldn't help stealing glances at the cause of all her problems, Lelouch always sat nearby in almost all the classes they shared together but the problem for her was that every few times she looked at him a new one of his memories came to the surface, it was distracting but it shed more and more light on the life he led. But aside from a memory about a one sided conversation between the both of them, one that she could not for the life of her remember, most of the memories were fairly mundane mostly him living with his sister and eking out an existence here in Japan, it was a source of pride that when she looked into the memories that he viewed Japan as more of a home than the Mainland. That he felt more at home among that Japanese than among Britannian's it was probably why he was so eager to fight Britannia when the opportunity came to him, the justice of it was not lost on her.

The day quickly passed and after her shift with the student council, she noticed her "gift" beginning to plague her less frequently she could look at Lelouch for a time without being dragged into any memories, but she couldn't bring herself to speak to him the time just didn't seem right, after the council meeting afternoon was young so she took to the more private balconies above the schoolyard to try and gather her thoughts and access where she stood with the Exiled Prince.

The sight of the open schoolyard was a welcome one, Britannian excess aside it was still a beautiful sight the fresh well-kept grass, the tall birch trees and the limestone paths left little to be desired, and really it was the only spot where she could collect her thoughts without much fear of interruption

She thought about her purple eyed classmate, beneath his uncaring surface there was someone who was angry at the state of the world, the injustice, the hate, bigotry and the status quo. She knew what had caused it after all he had to stare at her every morning and evening, coming to her homeland had only sped that process but at the center she knew that his little sister would be his reason to fight.

It was endearing really, she saw so much of herself and Naoto in him and his reasons. Fighting for a sister (or in her case a brother, lost to her or not) against the injustice that was the cruel world that they lived in, for a chance at peace, for a while it felt like an impossible dream like challenging a rising tide but remembering what he did, it seemed less like a fleeting dream and more like a real chance at freedom

_Lelouch…_

She felt strangely content at the thought of him but before she could dwell on it further her phone rang bringing dragging her out of her thoughts, she brought the earpiece to her head and answered

"Hello?"

"Kallen, how have you been?" Oghi's voice rang out though the headset much to her relief, she hadn't heard from any of her friends since their uprising a few days ago

"Not bad, I've been better though, why the call though aren't you being watched?"

There was a pause on the line and then he answered "you told us to come with you to the Tokyo Tower remember, they won't watch us in the old part of town, what did something come up?"

Going over the last day and a half, as well as 17 years of accumulated memories that weren't hers that she had run though in the last several hours, she could only chuckle at that thought

_You have no idea Oghi, you have no idea…_

Though in the space of the day of acquiring her "gift" she had completely forgotten about meeting with who they called the "Savior of Shinjuku" who in no surprise (to her **now**) was Lelouch, she debated whether or not to share her knew found knowledge with Oghi but decided against it, she need to think on it more and she didn't want to put her classmate at risk quite yet

"No, nothing I'll meet you there in an hour or so" she closed the line before he could say anything else and made her way off the balcony, eager to see what Lelouch had in store for all of them

**An Hour Later**

**Tokyo Tower, Old Tokyo **

After changing in to something less conspicuous her clothing now consisting of an simple set of blue black pants and an earth brown sweater, Kallen made her way into Old Tokyo Tower one of the only remaining pieces of Japans past in the city that wasn't dust and rubble

She had met up with Oghi, Tamaki, Inoue and Sugiyama inside and while Oghi and Inoue were on edge Sugiyama and Tamaki looked irritated, but of course entering a monument that was now dedicated to representing the invasion and conquest of your homeland tended to have that effect on people, they milled about watching as Brittainan's laughed or smiled at the weeklong butchering of their people replayed for their own entertainment, when an overhead page brought them back down to the service desk, where funnily enough there was a phone waiting for her, inscribed with the words Q-1 on the side. Sensing this was not the place to be when he called, she herded everyone out into the streets and as if on cue the phone rang.

She set the phone to conference and pressed the phone to her ear and tossed her spare ear piece to Oghi who pressed it to his ear, eager for some answers

He received none as on the line one order was spoken

"Get on the monorail loop line, bring your friends" followed by the familiar beep of a disconnected call

Oghi muttered a curse under his breath and started walking towards the Rail station followed by the rest of the group, Kallen already having a basic understanding of what her class mate wanted to do followed with an assuredness in her step, this wasn't going to be a trap

It took the group a quiet few minutes to get onto the rail line, though Tamaki was fuming at the sight of the Old Tokyo City and its decrepit state the rest of the group including herself kept their reservation to themselves there would a time for revenge later, especially if this meeting succeeded, though Oghi was silently contemplating how many ways they could get out of here if this deal fell through, everyone else was quietly waiting for the next call.

It came a short few minutes after with several short orders and questions, but one thing stood out for her along it was definitely his voice unrestrained by the image he was forced to maintain

"Look to your right, as you face the front of the car"

Oghi who was the only one aside from her that had access to the call did as she did, it was a plain sight to see, the modern wonders and cultural repressiveness of the Britannian city, in all of its grave robbing and enslaving glory

"What do you see?"

Oghi nodded to her and she answered with what she felt

"The Britannian city, a city of robbers and thieves built on our blood and sacrifices"

"And on your left?"

