Fanfic / Code Geass: Colorless Memories

Quite the Colorful picture's eh.

"This person I knew, he too thought that if he just 'follow the rules' as you would say and gain as much power as he possibly could he would be able to protect those who were important to him. All he ever wanted was to lead an ordinary life, live in peace with his family, become a master swordsman like his mother, and who knows, maybe even become a Knight of the Round if he wanted to. But then… things happened and his life became anything but ordinary."

—Rai]

Code-Geass-Colorless-Memories by NSBleach00 is a Code Geass Fan Fic featuring Rai from the visual novel Code Geass: Lost Colors.

Like the game that he appears in, Rai lost his memories and ends up unconscious at the gates of Ashford Academy, found and taken in by Milly and Lelouch. Rai sets out on his quest to recover his memories while at the same time deciding how he will affect the battle for Japan.

In 11.05.2015, the author began a rewrite on Fanfiction.Net under the title Code Geass: Colorless Memories Redux. Last updated November 2016, unfortunately. Author gave update in July 2017, but has since not updated. As such, the fic is presumed dead.

Has its own Wikia page which is open for editing and adds information to the universe that is not stated in the main story i.e. the location of the thought elevators, and the territories of each faction.

It has a sidestory called Code Geass Colored Memories here and a supplementary worldbuilding Fic called Code Geass Colored Memories Archives.

It also inspired a Prequel to Colored Memories and Code Geass in general. That is called Roanapur Connection, which uses plot elements and character from both fics in a new fanfic continuity that Crossover with Black Lagoon.

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This fic contains examples of the following tropes:

