Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland is Lewis Carroll's and Gundam 00 and Code Geass are both Sunrise's.
Happy New Year!

Down the Haro Hole

"A play, Sumeragi Lee Noriega? A play?"

The woman in question sighed again. She had a feeling that convincing the purple-haired Gundam Meister to agree was going to be a problem. Sometimes, she hated always being right.

"Yes, Tieria-kun. A play. Is there a problem?"

It was a battle she dared not lose.

"Veda did not suggest this activity."
"Veda did tell us to relax."
"Our time will be much better spent if we stay in space and train."
"Train? For what?" Sumeragi folded her arms. "Wars have stopped, Tieria. The world is at peace."
"That is false. What about the skirmish wi – "

Sumeragi felt the urge to cry out in frustration rising. No, she would not do that.

She didn't want to do it – this – but Tieria left her no choice.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The forecaster floated closer to the Innovade, making sure that her eyes never left his.

"Listen closely, Tieria," her voice was quiet, secretive. "The A-Laws and the Federation agreed to participate. They'd even let us film in their base! If we play our cards right, we might gain acc – "

Tieria's eyes widened.

"Celestial Being will not resort to underhanded techniques!"

His unprecedented outburst stunned Sumeragi into silence. With a huff, he left the room, head held high.

Undeterred, determination burned in Sumeragi's eyes.

'Tieria or no Tieria, the first scene of Meisters in Gundamland will definitely, definitely be shot tomorrow!'

–––––

Take Five!

–––––

That night, Soran Ibrahim felt the wind on his face as he walked through what was left of his hometown, the Krugis Republic. Its war with the Kingdom of Azadistan had left it in ruins.

"Setsuna! Setsuna!"
"Who's there?"

Soran followed the metallic-sounding voice.

Confusion overtook his senses when he was met with the sound's source, an orange spherical robot.

"H-Haro?"

The orange Haro took advantage of Soran's state. It jumped forward and snatched Soran's red scarf before running away. Soran pursued the little thief. When it finally stopped, he found himself in front of his home. Haro led him to the backyard where, to his astonishment, a Gundam unit – one he had never seen before – was docked, kneeling. It was white, gold-plated, and complete with Twin GN Drives. The hatch was open.

"Setsuna! Setsuna!"

Soran didn't wait for Haro. With a leap, he entered the Gundam. To his surprise, instead of feeling his bottom hit the seat of the unit, he realized that he was falling. Darkness enveloped him. Fortunately, he could make out the twin red lights of Haro's eyes.

"Haro! What's happening?"
"We're falling! We're falling!"

Soran felt baffled, scared even. He reached for the gun and dynamites in his back pocket. The Kurdish boy closed his eyes although he opened them when the red light piercing his eyelids forced him to.

"Almost there! Almost there," the Haro chirped.
'Almost…where?'

The blinding white light beneath his feet seemed so close but he had been falling for quite a while now. The wind lapped at his body. Soran's sense of time and direction was slowly being distorted.

The light gradually engulfed him. For a second, he saw red beams dancing. It reminded him of what Veda looked like whenever Tieria was linking with it.

With a soft thud, Soran's feet touched the blue tile of the curious hallway. Upon looking for an exit, his eyes fell on the door at the end of the hallway. The door's size – only Haro could pass through – became a problem.

He noticed the coffee table in the middle. It held a bottle of milk and a plate of potato wedges. The holographic words DRINK ME and EAT ME floated above the table. Soran, trained in the science of never taking anything suspicious from anyone suspicious, ignored it.

He stuck a wad of dynamites to the door, lit them and got down.

The explosion left Soran deaf for a minute.

The wall collapsed along with the door. After the smoke cleared, Soran inspected the hallway. The impact knocked over the coffee table. Milk spilled from the bottle.

Soran rejoined Haro. They walked – in Haro's case, he bounced – away from the curious hallway and were soon in an attractive garden with flowers of various colors.

