Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or any copyrighted material mentioned here. If I did, Lelouch wouldn't have gone with that retarded zero requiem.

Ok, this is my first attempt at a fanfiction so go easy. I should warn ahead that I am rusty when it comes to code geass, so if I make a mistake let me know. Also, if I make a mistake in regards to Chinese imperial culture, definitely let me know. I should at least get that right. And to any flamers out there, it's just fanfiction, if you don't like it, don't read it.

I can't promise regular updates, as evident by how long it took me to write this. I'm kind of hoping that someone who can write will pick this up. If you want to use this challenge, feel free, just let me know, I'll beta for you. I'll try to update and keep writing if enough want me to

Anyways on with the show

Normal talk

'Thinking'

"speaking in another language" (because I cant speak Chinese nor can I write it to were English speakers would understand it)

Chapter 1: Birth of the Dragon

Anger. That is what ran through his heart. Anger at the betrayal of the one he once called father. Sitting in the bombed out remains of a building was nine year old Lelouch Vi Britannia, former prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, who was holding the crying form of his sister Nunnally Vi Britannia. All around they could hear the distant sound of gunfire as war raged across the city they were hiding in. He and his sister had been sent to Japan as hostages, to ensure the peace between them and the Holy Britannian Empire. Yeah right. Turns out that they were nothing more than disposable decoys in the eyes of their father, the Emperor Charles Zi Britannia, and for what, for speaking out about him allowing his mother to die. Did that warrant condemning him and his sister to die? Did that warrant to be killed by his own country under his father's orders?

Lelouch knew his father ordered deaths for whatever sick purpose he thought it served. After all, the first bombs that started this war weren't dropped on a military base, but on their home. They were only fortunate the Nunnally had wanted to go for a walk and were outside when the blast came. That was nearly a week ago. Since then they had been on the run, trying to avoid detection by Britannian forces, as difficult as that was. The empire had invaded Japan with overwhelming force. Lelouch so the signs of battle, from burnt out buildings, destroyed remains of Japanese and britannian vehicles, as well as the bodies of the fallen. For once, he was glad that his sister was blind, if only to spare her the sight of the dead, even women and children, slaughtered by the britannian forces. Never in all his short life had Lelouch seen such concentrated evil. What was the point of slaughtering those who posed no threat? Why kill those that couldn't defend themselves? The image of the dead, of mothers clutching their babies and children as they were gun down, of civilians executed by soldiers, he knew what he saw would forever haunt him. Was this what the empire truly was, animals that would slaughter the innocent for no reason, was he really a part of that once? Was that really the legacy of his family?

"It wasn't right", Lelouch thought. "Why kill all these people? What is the point? What do you hope to gain through all this destruction 'father'" putting as much hate into the word as he could. "No, not father. He never was our father, he was never there for us. He never cares for us or protected us. We were nothing but pawns to him. That…thing will never be our father" thought Lelouch.

Just then Lelouch was interrupted from his thoughts by a small timid, and scared, voice.

"Big brother, what are we going to do? We have been running for days. We can't hide forever." said Nunnally. Despite the fact she was obviously scared, Lelouch was proud how strong she remained. Never once did she complain about where they were hiding or what or when they were eating. Despite her frailty in body, she possessed tremendous strength in spirit and character, something that their so called father could never understand or appreciate.

"I don't know Nunnally. We have to keep moving before someone finds us here. Maybe we could try to link up with the kururugi's, but I doubt the will be safe for long either, given how fast the empire's forces are moving across Japan. We can't go to the britannians because I doubt they would even believe who we are and would likely shout us as either spies or for the hell of it. Plus, even if they believed us, there is no way the emperor would simply let us walk around. I wouldn't be surprised if he had us killed. I have no doubt that our house was bombed on purpose, though I'm not sure why" Lelouch said. "Our best chance is to keep moving. Hopefully we will be able to avoid detection until we can reach safety, wherever that might be". Lelouch then turned to his sister and smiled. "Why don't you get some rest, we have a long journey ahead of us, I'll keep watch" he said.

