Summary: Since the day Britannia invaded Japan, Lelouch had thought his sister Nunnally and his friend Suzaku had died. He grew to despise war, and grew to loathe Britannia with all of his being. He vowed to eradicate war, and to destroy Britannia. It was only natural that he would be chosen to act as a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being.
Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday
"Even Messiahs must create their own miracles." –Zero
War is natural in this world, it is an unstoppable being that advances forth, born from the hatred of human existence. It breeds only anger, loss, sadness, grief, and in the end, only more war. It is an endless cycle of hatred that could never be broken.
Japan, a neutral country, and the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite, in the year of 2010, had come under the attack of Holy Britannian Empire, a giant behemoth that has already gained dominance over one third of the world. During the early stages of the invasion, Britannian had unveiled its latest weapon, which proved effective in the war.
The Autonomous Armored Knight: codenamed Knightmare Frame. Their incredible power proved effective, as Japan fell in less than a month. The people had been stripped of their rights, their culture, their history, and in the end... even their own name had been taken from them.
Area 11. A meager number had replaced the proud name of a proud country. The year is 2017, and even now, the flickers of war continue to burn. Currently, the three nations are at a standstill, each never gaining the upper hand. At one side is the Holy Britannian Empire, led by 98th Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and opposing them is the Chinese Federation and the European Union, dubbed the EU.
Yes, even now, the world continues to play a grand zero sum game. However, behind these flames comes a new, unknown force that challenges the very world itself. They have announced their ideals, and standing against them is the very world itself. They had declared to all those born and bred on Earth that they shall eliminate war from this world.
They simply call themselves... Celestial Being.
Play "Daybreak's Bells"
Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel
~Music Playing~
The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards.
~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~
The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him.
~Kanashii ne~
As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held.
~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~
The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him.
~Onegai~
The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind.
~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~
The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering.
~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~
The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly.
~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~
Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path.
~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~
Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky.
~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~
The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly.
~Arasoi yo tomare~
In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera.
~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~
The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them.
The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece.
Episode 1: The Gundam Meisters of Celestial Being
Lelouch ran as fast as he possibly could, the smell of burning flesh stinging his nostrils and the ear-shattering screams ringing loudly in his ears. He could feel the sweat pouring down his face and his legs burning from all the running. It was almost as if he had been skinned alive and someone set fire to his exposed muscles.
He didn't dare look back at what was happening behind him. He didn't want to believe it, he refused to believe that his home, his own country had done something like this. Japan had done nothing to deserve this, so why were they invading? Had they done something to provoke Britannia? If so, what had they done? Lelouch and his sister, who was blind and crippled, were sent here to be used as nothing more but political hostages, and now, their worth was tossed aside.
He pushed everything away from his thoughts, ignoring the explosions trailing behind him as he went straight for the warehouse where Suzaku and Nunnally were at, waiting for him. If he could get there in time, they could get out of here and ignore everything, they could try and live as best they could, try to live blissfully unaware of the hell that had come in the form of giant machines.
Lelouch ducked into an alley when he saw a Knightmare shoot out from a corner, firing its rifle in the opposite direction of where Lelouch was, its back facing him. He used this opportunity to move undetected and evade the others, stopping briefly to take a quick breather. His hands were on his legs, sweat rolling down his body like a waterfall, and panting heavily with his chest heaving up and down.
He looked up, and his eyes widened in horror as he fell on his rear, screaming at the site. It was the corpse of a Japanese woman holding her child tightly, both of them charred and flames lapping away at her arms and legs. The smell of burning flesh invaded Lelouch's nostrils, and nearly caused him to vomit.
How could this have happened?
Why had this happened?
What did these people to deserve this?
What had Lelouch done to deserve this?
Was this God's way of punishing him? Should he have just kept his mouth shut and not barge into his father's throne room, demanding that justice be done and seek out his mother's killer? If he had done so, then what sort of life would wait for him and Nunnally? Would they be living as happily as they could, like how they were before any of this happened?
Lelouch stood as quickly as he could, shutting his eyes so tightly it actually hurt, his feet already moving and his muscles pushed to their limit as he ran past the corpse, offering a silent apology to the two before resuming his sprint towards the warehouse.
However, what awaited him was not a happy sight. As soon as he opened his eyes, they widened to the point where they threatened to pop out, tears beginning to form while his chin trembled. His knees buckled underneath him, and his legs fell to the ground. His arms hung loosely at his sides, wet streams cutting through the dust and grime that had collected on his face.
"No..." he whispered, almost pleading. "No, God, please no... This isn't..."
His voice became choked before his hands balled into fists and he angrily slammed them down on the concrete he sat on, his teeth grinding against each other harshly as he screamed out in agony.
The warehouse had been completely destroyed. Wooden beams were crooked, cloaked in flames as it was in the process of being burned to the ground. There was hardly anything left, all that sat there was nothing but a sea of flames that took everything away from him.
Suzaku and Nunnally... they were... they were...
"No... no, dammit, no!" Lelouch screamed out, banging his fists against the ground. "This can't be happening! Why?! Why did this have to happen?!"
Just then, a loud crash echoed behind him, causing the boy to leap to his feet and whirl around. A Knightmare had smashed through a building with a rifle in its hands, standing a few feet a ways from Lelouch, almost as if it were mimicking the reaper that had come to reap his soul.
Lelouch didn't feel fear.
Lelouch didn't feel sorrow.
Lelouch didn't feel sadness.
Lelouch felt anger. Standing in front of him was the reason, the reason for everything.