A brunette about the same age as Setsuna dressed in old-fashioned white messenger clothes jogged by. He turned to Setsuna, not quite looking at him.

"Oh, is that yo – "
"Setsuna F. Seiei."

Setsuna heard a gasp. He recognized the voice talking to him.

"S-Saji Crossroad."

The boy started jogging in place.

"No, you've got my last name wrong. I'm Saji the White Rabbit."

Setsuna remained silent.

"I'm looking for someone, Setsuna. Have you se – "

Saji brought out a pocket watch larger than his hand. It beeped twice. The sound was akin to that of a cellular phone when it rings. He opened it. A hologram of a blond teenage girl in long sleeves and a miniskirt materialized and started talking.

"Saji, you're late! Saji, you're late!" It waved its holographic arms around.
"Oh damn! Oh damn! I'm going to be too late!"

Saji snapped it shut. His feet picked up their pace.

"See you around then. Bye, Setsuna!"

Saji ran off, muttering 'late again' as he went.

Setsuna picked up Haro. He had enough of this strange world.

"Haro. Where do we go now?"
"Ask drunk caterpillar! Ask drunk caterpillar!"
"Where is it?"
"Don't know! Don't know!"

Drunk caterpillar, huh? Now where would a drunk caterpillar be?

–––––

And cut!

–––––

"Don't mind, Sumeragi-san."
"Yeah, Tieria just really hates the surface."

The older Lockon and Allelujah's attempts to comfort Sumeragi were in vain. She realized that they needed Tieria after all.

"By the way, Miss Sumeragi," Lockon started. "How'd you get Setsuna to agree?"
"Well," Sumeragi had to laugh at the memory. "It was really easy…"

"Setsuna. I need you to help us with something."
"What is it, Sumeragi Lee Noriega?"
"You see, to celebrate the holiday, I was thinking of directing a play."
"Give me the details."
"The title is Meisters in Gundamland ba – "
"Yes."
"E-Excuse me?"
"Yes, I'll help."
"O-Okay then."

Lockon and Allelujah joined in Sumeragi's laughter.

Setsuna really is a Gundam idiot.

"Sumeragi-san, where are we going for the next scene?" Allelujah couldn't help but ask.
"Well, I was thinking, how about the forests beside Pendragon?"
"Oh, the Holy Empire of Britannia, huh?"
"Yes, I have to pay my old friend a visit."
"I'll tell Lichty to set the Ptolemy on course to Pendragon."
"Thanks, Allelujah."

Allelujah left, leaving Sumeragi and Lockon plotting and scheming on ways to get Tieria to agree.

–––––

Tieria never left his room onboard the Ptolemy. He watched the first scene of Meisters in Gundamland with a small smirk on his lips. Somehow, Setsuna's acting wasn't really convincing although he actually looked ecstatic during the scene with the Gundam.

OMAKE – Take One!

The orange Haro took advantage of Soran's state. It jumped forward and snatched Soran's red scarf before running away. Soran pursued the little thief. When it finally stopped, he found himself in front of his home. Haro led him to the backyard where, to his astonishment, a Gundam unit – one he had never seen before – was docked, kneeling. It was white, gold-plated, and complete with Twin GN Drives. The hatch was open.

"Setsuna! Setsuna!"

Said boy didn't respond. Haro tried again.

"Setsuna! Setsuna!"

Again, no response.

A minute passed. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen.

"Setsuna! Setsuna!"

The cast rushed over to Setsuna, worry written all over their faces.

"Setsuna!" Lockon shook his shoulders.
"Are you alright?" Allelujah snapped his fingers in front of his face.
"I shouldn't have brought a Gundam here to your hometown," Sumeragi was apologetic. "I'm so sorry!"

Setsuna walked away from them and towards the Gundam.

"Is this a new model?"

Question marks almost appeared above their heads.

"Sumeragi Lee Noriega, this is a very impressive unit. May I get its name?"
"L-L-Lancelot… Lancelot Albion." Confusion made Sumeragi's voice waver.
"Lancelot Albion. I see. Where did you get it?"
"A friend… lent it to me."