Though hesitant at first, Nunnally eventually agreed and curled up next to Lelouch. "I just wonder big brother, will we ever get our family and friends again? I miss them" Nunnally sadly said.

Lelouch let out a bitter laugh "Family…yeah right. What was our family but a collection of conniving backstabbers who would slit each other's throats if it meant getting to the throne. Even father gained the throne through violence. Real families love and care for one another. Ours did none of that. You saw the looks they gave us. Many hated and loathed us, just because mother was not of noble birth. We were never really a family, just a collection of people related by blood" he angrily said.

Sitting up, with sadness and worry on her face, Nunnally looked at Lelouch "that's not true, not all of them were like that. What about Euphemia, or Cornelia, or even Oddyseus and Clovis. They were always nice to us?" she asked.

Lelouch thought for a moment. What she said was true. Growing up, though he would never admit it, Lelouch did enjoy the time he and Nunnally spent playing with Euphemia and Cornelia. They were always genuinely kind to them. And while he was unsure of Clovis, he knew Oddyseus was nice to both of them. In fact, Lelouch didn't think he had a hateful bone in his body. However, they were they exception. The rest of their dozens of siblings either hated them or didn't care. "True, they never hated us, though I am unsure of Clovis, Oddyseus was kind to us. But even you know they were the exception, the rest of our so called siblings either hated us or didn't care enough to even acknowledge us. And as for friends, besides Cornelia and Euphemia, the rest were nothing but noble children trying to gain favors and power from us" Lelouch said, his voice filled with sadness and even anger.

For a moment there was silence between the two siblings, until Nunnally said something that left Lelouch speechless.

"What about her Lelouch, she was our friend. You were always happy when we visited her" she said.

Lelouch was utterly speechless as he was flooded with memories. Memories of his first true friend. Of the girl who, no matter what, he always felt happy to be around.

(flashback two years ago)

In a large garden, the sounds of laughter could be heard all around as two children played who were

"Lelouch wait for me!" laughed a five year old girl as she chased after young Lelouch. The two had taken to playing a game of tag, which neither had ever

"haha you have to catch me first" laughed Lelouch. He couldn't remember having this much fun with anyone before, especially since he hated to exercise. Yet here he was running and panting yet he was having the time of his life. Suddenly Lelouch found himself tackled to the ground.

"Haha I got you Lelouch" laughed the young girl as they both rolled on the ground.

"(pant)…I guess…(Pant)…you did" said a tired but happy Lelouch.

Later that evening, the two children sat together in the garden looking at the sky, admiring the stars.

"I'm going to miss you" sadly whispered the girl as she held onto Lelouch's hand.

"What…" said Lelouch not hearing what she said but clearly catching the sad tone of her voice.

"I'm going to miss you when you leave. When you go, I'll be alone again. I don't want you to leave" She said, as tears threatened to fall.

"hey, don't cry. Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean we'll stop being friends. I promise that, no matter what, we'll always be best friends" reassured Lelouch.

"Really! Pinky promise" she said holding up her hand with her pinky finger extended. Lelouch repeats the same action, meeting her hand.

"yes, I promise, Lihua"

(end flashback)

"Big brother, did you hear me" said a worried Nunnally as she shook him from his thoughts.

"hmn…sorry Nunnally, I guessed a spaced out there for a bit" replied Lelouch, whose attention hstill seemed to be somewhere else.

"You were thinking about her weren't you? I know you two were pretty close" said Nunnally. She could hear the mixture of emotions in his tone. Happiness at the memories, yet utter sadness at their current state, and even fear. Fear that he may never see her again. Nunnally knew he would never admit it, she knew Lelouch was afraid for them. Neither of them was sure whether or not they would make it out alive, if she was honest with herself. Still, she knew they both had to remain strong for one another, if they were ever going to make it.

"Yeah, I guess I was. Why don't you try to get some sleep Nunnally, you'll need your strength. We'll try moving after dark, ok" Said Lelouch. Though Nunnally wanted to protest, she hesitantly agreed after seeing the pleading look in Lelouch's eyes.