"It's because of you bastards..." Lelouch growled, slowly taking large steps towards the Knightmare, glaring down its muzzle with untold rage reflected clear in his purple eyes. "You're the reason... it's because of you that Suzaku and Nunnally are gone..."
"It's because of you that Japan is suffering..."
And that was when a defiant scream ripped out from his throat, almost like a roar that reverberated through the air. "YOU'RE WHY THIS WORLD IS SO TWISTED!"
The Knightmare fired off its gun, the bullets missing Lelouch, however they had blown the ground in front of him to bits, creating small dents. The impact was enough to send Lelouch skidding across the ground, his back grinding against the concrete harshly while his body tumbled around like a rag doll.
He managed to get back on all fours, his body aching everywhere while everything around him seemed to be nothing but a blur, a blotch of colors mixing together in water while his ears were ringing, the sound of bells echoing off harshly.
As his vision cleared, he regained his glare at the Knightmare, which had the muzzle pointed right at his position. His anger didn't fade away, and his fear didn't grow. Instead, it was his anger that grew.
Britannia... it was because of them... They were what was making so many people suffer! His country was enjoying-no, they were reveling in the chaos they were creating! They didn't give a damn about the suffering they were making these people go through! They just did this out of sheer boredom, they wanted everything for themselves as if like they were like a spoiled child that wanted everything this world had to offer!
"Damn you..." Lelouch cursed, struggling to get back on his feet, glaring at the ground out of self-loathing. How could he be so weak? How could he just sit here and wait for the damn monster to kill him like this?! "Damn you all!"
It was then that Lelouch heard the sound of an explosion echo in front of him, scraps of metal flying everywhere while a blast of hot air shot past him, blowing away at his clothes and hair. His head snapped up immediately to see the Knightmare replaced by a giant cloud of black and crimson.
What in the hell just happened?
Suddenly, the ringing in his ears had cleared up, and heard the faint sound of humming somewhere above him. His eyes looked up, and his mouth promptly fell open into a perfect 'o' while his eyes widened to the size of saucer, unable to speak or think. All he could do was look at the machine in awe.
It was unlike anything he had ever seen; in fact it looked like a piece of art. It stood in the air with a beautiful green light emanating from behind its back, and its body gleaming white. Its body was massive, easily towering over the Knightmares like a behemoth.
Lelouch was never religious, he never believed in God, however there were, at times, when he questioned if God had done things for a purpose. This whole ordeal made him belief that there was no God, for if there was, would he simply watch as his 'children' fell to the ground left and right? However, the machine that stood there behind the flowing green light and the ember-colored sky was probably the closest thing Lelouch had seen to a God.
This was his first encounter with the experimental Mobile Suit Weapon: codename Gundam.
Present Day, Seven Years Later
Billy Katagiri, the chief scientist regarding the progression in Knightmare technology, and member of the Camelot Unit, was very disappointed and awed at the same time, staring at the machine that was moving so fluidly one would think it was nothing but a body of water.
His awe came from the fact that the machine was able to defeat six unmanned Knightmares without getting a scratch, though the movements were a bit exaggerated and over-the-top in his opinion. His disappointment came from the design.
"So, this is the newest Sixth Generation." Billy said, eyeing the machine carefully as he studied it from the head down to the feet. "The Enact, huh?"
"Not even as good as the Flags, if you ask me." Billy blinked, looking over his shoulder before smiling warmly. Standing near him in the middle of the stairway was a young soldier wearing a blue military coat with the Britannia insignia stitched to his left shoulder. He looked rather handsome to many, with curly blonde hair and steely blue eyes. Billy himself wasn't so bad either, with brown hair tied back into a ponytail and a pair of glasses sitting at the bridge of his nose.
"Well, this is a surprise." Billy noted as the young man, Graham Aker, took a seat next to him. "Should one of the Goddess of Victory's trump cards be here?"
"You know as well as I do that Cornelia would never allow that." Graham laughed slightly before looking back at the Enact, a green colored Knightmare that, more or less, resembled the Fifth-Generation Knightmare Frame known as the Flag, with a tri-coned head with a green mark near the left side and a lance in its hand. "Besides, I wanted to see the new model. So, who's piloting it?"
Billy shrugged his shoulders with an innocent smile as he pointed at the rather flamboyant technique used by the Enact, moving left and right to avoid being destroyed with a flare of dramatics. "The so-called Ace of the Fourteenth Regiment. Patrick, I think his name was."
"And how about you, Katagiri?" Graham asked with a smirk, knowing full well what the man's answer would be. "What do you think of the Enact?"
Billy smirked back. "The color is unique, along with the weaponry, however the design is just a cheap knock-off of the Flag."
To their surprise, after the Enact destroyed the last of the unmanned Knightmares, the cockpit slid open. The pilot came out, wearing a green body suit with a black collar and black edgings, his hair colored pale crimson with a scowl plastered over his face. "Hey! I can hear you two, you bastards! Say that to my face, I dare ya!"
For a moment, the two were startled before Billy cracked up, holding his stomach. "W-well, at least, the hearing system has improved!"
"Target time reached, beginning the first phase of the mission. GN particle dispersal at normal levels."
Descending downward through the sky was probably the biggest Knightmare a person could lay eyes on. It's body was colored white, save for the blue torso and the black hands along with the red chin, a golden "v" on its head with glaring blue eyes and a large blade held in its right hand. Its defining feature, however, was the cone-shaped object on its back with a beautiful green light flowing out from it.