• Absurd Cutting Power: Rai's mother's sword which is able to slice the tip off grasses, and is a mix between a katana and longsword.
• The Ace: What Rai, Kallen and Tohdoh are for the Black Knights, and Suzaku and Sai are for Britania.
• Adaptation Expansion: Colorless and Colored Memories fleshes out the backstories of a number of side characters. Increased focus on Japan's history and culture in CG world. Along with making Rai from the Code Geass: Lost Colors the main star and fleshing out his backstory in more details.
• Adaptational Heroism: In comparison to the Visual Novel and the orginal version of Colorless Memories Rai is this. As in the redux version of Chapter 18 Rai doesn't kill his father or Brtiannian relatives to grab power, nor does he cause the death of his mother and sister by geassing them.
• All There in the Manual: Companion fic Code Geass Colored Memories, it's main focus is on the POV of Kaguya, Suzaku and Kallen. It also add background stories to many characters like Colonel Kusakabe. It fleshes out other events that happen before or during the timeline of Colorless Memories, along with worldbuilding the Code Geass universe in more detail.
  • As mentioned above, the pages on Code Geass fanon wiki, there is information that is not stated in the main story that gives more information on the fic's universe, such as details to many of the Knightmare Frames, the thought elevators, full character list and information on each of the factions.
    • Along with a working in progress Colorless Memories Timeline of the fic's universe.
    • A number of the pages also include quotes, conversations and teasing of possible future developments in the fic's.
• Alternate Continuity: The story is for a good part what you get if you add characters from most Code Geass medias, add a few original characters, and change certain events in canon while still following most of it.
• Anti-Villain: Quite a few Britannian characters fit this status, with Oldrin Zevron and Princess Mirabelle being the best examples.
• Big Brother Instinct: As always, Lulu for Nunnally. Naoto was probably one for Kallen.
• Birds of a Feather: Euphie and Suzaku as in the series. Lelouch and C.C as well when you consider how both act and how they connect and talk with each other.
  • Rai and Kallen as well as both are the aces of the Black Knights being Zero's Blue and Red Knights, they are both half breeds, have pretty similar views on the world and what they are fighting for, both have had problems with and reject their Britannian hertiages, both had a sibling they loved very much, and they go to great lengths to protect people they care about.
• Big Brother Worship: As in canon, Kallen for her brother. Whom Ohgi tell's Rai of briefly in Chapter ten.
• Blue Is Heroic: Rai has blue eyes, his Knightmare is colored blue, he wears a blue pilot suit and is actually referred to as Zero's Blue Knight In-Universe. He is often cool, calm and intellectual in his personality. and his contractor E.E has blue hair.
• But Not Too Foreign: Kallen as in series is a half breed of Japanese and Britannian, as is Rai, who turns out to be half Britannian-half Japanese. Along with hinted so far to be have blood connection to Kaguya Sumeragi. Which Chapter Eighteen confirms.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Naturally Shirley for Lelouch.
• Central Theme: So far there seems to be a undercurrent theme in Rai's arc in regards to what exactly he is looking for in his search for his memories, what his future could be and The truth behind his past.
  • There's also a recurring symbolic theme of the moon and the color blue in many of Rai's internal thoughts. All of which seems to have some correlation with his contractor E.E. Who has blue hair, wears silver clothes and has a moon generating a blue aura around herself.
  • The meaning of truth and facing certain uncomfortable truths as well.
• Celibate Hero: Lelouch is this as usual.
• Character Development: Rai as the fic goes on starts to become less passive and stoic around others and decides to join the Black Knights in their fight against Britannia.
  • Rai also starts to ponder on what he wants to do in the future and how he can achieve it. He gradually gains more confidence in himself and his interactions with other characters as the fic develop.
• Childhood Friend: Rai and Lelia Malkal from Code Geass: Akito the Exiled.