And there they sat, brother and sister, huddled together among the ruins, each thinking back to happier times. Little did they know, someone else was thinking of them.

(Vermillion Palace, Beijing, Chinese Federation)

Sitting alone in one of the ancient palace's was the many rooms was a young girl, though she was far from any normal girl. Young Jiang Lihua, known better by the traditional name borne by all her predecessors, the Tianzi, the 'son' of heaven, was ruler and empress of the Chinese Federation, one of the most powerful and ancient nations in the history of mankind . From this ancient palace, her dynasty and the dynasty's before them have ruled over china. Its halls were filled with millennia of history, an achievement that even the vaunted Holy Britannian Empire could not match.

The magnitude of this history was currently lost on the young empress, as she summoned all of her will to avoid crying. No, it would not do for the ruler of China to show weakness, especially with the eunuchs just waiting to steal more power from her. It was only thanks to the support of the common people, with whom, despite her young age, her more progressive ideology resonated with, and interestingly, the traditionalists, though their support was more bipolar than anything. The traditionalists despised her reformist ideology, as well as the fact that she was a woman, but at the same time oppose the high eunuchs attempt to take the power the rightfully belonged to the imperial sovereign, so at least on that they supported her when she challenged the high eunuchs bid for control.

Lihua knew however, that this internal political struggle between her and the high eunuchs was just one of the problems that beset her empire. All across the multi-ethnic federation, the common people were languishing in poverty, who were heavy taxed by the eunuchs to pay for their extravagant lifestyle, in complete ignorance to the point of a eunuch. Across the federation, tensions were rising among the various ethnic groups, and cultures as the most vocal among them clamored for independence, the most prevalent being India. If things continued along the current course, China would soon beset by the civil wars that had destroyed so many of the previous dynasties. Already, many were whispering that the current problems were a sign the heavens had grown displeased with China, that the dynasty no longer had the favor of the heavens, and that they had lost the Mandate of Heaven. Perhaps, Lihua, thought they were right. Perhaps she and her dynasty had lost the favor of the heavens, and it was time for the Mandate of Heaven to pass to another. But she would not let that stop her from doing everything in her power to maintain the Federation, despite the Eunuchs seemly doing everything to destroy it.

Lihua knew, as many of her supporters knew, that the only way any of them were going to survive was united under a single banner, especially now that the wolves were at the gate, or, more accurately, the lion that was Britannia. As bad as the Federation was with treating its people, even the rebels admitted it was still far better than what awaited those poor souls that fell under the monstrous grip of the Holy Britannian Empire. Those that were conquered by Britannia were robbed of their lands, their pride, and even their identity, referred to by their conquerors as mere numbers. This was no more evident than with Britannia's recent invasion of Japan, which just proved to many that Britannia truly intended to conquer the world. Even though the invasion only began a week ago, already the outcome seemed forgone. Britannia had invaded with overwhelming force, devoting the full strength of its pacific fleets, along with millions of troops. All across Japan the Britannian were slaughtering indiscriminately as they went. But what truly shocked the world was Britannia's unveiling of its latest instrument of war, the knightmare frame. These giant mechs proved devastating to the Japanese military, with their speed, maneuverability, and firepower, nothing it seemed could counter them. Already militaries across the world were scrambling to figure out how to counter this revolution in warfare.

But despite all this, none of these facts and problems, as much she was saddened by them, was what was worrying her. No, what brought the young empress so much sadness and worry was the fate of her very first friends, Prince Lelouch and his Princess Nunnally. Lihua had met them two years ago, when they were sent with by their father, to get close to her, during one of the many negotiations between Britannia and China. Instantly the three hit it off, becoming fast friends. They spent hours running through the imperial gardens. Well, Nunnally and her ran, Lelouch more or less just gasped for breath the whole time. Still, those months they spent were among the most fun she ever had. She especially was close to Lelouch. She didn't understand why, but something about him made her want to be close to him. Even at age seven, he possessed a keen intellect, being able to outsmart many of her personal tutors, and even managed to beat one of her generals in chess, repeatedly. That had been an eye opening experience to everyone, none more so that Lihua, watching a seven year old out play a seasoned general in a game of strategy. This, combine with his strong, sometimes stubborn, will and his natural charisma, drew the young Tianzi to him. It saddened her when they had to leave, but they all agreed to keep in touch with letters, and even presents. Though this all ended when Lelouch and Nunnally were banished.