This was Exia, the first of four Mobile Suit Weapons, or rather, the Gundams.
Knightmare Frames were designed to stand at the height of at least five fully grown men, depending on the generation. They were always equipped with land spinners, wheels that allowed them to stride through areas easily as if they were on roller skates, and slash harkens, which were designed to pierce through even the thickest hulls of tanks and other Knightmares. The Glaston Knights, led by Prince Schneizel el Britannia and Cornelia li Britannia, used the Gloucesters, which were designed in the mid Sixth-Generation Knightmares. The Gloucesters were equipped with golden lances, which proved to be very effective.
However, all Knightmares had one flaw: they relied on the energy produced by their main energy core: Sakuradite. Before the invasion, Japan was the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite metal, and it was because of this that people believed why Britannia chose to conquer Japan, armed to the teeth and going straight for the goal rather than deal with small fry. The difference between the might of Japan and the might of Britannia was terrifying.
However, Mobile Suit Weapons were another story. They were designed with specific metals that could withstand slash harkens, and as a defining feature, they lacked the weapon itself. They also lacked the land spinners, which could be found on just about any Knightmare, regardless of generation. Mobile Suit Weapons were also larger, however because of their performance capabilities and specs, there were very little people that could pilot such incredible machines. Britannia, despite all of its power and wealth, had little resources that could manufacture a Mobile Suit Weapon, and as a result, a small number, fewer than the people that could pilot it, were found during the invasion.
"Now entering the first phase." the pilot of Exia said in a cold, monotone voice as he stared ahead at the monitor, dark rings found underneath his emotionless eyes. He wore a blue pilot suit matching the color of Exia's torso with black edgings, specifically at the collar, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. "Zero, in Exia...beginning the mission."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"Sir, there's an unknown signal!"
Instantly, the commanding officer at the base for the time being snapped into the air and strut over near the one who gave him the information. Today was supposed to be rather simple, the unveiling of the newest Knightmare frame model, nothing really that fancy. Of course, like everything in life ever since Britannia conquered Area 11, things never went like the way they had planned. "Dammit all, I gave strict orders not to enter! Who is it?!"
"I don't know, sir." the soldier responded, looking confused as he punched in a few keys. "We can't contact the craft in question, and communications don't seem to be working!"
"Get me a visual!"
"Roger!"
Not five seconds later did something appear on the glass monitor in front of them. What they saw was truly mind-boggling, for it was a white machine descending downward through the sky at a steady pace. It was far too big to be a Knightmare, but even stranger than that was the cone-shaped object located on its back.
"What the hell is that?"
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"An unknown?" Patrick frowned, a hand at his earpiece before he slipped inside the Enact's cockpit. "Damn it, why now of all times?"
Meanwhile, in the observation stands, a few military officials, after either receiving a call on their mobile devices or receiving a message from another soldier, left and headed towards the command center. Graham was the one to notice this, and frowned, wondering what had the military in such a stink. Was something happening?
"Hey, what is that?" The blonde Knight blinked, a bystander's voice bringing him out of his thoughts and looking up to where the man was pointing. What he saw was beyond anything he had ever seen, as both he and Billy shot out of their seats with looks of awe and disbelief, watching a large machine descend gently down to the ground.
It was incredibly huge, three times bigger than a Sutherland in fact, with a gleaming white body and a blue torso, the head bearing a 'v'-shaped crest on its forehead with a metal plate, however the three features that struck out about it was the cone-shaped object on its back that was emitting a beautiful green light, the gleaming blade in its right hand, and the lack of land spinners.
Billy instantly knew what it was by its sheer size, and his jaw promptly fell to the ground. "A Mobile Weapon? They actually made one? I didn't realize they had such a large budget."
"Katagiri, I don't think it's with us..." Graham said, eyeing the machine intently as he studied it from head to toe. He looked to the corner of his eye to see a soldier in plane clothes using a standard issue communication receiver, however he was unable to establish a connection. "Wait, is it blocking communications?" he wondered briefly.
Patrick, on the other hand, was very irritated. When he learned that he would be the test pilot for the Enact, he was ecstatic. Why wouldn't they choose him after all? He was the Ace of the Fourteenth Regiment, led by Brigadier General Sabbath Harlow himself! And now, some nameless shmo thought he could take away his time to shine? And all because he had a bigger weapon than he did? "So, you the guy who's trying to mess things up, huh?" Patrick asked, a snarl forming as the cockpit closed with a hiss. "Who are you with? The EU? The Chinese Federation?" He paused for a while, then scoffed. "Doesn't matter, because you just made the wrong choice of your life! I'm the Ace of the Fourteenth Regiment, and you ain't getting out of here alive!"
Brandishing his MVS blade, the Enact charged forward with the intent to chop the Mobile Weapon down to size. Of course, the idiot had no idea just how vast the difference was between a machine that was capable of destroying an entire army by itself and a machine that was useful for eliminating trash units like Sutherlands.
Patrick could only watch in disbelief as the Mobile Weapon, with such grace and speed that almost seemed unreal, sliced off the Enact's arm as if it were a hot knife cutting through butter. Before he could retaliate, however, he found that his right leg had been lopped off clean as the machine twirled around and placed itself into the air, swinging its blade and finally delivering the final blow, the head removed from the body as if the Mobile Weapon was an executioner.