• Chess Motifs: As with the show quite a bit of this in the story with chess being played in a few chapters by Lelouch and Rai with Lelouch referring to Rai at one point as his extra piece of the board.
• Combat Pragmatist: Zero is this as seen in the series with his tactics at Narita etc. Rai is one as well as he will use terrain, ambushes and smoke as shown in the battle of Narita and before that with ambushes when piloting a damaged burai while searching for his memories with Kallen..
• Cynicism Catalyst: Quite a few character's have gone this way in the series but Rai and Lelouch are the one's who fit this trope the best.
• Day In The Lime Light: The backstage chapters switch POV from Rai to other characters at different points of the fic. Word of God was that this was done to address criticism of the original fic of over focus on Rai's arc to the detriment of other characters.
  • Backstage Chapter One is entirely from the POV of Ruben Ashford, whom never appered in canon and gives his inner thoughts to Marianne and her children, as well as why he allowed Milly to let Rai stay at Ashford.
  • Backstage Chapter Two gives us the POV of Guildford and Darton on recent events and fleshes out some of Dalton's past that included the Knight of Eight and why he adopts orphans.
  • Backstage Chapter Three is from Suzaku and Michael Steinberg's POV that goes into how Tohdoh was captured by Britannia along with their first team fight against Kallen and Rai.
  • Backstage Chapter Four places focus on Kaguya Sumeragi's POV within Kyoto house, gives information about her family and hints to deeper mysteries going on if the Sumeragi Legacy is anything to go by.
• Deadpan Snarker: C.C as always can't seem to go one chapter when she ain't snarking at something.
  • A few of Rai's internal thoughts contain hints of deadpan sarcasm as well.
• Despair Event Horizon: Rai is hinted to have crossed this in the past by E.E in Chapter Seventeen.
• Dramatic Irony: In Chapter 11, Suzaku is talking with Lloyd and they bring up Rai who Lloyd had offered a place in his unit only for Rai to turn it down as he had joined the Black Knights partly because of Kallen of whom Suzaku knew the two hung out with each other a lot and says to these lines in response.
  Suzaku: Well you see... there's this girl that Rai hangs out with at school. If he were to join the military though, I fear he won't be able to see her that much anymore. I would hate for them to be separated because of something that I did."
  Cecile:"So is this person his girlfriend or something?"
  Suzaku: Well they never made any official statement or anything, but I think it's heading in that direction. I believe he would be safer with her than with me anyways."
• Early-Bird Cameo: Quite a few characters make an appearance early before they are properly introduced in the story.
  • N.A of Peace Mark (whom on the Proto Gekka Knightmare Page is called Nathan by Rakshata) who is featured in a fair few of the Fanon Wiki's pages and quotes is the prime example, having yet to appear physically in either fic.
• Easy Amnesia: Of course Rai whom for unknown reasons has lost his memories and ended up at Ashford Academy.
• Empty Shell: It's subtly implied throughout the story that aside from being amnesic, Rai barely has any personality, thoughts, trouble with feeling of other people's feelings and emotions due to implications of a event in his past if E.E is to be believed that destroyed whatever he was before that event happened ala Shirou from Fate/stay night. The fic's main arc is in many ways Rai regaining a sense of self and connection to those around him.
• Everyone Can See It: Along with Shipper on Deck, most characters notice how much time Kallen and Rai spend being together with each other and think they are in a relationship with each other, much to their disdain.
• Evil Overlooker: Colored Memories cover has the villain overlooking the trio in the pale moonlight.
• Expy: Rai, to a certain degree, is one to both Lelouch and Suzaku in that he has Lelouch's intelligence, ability to read people, strategy and leadership skills and physical features. While having Suzaku's athletics and Knightmare abilities (though he has a lot more skill than strength).
• Fanart: Code Geass Colored Memories has Fic Cover that was designed and created by Jit-Art.