She knew their father had sent them to Japan as hostages, pawns in his twisted game. Already the Britannians were claiming that the Japanese had killed them, and their invasion was revenge for their deaths. But Lihua knew better. From what she knew of the Britannian emperor, Charles Zi Britannia was a cold, heartless many who cared nothing for his many children, seeing them as disposable tools to be cast off without a second thought. She had no doubt in her heart that Charles had ordered to killing himself to give him an excuse to invade Japan. But while the Britannian media had reported their deaths, she personally refused to believe that Lelouch was dead. He wouldn't die so easily, right. He'd have a plan for this event, he always had a plan. He wouldn't let himself and Nunnally just die, right. All this had been raging within her young mind, driving her to tears many nights.

A sudden knock of the chambers door stirred the empress from her internal struggle. Taking a moment to compose herself, Lihua beckoned them to enter.

A moment later, the door opened, revealing her most loyal guard and support, Li Xingke. Xingke had been devoted to Lihua since she saved his life years ago. With her support, he quickly rose with the military, where he was considered the unofficial head of the loyalist faction of the military, those whose loyalty lied with the empress. Quickly entering the room, Xingke immediately went bowed to the empress.

"My Tianzi, you summoned me" asked Xingke from his bowed position.

"Yes, I did. Tell me, is there any updates from Japan" asked the empress, attempting to keep her tone as regal as expected, in case those not loyal to her were listening in.

"I am afraid your majesty that the situation in Japan continues to deteriorate rapidly. While the Japanese army continues to put up a valiant defense, the Britannians continue to sweep across japan. These new war machines, the knightmare frames, have proven to be devastating weapons. Nothing the Japanese do can counter them. While we can confirm that they have destroyed several of these knightmares, which the Britannians have designated as 'Glasgows", this was not without significant losses on their part" said Xingke, his voice clearly sympathetic to the Japanese. No one deserved to be conquered by those western barbarians. There was no honor in slaughtering women and children.

"I see. I there a possibility of military intervention on our part to aid the Japanese. I am sure even the eunuchs will agree that we cannot allow the Britannians to gain such a defensible foothold near our borders, nor can the world afford for them to seize control of Japan sakuradite reserves." Lihua asked. Though she was young, she had been raised all her life to rule, having succeeded to the throne of her father as a baby. She had been and continues to be educated by the finest mines in the Federation. This, combined from the little she remembered learned from Lelouch during their frequent video chats, had given her a basic idea of military strategy.

For a minute Xingke was silent, as he thought of his empress request, before shaking his head.

"I am afraid not my empress. At the rate of Britannia's success, they will be fully entrenched in japan before we can organize the necessary military force. This would mean even would have to devote significant military forces to the operation, given the sheer size of the Britannian forces present, as they have devoted not only the full force of the pacific fleets, but have also committed at least 5 million troops to the invasion itself. Though this in of itself would not prevent us from invading, as we can bring the full might of Imperial Army against them, especially in that we would have the advantage of operating close to our supply bases and have support of air assets of the mainland, while the Britannians must ship supplies across the ocean" stated Xingke, hoping the tianzi understood what he was saying. She was still a child after all. "No, the main reason preventing our intervention is these knightmare frames. We simply know too little about them to effectively counter them without suffering significant losses. Until we are able to counter them effectively, we cannot risk marching to battle against them" he explained.

For several minutes, the empress thought over what Xingke said. Though still a child, she understood the basics of what he said. While it deeply saddened her that she could not aid the Japanese, she also knew she could not risk her own people.