Graham and Billy stared on with large eyes, their bodies refusing to move from their seats while many others left. The blonde developed a large grin as he took as passing soldier's binoculars from his waist and placed them over his eyes, the lens aimed at the machine. "Incredible..." he couldn't help but breathe out, a newfound feeling beginning to form in his chest before he stopped at the forehead, seeing something inscribed on the plate on its forehead. "Gun...dam... Is that the name of the Mobile Weapon, or..."
Once again, he and Billy were in total shock as the machine whirled around once the Enact had fallen, but what surprised them was the fact that it was lifting itself up off the ground without the aid of slash harkens, and the familiar green light from earlier emerging out to the world.
"Wait, how is it able to fly?" Billy wondered curiously, a hand coming to his chin. "The Float System Prince Schneizel is developing isn't complete yet, so how is it...?" He looked at Graham, about to ask him for his input when he noticed the look on his face. "Oh dear, someone's love struck."
"Oh, you have no idea, Katagiri..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"Kyrios to catapult deck, Kyrios to catapult deck!"
In an unknown location, a small ship was flying above with a launching bay open, revealing a strange orange jet fighter on the flight path. Of course, this was no ordinary jet, as it was, in truth, the same as the Exia, a Mobile Weapon. This was among the first of machines capable of transforming, similar to the Tristan that was in possession of the Knight of Three, Gino Weinberg. The pilot, a young man with black hair that covered the right half of his face, sighed heavily as he slipped on a helmet matching his orange suit. "Well, this is what you wanted, right Hallelujah?" the man asked to no one in particular, as if speaking to a phantom. "A real fight... but this far too depressing for me."
"Launch operations passed over to Allelujah Haptism." A familiar voice came over the com-link, meaning that the mission would begin the moment Kyrios left the ship, the Ptolemy. "Second Phase begins shortly after First Phase has been cleared."
"Roger that." Allelujah nodded before taking a deep breath, and glaring hard out past the monitor. "Kyrios, Allelujah Haptism, heading out!"
With that said, the second Gundam shot out with speed far surpassing that of any jet fighter, cutting through the blackness around him. Meanwhile, in the ship, several people on board were enjoying the scene that was playing out in front of them, appearing on a few of their monitors. "So, you think Zero's got his end done and over with?" one of the crew members, a girl with wavy light brown hair and a cheery smile, asked, looking over her shoulder.
"If he hasn't, then I guess we're all screwed." Another member, equally as young as the girl with dark hair swept back, chuckled. "Still, you have to admit, what he did to that poor Enact was terrible. He really has it out for Britannia, doesn't he?"
"Zero's personality profile suggests that he believes that the only way to truly eliminate war is if we eliminate Britannia." A girl with pink hair stated in a deadpan tone. "That is why he isn't holding back against any of them, regardless if they are Honorary Britannians or full bloods."
"Which is why that boy needs to loosen up." The group looked over to see a woman entering the room with a green bottle in her hand. Like all of them, she wore a white space suit with a life support unit on her back, and a helmet in one hand. She was probably the oldest out of everyone in the room; her defining feature was her dark red hair. "How's everything going?"
"Second Phase will begin shortly." The pink haired girl told her before realizing what was inside the bottle. "Um, Miss Sumeragi... is that alcohol?"
"What?" a boy with brown hair said, eyes wide and whirling around to face the woman from his seat. "B-but we're on a mission!"
"Oh, lighten up..." Sumeragi told him with a smirk before taking her seat, which was at the center of the room. "After all, today's our big debut, so let's do this in style..."
Lasse grinned from ear to ear as he saw Exia already wreaking havoc upon the military base, cutting down Sutherlands and tanks left and right. "Amen to that."
Sumeragi giggled as she took a swig of her favorite beverage before her face became serious, staring at the machines that were already making an impact on the very world.
"Here come the Gundam Meisters..." she whispered in a low voice, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear it, and each and every one of them had similar looks. "...of Celestial Being."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
Meanwhile, at the Chinese Federation, a lavish celebration was being held at the forbidden Jade Palace, where the Empress was located with her ever-loyal guard Li Xingke. The Empress was very young for her age, with snow-white hair with two strands falling to either side of her face, and soft red eyes. Li was a young man with black hair tied back into a ponytail, wearing formal clothes, as requested by the Empress Tianzi. In all honesty, however, it felt rather constricting.
If there was one thing about Li people knew about, it was his cautious behavior. Ever since he had been saved, he made it his job to protect and guard her at all times with at least one Loyalist at the ready, someone who shared his ideals and didn't support those eunuch bastards. Currently, his attention was at two people, both of which of the same nationality as he was. One was like him: observant and aware with a lean build, his posture poise as if expecting any attack at any time, wearing a blue shirt tucked in neatly into the slacks, his black hair combed to the right and hiding his forehead. The woman standing next to him, however, caught his attention.
He recognized her as Wong Liu Mei, the only remaining heir to the Liu Mei bloodline, and as such, she was given all of their wealth and treasures, some of which the eunuchs had been dying to get their hands on. Unfortunately, she donated all the money to an unknown benefactor, and when questioned about it, she responded with "someone who will put it to good use."
Li didn't understand why someone like Wong Liu Mei would be attending a rather boorish party such as this. It was, more a less, a front devised by the eunuchs to scout potential supporters, some of which already speaking with various guests of illustrious and rich background. It made the warrior sick to his stomach just seeing them trying to increase their influence.
"Xingke?" Li blinked, snapping out of his reverie before looking at his master, who was staring at him with a small smile on her face. "Who were you looking at?"
"No one, your highness." Li waved it off before looking back at the Liu Mei heiress. "Just someone who seems rather... out of place."