• Fictional Document: Most of the Fanon Wiki pages are written as documents and messages found In-Universe by characters of different groups and also concerning different matters that each page touches upon.
• Fish out of Water: Rai's main characterization in the fic, he ended up losing his memories at somepoint and found himself where he was surrounded by strangers and no one who had any clue as to who he was.
• Foreshadowing: Quite a number of plot reveals and details are built up subtly in some of the early chapters and via Symbolic Dreams.
  • With specific examples include the following:
    • Chapter two when Rai get's given the surname Thurston, he feel it is familiar in someway to him. Chapter Eighteen confirms it's actually his surname from his father's side.
    • Same chapter C.C teases that we will all be amazed of who the real Rai is and then smiling to herself. She would know since she took Rai's memories in the first place.
    • Chapter three namedrops the Sumeragi's at one point when Rai is in the library checking out recent history, along with Rai taking an interest in Knightmare frames in particular. Backstage 4 establishes that the Sumeragi were key players in the Genpei war during the Heinan period. While Chapter Eighteen shows Rai having been trained in the Glasgow frame by his Father who was the Knight of Eight.
    • Chapter Nine while speaking with C.C. Rai collapses and envisions a Brtiannian looking girl with purple eyes, but in a blue military uniform different from Britannia's. Chapter Eighteen reveals it to be Leila Malkal from Code Geass: Akito the Exiled.
    • Chapter Twelve Rai when hearing Kaguya's surname during his infiltration of Kyoto he collapses and has a vision of two women who look similar to Kaguya with green eyes and black hair for the older woman, along with similar hairstyle to Kaguya with the pink hair girl. Kaguya also states she thinks she has seen Rai somewhere before in a photo or video. Turns out that it was Rai's mother and sister that he had a vision of and that he is related to Kaguya via their mothers.
    • Backstage Two makes a lot of references to the Knight of Eight and their influence on General Dalton. Chapter Eighteen reveal the Knight of Eight to have been Rai's father Jonathan Thurston whom was well respected and liked among the Knights of the Round.
  • Some of the Fanon wiki pages have hints of this, or possible Red Herring depending on which page the reader is viewing and their own interpretation of the page's contents.
• The Gadfly: C.C as usual with Lelouch and Rai at various points of the fic, with the former in his quest to recruit Rai and just Geass him into serving him. The latter in regards to looking for his memories and wanting a better Knightmare. Counts as Foreshadowing with Rai considering she's the one who took his memories according to E.E meaning she's the reason for his quest in the first place.
  • Chapter Eighteen confirms that it was C.C who took Rai's memories.
• Infinity -1 Sword: The special Knightmare Frames that Rai and Michael gets to pilot for the Black Knights and Brittanian Army, the Prototype Gekka and Lancelot Club respectively, are this. They lack the energy efficiency and power output of the Guren and Lancelot due to being built with spare parts, but they are still stronger than the average Knightmare Frame, and only they are capable of piloting them.
• Insufferable Genius: Lelouch can be this at times as can Lloyd as well.
• Jerk Ass Has A Point: Lelouch in Chapter Two, while he may still be treating Rai with Aloofness and cynical paranoia over someone with Amnesia. He brings up a valid point considering that Rai could be an Unwitting Pawn for those who would harm his sister.
  Lelouch "Hmph…I'm being a little too paranoid huh? And you think someone as mysterious as him suddenly appearing to me after everything that has happened that last few weeks isn't a coincidence at all? Hah, I believe I have every right to be suspicious of him. For all I know, he could be a spy or agent sent from the Britannian Military or even possibly the Imperial Family...maybe even possibly from one of the other two superpower countries."
  • This is more potent when you consider E.E and the shadow figure that chased Rai in Chapter 11 and 18, along with their currently Hidden Agenda in regards to the plot and characters.
• Martial Pacifist: Rai is one to a degree as C.C. put's it in chapter 9.

