Code Geass: From the Ashes (fanfic)

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

1,200 years after the end of Britannia's Golden Age, history and archeology student Phoenix Zero studies abroad in Eastern America, exploring the long-lost Royal Britannian Cemetery. What he uncovers is only the beginning of the adventure.

From the Ashes is a Code Geass Next Gen Fic by Tobi Tortue set long after the events of the series. While yet unfinished, the story is rather notable for both remaining faithful to the source material despite the significant Time Skip as well as putting an interesting spin on seeing the aftermath of Zero Requiem and the events of the show in general. Not to mention how despite the seeming mundanity, all is not what it seems.

Not to be mistaken for the Axis Powers Hetalia fic also titled From the Ashes.

Tropes used in Code Geass: From the Ashes (fanfic) include:
  • And I Must Scream: Lelouch has apparently been trapped in his hidden tomb ever since his "death," completely conscious. At least until Phoenix stumbles upon said tomb.
  • Alternate Calendar: The fic is set in 1529 A.W.E. Which is revealed to be dated from Lelouch's "death."
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: Phoenix wished to have a grand adventure in his archeological studies on Earth. With his discovery of Zero's tomb, he gets exactly that.
  • Distant Finale: Of sorts, given how it takes place over a thousand years into the future.
  • Earth That Used to Be Better: Apparently, Earth is largely the domain of researchers and archeologists by the time the fic takes place.
  • Eternal English: Downplayed, but it seems like the people of the future have little trouble understanding Britannian English.
  • Fan of the Past: Phoenix, who's an amateur historian and student-archeologist with a fascination for the old days of Britannia.
  • Free-Love Future: Kind of. Pheonix's friends and peers are rather open with their sexuality, though Pheonix himself is more focused on his work than anything else.
  • Future Imperfect: Subverted. The age of the long-gone Holy Britannian Empire hasn't been forgotten, with much in the way of surviving historical records. On the other hand, enough time has passed that people still resort to archeology and plain guesswork to fill in the blanks, such as figuring out Zero's true identity. Most people also tend to view those days the same way one would imagine the medieval period, with its knights and princesses.
  • Genre Shift: The story seemingly starts out as a Slice of Life tale of archeology. That changes very quickly by the end of the first chapter when Phoenix sees a mysterious person implied to be Lelouch.
  • Historical Villain Upgrade: In-verse, Lelouch is still remembered by the people of the future as the "Demon" Emperor. But when Phoenix discovers him in the flesh, he finds that the dreaded "Demon" looks much less impressive.
  • Just Think of the Potential: Phoenix of all people tries to justify using the unsealed and very much alive Lelouch as the key to unlocking the mysteries of the past.
  • Legendary in the Sequel:
    • Zero is very much a nigh-revered legend to the people of the future. So much so that there are still movies made about his exploits and the times he lived in, albeit more romanticized and dramatized. Phoenix's family is even said to be descended from Zero which may have more than a grain of truth.
    • Nunnally the Gentle is still remembered for bringing about the "Golden Age" of Britannia.
  • Lost Technology: Apparently, Knightmare Frames are this. So much so that pieces of them are worth a lot of money.
  • Mars: Apparently, human civilization has since moved to Mars in the intervening generations. Phoenix's hometown, Galileo, is mentioned as being among the first Martian settlements.
  • Modern Stasis: Played with. The people of the future are in some respects more advanced than the Britannians could ever dream of, such as spaceships and holograms. But at the same time, they have much more in common with modern humanity as we know it than with their distant ancestors.
  • Not Quite Dead: Lelouch, the "Demon" Emperor.
  • Orphaned Series: The fic hasn't been updated since 2011. According to Word of God however, it hasn't been abandoned just yet.
  • Ragnarok Proofing: The ruins of the Britannian homeland are decidedly weathered yet still sturdy. Zero's tomb in particular still manages to inspire awe.
  • Riddle for the Ages: In-verse, the identity of Zero is still hotly debated by scholars. Some people however, are keen to let it stay that way.
  • Who Would Want to Watch Us?: The Mask of Zero, the movie Phoenix watches on route to Earth, is implied to be a very hammy take of the anime, with Zero and Nunnally even turned into Star-Crossed Lovers.