"Do you mean Lady Liu Mei?" Empress Tianzi asked, giggling. "Don't tell me you developed a crush on her, Xingke?"
"Heavens, no." the man shook his head with a wistful smile on his face. He never once got tired of Tianzi's attempts to try and cheer him up, steering him away from any morbid thoughts. "It's just... this party was something the high eunuchs made, so it is a wonder why someone who belongs to such high status would be attending. She is well known for her dislike of nobility, especially those that promote war."
"Such as Britannia, you mean?" Empress Tianzi asked sadly, eyes drooping. Li nodded grimly, repressing a scowl at the very mention of the accursed name of the country that sought to oppress them. He didn't know why they were invading, other than that they were after the sacred land hidden away deep within the land, something that no one within the Federation could allow them to have. "I wish all this fighting would stop."
Li silently agreed, turning his attention back towards the guests when he saw a soldier walking toward him with a grim look on his face. "What is it?" he asked, eyes narrowing. The man gulped slightly, leaning forward with a hand hiding his mouth as he whispered the information he was tasked to deliver to the warrior.
Li's eyes widened before he nodded, turning to the Empress and delivering her a bow. "Forgive me, your highness, but I must be going." He said regrettably. "There is a matter that requires my attention." Tianzi looked at him in worry, thinking of what he knew what the matter was about before she gave him her consent. With that, he turned sharply on his heel and walked with the soldier, a few others following suit.
He was absorbed in the matter at hand that he failed to see the strange smile on Wong Liu Mei's face as she observed them from afar. "It would appear that Ms. Sumeragi's forecast was very accurate..." she murmured to herself before taking a sip of her champagne.
"Mistress, should we be leave as well?" her servant asked her, though not a hint of concern was evident in his voice.
Wong Liu Mei shook her head. "No. I wish to see their power for myself..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"Can you hear it, Ribbons?"
Somewhere else, in a luxury suite hotel room, two men sat at the balcony, one with a wine glass in hand while the other looked at the azure sky with a look of wonder. The first man was older with reddish brown hair tied back, a strange whimsical smile on his face while dressed fashionably with a red suit and a black tie around his neck, his left leg crossed over the right knee and his right hand resting on the armchair. The other was a young man with light green hair and strange purple eyes, wearing a traditional outfit with a satin white top over a baggy gray shirt, a black collar around his neck.
"It is the sound..." Alejandro Corner said to Ribbons Almark as he raised his wine glass to the high heavens. "Of the reformation of humanity."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"Exia, eliminating the targets."
Zero was truly, for all intents and purposes, worthy of his new moniker as the White Devil as Exia began to tear Sutherlands, Glasgows, and tanks left and right with only a single blade alone. The first phase of the mission had been complete, which was to determine the strength of the Enact. The second phase was to eliminate the enemy forces at Base Heaven-Four. According to the tactical forecast provided by Sumeragi Lee Noriega, additional Knightmares would be stationed in an underground reserve tunnel.
The problem with these additional forces was that it violated the rules regarding each Area having a limited amount of power unless they were needed during times of national crisis, such as a rebellion on the scales of which the world had never seen before. He once planned of doing just that, however he met Celestial Being, and he gained the means to destroy Britannia.
However, while Celestial Being's goal was noble, eradicating war from this world, it was a pipe dream at best... for war and Britannia walk hand in hand. If you wish to eliminate war from this world, you must destroy Britannia. So long as Britannia exist, war will exist. This was Zero's reasoning.
Which was why he was going to enjoy tearing them apart. Exia cut through the torso of a nearby Sutherland, thus destroying it instantly. However, Zero was careless and wasn't watching his blind spot, a Glasgow armed with a rocket launcher. It wouldn't do much damage thanks to the Gundanium alloy that made up the armor of the Mobile Weapon, however the Solar Reactor was another story. There were some parts that were impossible to replace, for GN Drive tech was few in number.
Thankfully, however, Zero was not alone as a pink stream of light pierced through the cockpit of the Glasgow. Zero didn't even have to guess who was providing him back up, as he could recognize such marksmanship anywhere. "Lockon Stratos..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"That's a bit one too many, eh Zero?"
Lockon Stratos, the sniper of the Meisters, was probably one of the oldest in the group. His chocolate brown hair fell down to the collar of his pilot suit, which was colored green instead of blue or orange. In his hands was the targeting system that was built into his Gundam, as its primary function was just that: sniping from afar.
Gundam Dynames had a white body like all the other Gundams, except instead of orange or blue, it had a green torso and helmet with the trademark golden 'v' on the forehead, two cloak-like appendages on either side of its body. It was kneeling on the ground in a position that was normal for trained snipers or Olympic marksmen. Its two eye-catching features were the long sniper-rifle in its hands, and the blue scope that covered it eyes, granting it the appearance of a Cyclops.
"Too much! Too much!" Lockon looked down at his little partner, which was a small orange ball by the name of Haro. For some strange reason, it had two circular ears that 'flopped' around, and it also helped it fly about while in space. "Help Zero! Help Zero!"
Lockon laughed as he took up arms again with a large smile on his face, proclaiming to the very world itself: "Lockon Stratos, targeted and firing!"
And with the squeeze of the trigger, another Sutherland fell at the hand of the man who would snipe God from his throne.
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
Li had to admit, these Purist terrorists had really come prepared and armed to the teeth.