Setsuna placed a hand on the Gundam while he muttered its name and his.

"W-Wait a minute," Lockon approached the starry-eyed Kurdish boy. "What was that about?"

The twinkle left Setsuna's eyes.

"My apologies," the youngest Meister hesitantly turned away from the Gundam. "I merely needed time to admire the Gundam."

Sumeragi briefly considered having the boy's head checked.

OMAKE – Take Two!

With a soft thud, Soran's feet touched the blue tile of the curious hallway. Upon looking for an exit, Soran's eyes fell on the door at the end of the hallway. The door's size – only Haro could pass through – became a problem.

He noticed the coffee table in the middle. It held a bottle of milk and a plate of potato wedges.

Setsuna began munching on the potatoes. After two bites, he downed a quarter of milk in a gulp.

"HEY, SETSUNA!" Sumeragi roared over the intercom. "You're not supposed to eat those!"

Setsuna swallowed.

"What do you think are you doing? Huh?"

He pointed to the holographic words DRINK ME and EAT ME above the coffee table.

"Following orders." With that, Setsuna grabbed another potato wedge.

Sumeragi wanted to strangle the boy.

OMAKE – Take Three! (Of Costumes)

"Sumeragi-san, why don't we try using costumes?" Allelujah innocently suggested.

Looking back now, Sumeragi regrets heeding her subordinate's advice.

A brunette about the same age as Setsuna dressed in old-fashioned white messenger clothes jogged by. He turned to Setsuna, not quite looking at him.

"Oh, i – "

Setsuna heard a chuckle.

"Oh, is th – "

This time, it was a snicker.

"Oh, is that yo – "
"Sets – "

He was cut off by the sound of Saji doubling over.

"S-S-S-Se – Hahaha! Se – Gyaahah! – "

Saji's face was turning red from holding back laughter. He couldn't bring himself to look at Setsuna, who was wearing a pale blue knee-length dress with a white pinafore overtop. A wide, black Alice band was tying Setsuna's hair back.

Setsuna scowled but Saji didn't stop laughing. Saji's guffaws were starting to get on his nerves. The boy was going to die from lack of oxygen. Setsuna fervently hoped that Saji would asphyxiate.

To Setsuna's irritation, he heard the other members of Celestial Being laughing over the intercom as well.

He drew his gun and aimed at Saji. He wasn't planning to shoot but Saji stiffened. All sounds of laughter were suddenly hushed.

"S-S-Setsuna," Lockon's shaking voice spoke over the intercom. "Y-You can change clothes now."

Satisfied, Setsuna lowered his gun.

Saji almost died of heart attack.

OMAKE – Take Four!

A brunette about the same age as Setsuna dressed in old-fashioned white messenger clothes jogged by. He turned to Setsuna, not quite looking at him.

"Oh, is that yo – "
"Setsuna F. Seiei."

Setsuna heard a gasp. He recognized the voice talking to him.

"Saji Crossroad. Have you finished mastering the docking sequences of the 00-Raiser without Haro?"

Saji was taken aback. That wasn't in the script!

"W-W-What are you – "
"Have you finished mastering the docking sequences of the 00-Raiser without Haro?"
"T-T-That isn't in t – "
"How is the 00 doing?"

Saji's palm met his forehead.

"Sumeragi-san! Setsuna's not following the script. Again!"

The cast heard the enraged voice of Sumeragi over the intercom.

"SETSUNA! Follow the damn script!"
"Roger," Setsuna answered with a nod.

Down the Haro Hole

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love Code Geass, by the way. Just sayin'. Oh, can anyone guess who Sumeragi's friend from Code Geass is? I'll say it in the next chapter. Until then, do send me your guesses.

Leave me a review this new year. Reviews keep the next chapters coming. So, leave me a review, pretty please? Criticisms are welcome. Feel free to say anything.

12/30/10