"I see, very well. Still we can offer some aid. See if you can gather support for allowing in refugees from Japan. We can at least try to save as many as possible" said Lihua in a defeated tone.

"By your will, Tianzi" said Xingke.

"Good. Now have our agents found anything about Lelouch and Nunnally. Are they alive or…" asked the young empress, afraid to finish the thought.

"They have been unable to find anything concrete my empress" stated Xingke, seeing the sorrow in his empress's eyes grow. It truly hurt him to see her like this.

Before Lihua could say anything further, Xingke continued. "However, our agents have uncovered some evidence that they may have escaped the destruction of their house and may very well be alive. With your permission Tianzi, I may be able to organize a few Special Forces units to attempt to locate and extract them from Japan, if they are alive. I will personally lead the troops myself" firmly stated Xingke, with all the conviction he could muster. He knew how dearly the empress missed her two friends, especially the young prince.

"Really?! Yes please, do so immediately. Please save them" pleaded Lihua, not caring if anyone heard her. If there was a chance of saving them, she had to take it no matter what.

"By your command, your majesty. I'll gather what I can and leave by morning" stated Xingke, as he quickly bowed again befor leaving the room to gather the needed forces before the eunuchs could interfere.

After Xingke left, the empress returned to her thoughts. But whereas before they were filled with worry and despair, now their laid hope. Hope that her friend yet lived. Hope that she may finally see Lelouch again.

What no one could have know was this simple request would forever alter the course of human history, giving rise to a dragon that will rise to seize its destiny. History would remember this as the beginning of China's ascension and the birth of a new tianzi, the son of heaven.

And there we have it. my first chapter ever done. Will Xingke arrive in time to save Nunnally and Lelouch, find out next time on Dragonball… wait wrong story sorry. I hope you all like it. If I made any mistakes, let me know.

I have decided to make this story a harem with for now:

Tianzi (obviously)

Kallen

Milly

Kaguya

If you want anyone else let me know. This list isn't definite yet so anything can happen. No incest, that's creepy even if he is royalty.

I will like to say that the Lelouch of this story will hopefully be different in personality than those of other fics. In many Lelouch is a Machiavellian character willing to go to incredible lengths to accomplish his goals. In this story, Lelouch I feel will draw plenty of inspiration from Chinese philosophy and thinking, especially from Sun Tzu in terms of military thinking. Not that he will abandon what makes him him, but he will be heavily influenced by his surroundings. Plus, this time lelouch isn't scrounging in the shadows building an army, but will have the backing of an entire empire.

If you wondering about Tianzi, first off yes I made her much older. I feel her relationship with lelouch will be more realistic if they are close in age. Additionally I made her more mature that what a normal seven year old would be simply because she isn't normal. She is an empress who, even if the eunuchs want as a puppet, would still be given a very advanced education to teach her specifically how to rule. Plus, like Lelouch, she lives in an environment whose pressures will force her to mature rapidly.

Also in this I made mention to something called the "Mandate of Heaven". This is a chinese philosophy of the divine right of rulers. But whereas European monarchs believed they were appointed by god and rule with his authority, the Chinese had a different view. The right to rule was given by heaven based upon the rulers' ability and skill to govern. The emperor and his dynasty are charged with heaven to govern fairly and justly, a mandate from heaven. Unlike in the European view, in the "Mandate of Heaven", if the emperor is unable to rule fairly, because they are weak or cruel, they would lose the mandate, which would be given to another, more fitting ruler. Meaning that the emperor's rule was not 100% guaranteed and was dependent on his ability to lead, otherwise the people would be within their right to overthrow him and install a new emperor. In theory this mandate did not require the ruler to be of nobility, but could also be of commoner origin, such as in the case of the Han and Ming dynasties, which were founded by commoners. This ideology has long been a popular concept in china for thousands of years, especially since it tells rulers that they either do well and ruler fairly, or the people are within their right given by the gods to overthrow them, in theory anyway. It is a really interesting and ancient concept

Please leave a review, no flames.

See ya next time.