Earlier, he had reached the hangar bay to see several soldiers scrambling to enter their Gun-Ru's. They had just received word about radical terrorists entering the forbidden palace grounds in stolen Sutherlands, most likely the rogue Purist faction. In a way, their actions was justified: except their anger was placed on the Empress rather than the high eunuchs, due to the fact that they ran the Federation more than she ever did.
"Damn Britannian scum!" one of Li's fellow comrades spat venomously. "How dare they!"
Li knew what he was talking about. About a few weeks prior to the lavish ball that was being held right about now, Britannian forces had tried to invade the mainland, but were repelled by an unknown force. Now the warrior had confirmation who drove them back, however what worried him was the equipment they were carrying.
There were six Sutherlands in all, and with the exception of one, each was equipped with an automatic assault rifle. The last had some kind of missile launcher attacked to its back, probably the main unit meant for bombarding the palace upon reaching firing range. "General Li, how should we proceed?" Xang Dau, one of Li's subordinates, inquired curiously, his Gun-Ru practically bouncing to take the shot.
Li closed his eyes and laid out the plan carefully within his mind. There were nine Gun-Ru's on their side, and six Sutherlands on the Purists'. They could probably take out two or three, cutting their forces down by half if the main unit didn't open fire on them. At this range, they could take out the main unit, however they would risk alerting the enemy of their presence and scramble, thus making it harder for them to deal with.
He went for the safest option. "Two will circle around back and stop their escape. Two will flank them on the West and East side. Three will attack from the front and act as a diversion, while the remaining units will sneak around to destroy the main unit."
"Sounds good to me." Xang agreed, the Gun-Rus already moving into position and dashing around the buildings through the route Li had laid out for them on their monitor, the IFF signals from the Sutherlands pinpointing their movement perfectly.
Xang and Li moved in their outlaid routes, moving to engage the enemy. He estimated at least three to five minutes before the firefight would begin. During the trip, he could feel the hairs on his neck standing up straight, and a feeling gnawing at him from the back of his mind. It was a natural feeling for someone who had honed their senses on the battlefield for so long, however he still couldn't help but wonder what he was expecting. Was something about to happen during this fight? Would some unknown force intervene and do their work for them? Would they fail to defeat the Purists and fail to protect the Empress?
Li shook his head, pushing such morbid thoughts out of his mind before realizing that there was something strange on the monitor. "What the..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
Allelujah could feel his other grinning at the sight of the wrecked Sutherlands that Kyrios had shot down in a single strike run. He could hear the whispers entering his ears with such a sickly sweet tone, telling him how amazing the carnage he was wreaking was. He ignored them, of course, focusing on his mission as Kyrios maneuvered back around and went straight back, the winged Gundam easily evading the streams of bullets. "Kyrios, eliminating the target."
A squeeze of the trigger was all it took to destroy two more Sutherlands, and crippling a third. Allelujah sighed in depression as he looked at the monitor, seeing two remaining Sutherlands on his screen. "80% of enemy forces are destroyed. The rest is up to you, Tieria."
"Roger that," came the reply from the ever-cool Gundam Meister. Even from where he was, Allelujah could see Virtue hovering in the air with its GN Cannon armed and ready, the muzzle aimed at the remaining Sutherlands. Allelujah had to give them credit, they were dedicated, at the very least.
Out of all the Gundams, Virtue was arguably the shortest, but it made up for it with its sheer firepower and 'special' function. It possessed a black torso with bulky armor, two large beam cannons located on its shoulders. However, in truth, this was nothing but a shell, the Virtue Gundam nothing but a mask to hide the special weapon Celestial Being had designed, on the chance they would fight rogue Meisters.
As the Perfect Super Soldier moved his way back to the rendezvous point, seeing as his part in this mission was complete, he felt his right eye burn slightly. "Even now, you try to torment me..." Allelujah growled harshly, the grip on the controls becoming equal to a vice grip. "Damn you..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"Enemy reinforcements confirmed." Zero stated monotonously as Exia leaped into the air, pushing the thrusters to their limit with the Solar Reactor giving it an extra boost. "It appears Ms. Sumeragi's tactical forecast was correct."
Ten Sutherlands, eight Glasgows, and fifteen tanks...
Those were small numbers compared to the simulator training sessions Zero was put through. It would be simple, cut down the Glasgows and cripple the Sutherlands before taking out the tanks, which were likely loaded with special artillery. These days, tanks had to be outfitted with shells that were designed for the soul purpose of breaching the armor of a Knightmare. Though they couldn't deal too much damage against a Mobile Weapon, especially Exia, they were a threat that needed to be taken care of.
With Lockon providing covering fire, Exia brought down its GN Sword, cleaving the first Glasgow in half.
One Glasgow destroyed. Seven left.
Three Sutherlands tried to flank him from the back, however streams of pink light shot them down. One struck a land spinner, sending it tumbling down and the cockpit smacking against a warehouse, knocking the Devicer out instantly. Another pierced the second Sutherland's arm, blowing it away and leaving it vulnerable for Exia to tear its torso off, the two remains flying past either side of him. Using the newfound momentum, Zero whirled the body around and spun Exia around on its heel, the blade grinding against the ground before it took off the last Sutherland's head, providing a window of opportunity for Lockon to blast the leg units off, thus rendering the unit inoperable.
Three Sutherlands destroyed. Seven left.
The Glasgows seemed to have taken the deaths of their fallen comrades wisely and hanged back, shooting bullet after bullet against the White Devil. However, it was useless against the GN Particle Field. It was a useful feature provided by the Solar Reactor, repelling non-GN weapons and beam armaments. It proved useful at times, this being one of them.