  C.C: "From that one fight, I learned that you're not the fighting type by that I mean you're not the kind of person who would pick a fight with someone. Your moves are all self-defense, no offensive moves. Whoever taught you wanted you to be able to defend yourself, or possibly those precious to you in your past."

• Mysterious Past: Quite a few characters in the story have pasts that affect the story in some way even a large amount has yet to be revealed or as the author has said won't make sense til later on in the story.
• Meaningful Name: Searching for Adnormal Indviduals Michael Steinburgs codename considering what he's in Japan to look for and what he finds it fits him well the name.
  • Rai's name in Japanese tends to mean thunder, lighting and lastly but most commonly trust and it's somewhat a short form of the spanish name Raimundo which means protecting hands though Rai according to code geass wiki is somewhat derived on how the word Liar is written in Japanese interesting eh.
• Myth Arc: So far one has been hinted and built up in the background of the fic that seems to relate to Kaguya Sumeragi's family that OSI agent Harald Thompson outright called The Sumeragi's Legacy.
• Mystical White Hair: Or silver, as the case may be. Rai has a Mysterious Past, and his silver hair draws a bit of attention from other people.
• Narrative Filigree: A number of the Fanon Wiki Pages are these, as they contain details that while irrelevant to the main plot. Add details to certain characters, Knightmare Frames and also hint to possible developments. With elements of Unreliable Narrator in places as well. Which was inspired by The World of Ice & Fire by George R. R. Martin. Whom blackmambauk the writer of most of the wiki pages is a big fan of.
• Original Character: Mostly averted the author has said he is trying to avoid creating them where he can but he is creating a few new kightmares for his story.
  • The writer of a few In-Universe documents found on the Fanon Wiki is one, as is OSI agent Harald Thompson. With the biggest being E.E, Rai's contractor.
• Parental Issues: As in the main series a lot of the characters have issues with at least one of their parents.
• Plot Threads: Quite a few going on in the story and they continue to build and increase as the story goes on more will probably follow as the author prepares the next arc of the story.
• Pretty Boy: From the description of the text and released Visual Pictures, Rai himself counts, with even at one point in Chapter Nine being called a pretty-boy outright by one of the thugs he beat up a few chapters before.
• Pretty Freeloader: Like Lelouch and Nunnally, Rai is staying in the school clubhouse thanks to Milly being one of the Ashfords and thus having a lot of pull at the school. Rai at least feels guilt about this (despite Milly's assurances) and helps out at the student council regularly to make up for it.
• Prolonged Prologue: The first seventeen chapters of the Fic overall mainly serves to set up and establish the characters, plot and setting of Colorless Memories, all the while the Myth Arc and Subplots are built up or Foreshadowed. Chapter Eighteen is where the main story get's into gear with revelations of Rai's past, more hints of Geass and that C.C was the one who took his memories and force him and the rest of the cast into starting the fic's storyline at Ashford and beyond.
• The Quiet One: Rai rarely speaks more than a few words when asked on most matters, often only speaks when spoken to and tend to keep to himself. Justified due to being Amnesic and Fish out of Water at Ashford and later in the Black Knights.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: A few examples.
  • Kallen Red Rai Blue, hell that's the color of their knightmares.
  • Suzaku Red Michael Blue.
• Royal Blood: quite a few characters all members of the imperial family. As in canon Lelouch and Nunnually are part of that family. It's hinted in Chapter 12 when Rai runs into Kaguya that he is a Sumeragi himself.
  • Chapter Eighteen confirms that Rai is half Sumeragi via his mother's side of the family.
• Shadow Archetype: Michael Steinberg is one for Rai as both have similar backgrounds suffered similar losses and similar personalities the difference lay in how these events shaped their views and which sides they end up on in the story.
• Shout-Out: Chapter Backstage Three Suzaku pulls off a famous move we all know and love (or hate).
• Shipper on Deck: Suzaku is to some degree one for Rai and Kallen to say that this came back to bite him big time would be an understatement. As is Milly who puts Kallen in charge of Rai, Shirley ships them as well for who Milly orignally did it for so she could be with Lelouch though that ship hasn't took off yet for reasons well known.
• Shoot the Dog: Zero is willing to do this as is Rai at times as he tells Kallen in chapter 16 "We have to be prepared for what we must do. If Suzaku insists on being a Britannian soldier, we'll have no choice but to wipe him out.".
• Smart People Play Chess: Leouch and Rai have quite a few games throughout the story while drinking tea no less
• Spanner Inthe Works: if Rai hadn't collapsed near Ashford Academy things might've turn out differently for him, the other characters and the story.
  • Also Milly (unintenionally) as her decision to save Rai, let him stay at Ashford and make Kallen his guide affect the plot in a big way that she probably didn't intend.
  • C.C in regards to pretty much everyone in her decision to strip Rai of his memories, which led Rai to arrive at Ashford, become part of the Black Knights and also interrupt his own mission as well.
• The Stoic: Given what other characters say about Rai he tends to remain calm act in a sedate manner and seems to be gennerally introverted Rai gives off more than a hint of this trope though it may be more due to events in his past.
  • Though Rai has a few Not So Stoic moments sprinkled in the fic, most potently in Chapter 17 when he is finally reunited with E.E his contractor whom he smiled and rushed over to her which threw E.E off track for a second.
• The Strategist: Naturally Zero with all his tactic's in the series, Rai is one as well as he constanly assess's his situlation, his enemy and his tactic's and can think and change his tactic's on the fly. So in a way while Zero is the one who comes up with the plans and set's the stage Rai who Zero consults quite a few times on his plan is the one in more ways than one helps the most to make the plan come to fruition.
• Super Prototype: The Gekka Pre-Production Test Type or Proto Gekka, Rai's blue knightmare that serves as the prototype to the units the four holy swords get and Todouh's own model being based on Rai's battle data. On the Britanian side the Lancelot Club serves as this for Michael, which ironically was made for Rai at one point and other protoypes are mentioned by Lloyd that he has built for other characters in the series.
• Two Roads Before You: The early chapters play with this trope quite a bit as Rai has to make a choice that affect him and the story as a whole.
• Unexpected Character: Literally no one expected the Knight of One to appear in Chapter Eighteen and with the sword Excalibur.
• Wham Episode: The entirely of Chapter Eighteen with exploring the details of Rai's past and that it was C.C that was responsible for the loss of his memories.
• Wham Line: A few lines in different chapters qualify, the first in Chapter 9 when Rai joins the Black Knights with C.C.
  C.C : "after all that was the deal we made... E.E."
  • Next one in Backstage 4 when Kaguya runs into an OSI agent near her Family's Temple.
  Harald Thompson "Now do you Kaguya Sumeragi know anything called the Sumeragi Legacy".
  • Chapter seventeen when Rai is reunited with E.E.
  Rai I..I remember now.. it's all coming back to me.. E.E.
• When He Smiles: Rai rarley smiles but when he does in chapter 13 Kallen says his smile is quite nice. Happens again when Rai smiles happily when he is reunited with E.E in chapter seventeen.
• Whole Episode Flashback: Chapter 18 is a complete flashback to Rai's past to which the author has said events in will make more sense later on in the story

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