A glance was all the both of them needed

"Our city, the ruined city that the Britannians destroyed buried with our dead and our history"

"Good answer, now come to the lead car"

The group obliged and made their way through each section, though strangely all the passengers simply made way for them, even the Britannian passengers offered room with no trouble

When they arrived at the lead car it was empty bar one person, one person with a jet black cloak and a mask

A familiar invertigo surround her as another memory revealed itself to her, it was an old male seamstress handing Lelouch the outfit that he currently wore and describing its features in detail for him. The black cloak, purple suit and the black mask with a voice filter attached to it along with a mechanical visor opening for his eye.

"Now I'll just destroy all the evidence of this and go on with my life as if nothing happened" The old man spoke in a strangely monotone voice and went about his business

"Perfect" she heard Lelouch whisper before she returned to reality

The Rest of her group filtered in and the door was slammed shut behind them by one of the passengers in the previous car

"This is a trap isn't it" she heard Inoue whisper, she paid her no mind and asked what everyone else was thinking

"Who are you?" _Lelouch…_

The car suddenly darkened and Lelouch turned to face the her group speaking in an over the top and grandiose voice

"Well, how does it feel to meet the one running this operation" his attempt at omnipotence not lost on anyone else aside from her, everyone else thought it was a strange and in all honesty she couldn't blame them

"Allow me to introduce myself properly, my fellow rebels and dissenters"

Oghi stepped up "we both have a fight with Britannia tell us what you want"

"No, you wish for a fight yet Britannia will not fall to feeble acts of terrorism, it is merely an annoyance to the corrupt lords of the empire"

"You calling us an ANNOYANCE!" Tamaki shouted his anger boiling over but was cut off by the next sentence

"Do not mistake your enemy, you are not fighting people but an empire itself" he spoke with a calm and collect demeanor "to do this, means war!"

"Are you firm in your resolve, would you involve the innocent, would you fight for freedom, for Justice"

"Don't Fuck with us, why should we trust you some masked freak who won't even show us his face" Tamaki shot back earn an agreement from everyone else aside from Kallen who remained quiet "take off your mask"

"Yeah show us your face" Oghi and Sugiyama agreed,

"Very well I'll show you" the group gave him looks of contempt "not my face, but my power if I show you what I can do, will you trust and follow me?"

Tamaki scoffed at the statement and looked like he was ready to start shouting again, Kallen finally decided it was time to step in

"And what would you do, that would convince us to follow you?"

The rest of her group was quickly silenced as the question hung in the air, they gave her one strange look and then turned in back on their benefactor

"Simple, we will recue Kururugi Suzaku from the Empire"

**Hours later**

**1****st**** Street, Tokyo Settlement**

**Kururugi Execution Parade**

_In any other case this is probably the equivalent of suicide, I hope your right Lelouch_ Kallen thought to herself as she eased the Ex-crown prince's staff car forward though the streets, in any other scenario she would have been scared out of her mind confronting this many Britannians with only three people but all she felt was a somewhat soothing calm knowing that whatever the former Eleventh Prince had planned would succeed it was just the kind of person he was, that and knowing the fact that they had a dud canister of "Poison" gas sitting in the trunk and a solid exit strategy were also fairly good points but it was mainly the former.

This was going to be a hell of a show, and what a show it was

The idiot Purist Jeremiah had let their car pass their perimeter and let them get almost face to face with him in his Knightmare, every camera in Tokyo was on them as he demanded their surrender only to receive a death threat as Lelouch or rather Zero as he announced to the world, demanded a trade the Gas bomb for Suzaku, and after a back and forth about who was responsible for the Crown Prince's death Lelouch declared to the world that he killed the Prince in cold blood, he reinforced the trade with the thousands of people present and also by referring to him as Orange after which he accepted strangely despite the outcry of his subordinates who in turn quickly tried to kill the lot of them but failed as they detonated the mock gas bomb and escaped over the bridge and into a safety net cast by Oghi

To say she didn't enjoy that was an understatement, it was an indescribable rush playing against all of them with an ace up their sleeve knowing that it wouldn't have mattered what they did they wouldn't have been able to harm them in the slightest. A part of her wanted to do it again and another part of her was stilled awed by the assuredness of his success. Despite what the others felt about him she would stand by him a small part of her heart tugged everyone else's distrust but she paid it no mind, they would learn to trust him in time

**Ruined City, Old Tokyo**

While Oghi went over his experience with their new found leader with the rest of the their group, Kallen decided to go over and watch Lelouch try and convince his old Childhood friend to join him it was sad really seeing him talk with only true friend, the only one who really knew about his past (bar her but she hadn't acquired that knowledge willingly) only to have him decline and call him a monster despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary to her anyways, and walk away.

She could see Zero shake in anger and then calm as he heard his old friend's thanks, he strode towards her

"So you heard" he asked his voice not betraying any emotion but she could almost feel the need coming off of him "do you think this was a mistake?"

She leaned against the wreaked support pillars and without an ounce of hesitation in her voice answered

"No, he's made his choice as wrong as it is, you're not a monster and I trust you to do the right things"

"You would follow me?" Even behind the mask she could feel his eyes meet hers

"Yes"

"Very well, thank you Q-1" He began walking towards the rest of her group he motioned to her "come we have much to discuss"

"Right behind you"

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><p>Minor (or Major) change to the timeline, yes C.C joined Lelouch a bit early but I'll leave it to you to figure out if there's more or less because of it<p> 


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