Before any of the Devicers had a chance to blink at the strange green orb that enclosed the Mobile Weapon, Exia shot forward at maximum, its free hand whipping something out from its hip. To their horror, it was a blade with a pink light and a white handle. One could easily recognize it as a beam saber, a fundamental weapon used by Mobile Weapons.
And they were about to find out why Exia was granted the nickname "Seven Swords."
As if dancing through the air itself, Exia cut down Glasgow after Glasgow in a fluid motion, even more brilliant than the Enact. Lockon whistled over the com-link at the sight, as if he were watching a scene from an action movie he saw with his brother. "Well, he certainly has some flare, doesn't he Haro?" he asked his mechanical partner, who responded with the flap of his ears and the repeat of "Haro Haro! Haro Haro!"
As soon as the second to last Glasgow fell, a Sutherland charged out from behind Exia with a Stun Tonfa at the ready. However, this would prove to be it's undoing, as the beam saber impaled its chest and poked out through the cockpit. It was being held in an underhand fashion, the blade barely grazing up against Exia's armor despite the machine's back facing the Sutherland.
With a quick yank, the Sutherland fell back and exploded. Exia slipped the beam saber back on its hip before looking at the tanks, which were now retreating as quickly as possible. However, it would all be for nothing, as Lockon sniped each one down with skills unrivalled.
"All enemy units, confirmed eliminated." Zero said at last with satisfaction showing in his orbs for the first time since the mission began as he controlled Exia to head to the rendezvous point for him and Lockon.
Seven Glasgows, seven Sutherlands, and fifteen Tanks destroyed.
"Mission complete."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
In Area 11, news regarding the exploits of the newly revealed Mobile Suit Weapons was spreading like wildfire amongst the people, especially over at Ashford Academy. Unlike most Britannian schools, this allowed Numbers to participate as well, however their history, in the eyes of Britannia, was alerted greatly, and thus many fights between the Numbers and the teachers broke out often, becoming an everyday part of life. Among the numbers were two Honorary Britannians, both of which on either side of a girl from Area 12.
The boy on the left looked the youngest with neatly combed brown hair, wearing a blue v-neck knitted sweater over a buttoned shirt and brown khaki slacks, a book bag slung over his shoulder while the boy on the right looked a year older, his hair messy as if he hadn't brushed it this morning. Unlike the girl and boy, he wore the standard Ashford Academy uniform, which was black with gold trims. The girl had a different face from the students, having long blonde hair and bright eyes, wearing a pink short sleeved shirt with a pair of slim-fitting blue shorts, her bag in her hands.
They were Saji Crossroad, Suzaku Kururugi, and Louis Halevy, otherwise known as the "Number Trio" by the other students. Suzaku and Saji were Japanese, or more aptly put these days "Elevens", while Louise was a "Twelve", but she was also half-Britannian, and the Halevy family well-known for its wealth and influence.
According to a rumor going around, Saji and Louis were lovers, which had spiraled out of control until Suzaku stepped in. Since then, the two were grateful, though Louis insisted that she was Saji's girlfriend, much to the boy's dismay.
As they walked down the hallway to their English class, Saji noticed a large crowd of people over by the cafeteria huddled together. "Huh?" Louis looked at the sight with interest and walked over to the group with Saji following. Now that they were closer, Suzaku saw that they were watching a recent news report regarding today. "What's going on?"
One of the students, who Suzaku recognized as Rivalz Cardemonde, a fellow member from Student Council, turned away from the TV. "They say there was this attempt on the forbidden palace over by the Chinese Federation." He said, waving his arm about for emphasize before giving them a good view. "They say the terrorists had stolen Britannian Knightmares, but some unknown guy stopped 'em."
"Unknown?" Suzaku frowned, looking at the screen. They were showing what was probably the strangest Knightmare they had seen, in fact since they were students, it was their first time seeing it. It wasn't very big considering the camera angle and distance, but Suzaku noted that it had bulky white armor with a large weapon, probably a cannon, in its arms. However, what interested him was the flowing green light that emanated from its back. "What sort of Knightmare is that?"
"Is it from the EU, do you think?" Louis offered, though she received a shake of the head from Saji. "Why not?"
"Because there wouldn't be anything to gain from it." The brains of the outfit said, trying to explain it to his 'girlfriend'. "The European Union hates Britannia as much as any other Number, but they have a lot of pride in themselves. They wouldn't even think of helping the Federation."
"Yeah, but I've never seen anything like that before." Suzaku noted aloud, staring at the image intently. "What kind of Knightmare is it? And who does it belong to?"
His answer came when the news anchor reappeared with an image behind her, showing an well-aged old man sitting in a chair with both hands on a cane, wearing the most expensive-looking suit Suzaku had ever seen. His head was mostly bald, save for the remnants of black hair that were groomed to the sides of his head, and the monocle on his left eye. His prominent feature was the sharp beard that grew on his chin, granting him a noble air about him. "Ladies and gentlemen, the image we showed you was the unknown Knightmare that prevented the attack on Empress Tianzi and her party's guests."
"How did they even get news in the Federation anyway?" Louis grumbled, though no one heard her.
"A little under an hour ago, we received a video from the group the claims to be responsible for the prevention of the terrorist attack. The video is unedited for your eyes."
And then the image of the old man blew up, covering the entire screen. When he spoke, Suzaku could feel how charismatic the man sounded, speaking with untold conviction and faith in his words. "I would like to address this statement to every single human being born and raised on Earth." The man stated, his voice calm, clear, cool, and full of strength. Even though he had only spoken a few words, this man already spellbound everyone in the room. It was almost like he had the entire world in the palm of his hand. "We call ourselves simply Celestial being. We are a private armed organization in possession of the Mobile Weapon Gundam."
'Gundam...' Suzaku thought, recalling the white Knightmare that was shown earlier.
"The main objective of Celestial Being's activities is to completely eliminate acts of war from this world." The man continued, his eyes blazing with righteous will and passion. Whoever this man was, he was an incredible motivational speaker. "We do not act for our own benefit or for personal gain. We have chosen to intervene for the greatest goal of all to rid ourselves of the scourge of war. As of this moment I make this declaration to all humanity.
Territory...
Religion...
Energy...
No matter what the reason or excuse if there is an evident act of war being carried out, we will commence intervention with our force."
"But, wait..." Louis folded her arms, tilting her head in confusion. "They're fighting against war with violence, so... aren't they contradicting themselves?"
"Any country, organization, or corporation that promotes war will also be a legitimate target for our intervention. We simply call ourselves Celestial Being. We are an armed organization that was established to eliminate all acts of war from this world. I repeat..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
At the main capital of the Britannian homeland of Pendragon, several princes and princesses, with even the Knights of the Round present, were watching the declaration issued by the man leading Celestial Being. Among those present was Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia, third prince Clovis la Britannia, second princess Cornelia li Britannia, and third princess Euphemia li Britannia. The Knights of the Round that stood at their side were Gino Weinberg, Bismarck Waldstein, Anya Elstheim, and Nonnete Eneargem.
"Gotta give these guys credit..." Gino whistled, arms folded as he watched the man speak like a motivational worker of untold proportions. "They do things in style. But, man, did you see that thing? I'd kill to fight that!"
"Calm yourself, Knight of Three." The Knight of One reprimanded the younger boy calmly, though if one looked closely, they could see the anticipation of battle burning in his right eye. "We shall face these new enemies of Britannia soon enough."
"They want to solve war with more war..." Euphemia said sadly, her hands overlapping each other and tightening while Cornelia and Schneizel looked intrigued by these new weapons after hearing their intentions.
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
Back at Area 11, specifically at the base of the resistance cell known as the Japan Liberation Front, several members looked at the monitor in worry after hearing the intentions of this new group calling themselves Celestial Being. However, five in particular were actually looking with curiosity and anticipation. One was a young woman with chin-length brown hair, slight older than the youth with the glasses. The two oldest looking men stood beside their leader, one slightly pudgy with white hair while the other bore a scar on his face and his hair slicked back.
Their leader, who's face was staunch and stoic, merely looked at the screen while sitting in a lotus position, his sword laying on his lap. "They're claiming responsibility?" Kyoshiro Tohdoh the Miracle Worker asked. "Hmph..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"So, you have finally returned, have you my son?"
"Very well then. Let us see who shall change this rotten world. You, who wish to make a world where war does not exist, and me, who wishes to make a world without lies..."
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
As the message played out through the entire world, two people stopped and looked up at the monitor, looking at the man addressing the entire world. "Wait, that man..." one of the two said, recognizing the man from somewhere. It was a woman in her early twenties wearing a blue-buttoned shirt and tight white jeans, a bag slung over her shoulder. Standing next to her was a man in his late thirties with blonde hair tied back, wearing a black designers jacket over a red shirt with a pair of black khaki slacks. While the woman, Kinue Crossroad, seemed interested in the message the man was spreading, her partner, Diethard Reed, looked on with awe-struck eyes.
It was as if the world was on the verge of a new era. A giant grin spread across his face, the words of the leader of this new group, this Celestial Being, playing over and over in his ears.
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
The Kouzuki resistance cell looked at the television, each with different expressions. Some looked worried about this group's goals, others wondering if they were truly set on this path. However, only one of them, a girl with fiery red hair and sapphire blue eyes, looked amazed by this group's actions and declaration. 'I wonder what Naoto would say to this, if he were still alive...' Kallen Kouzuki wondered. She couldn't help but wonder who the pilots of these Gundam weapons were like...
~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~
"Well, this is the point of no return, huh?" Lockon asked Zero as he came out from his cockpit, landing on his feet without the aid of the stepladder provided by the Mobile Weapon. No matter how many times he looked at him, Lockon knew that he was just too young for this sort of thing, and yet at the same time, he pitied the boy. In a way, they were the same to a certain extent.
They had both lost what was precious to them. Though Lockon had somehow managed to move on, Zero didn't. The proof was reflected in those dead eyes that held burning hatred and unwavering conviction. "Still, this is one hell of a mess we've gotten ourselves into. I mean, we just picked a fight with the whole world."
"And that's why we'll change this twisted world." Zero said with his cold voice. Lockon looked at him, and grimaced. He was so young, and yet he was willing to take a life. Still, he had to admit, with the proper grooming and clothes, Zero could be the biggest heartthrob on the face of this planet. His black hair covered his forehead, reaching down to the collar of his suit while the bangs fell somewhat over his rich purple eyes.
"Because..." Zero, who was known as Lelouch vi Britannia, stated to his comrade with fierce determination that burned brightly in his violet orbs. "We are the Gundam Meisters of Celestial Being."
Turn 1...END
The world is on the verge of change, and the one who shall change it stands at the crossroads. Will he revel in his hatred for his former home? Or will he cast it aside to free this world from its own twistedness?
Next time, The Crimson Lotus of Japan
He is Zero, and he shall bring this world to its very knees...