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

"All men... are not created equal." –Charles zi Britannia

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 2: The Crimson Lotus of Japan

Ever since the appearance of Celestial Being, the whole world had been tossed into disorder. Various people within the populace wondered if this new group was serious about eliminating war, while others immediately supported the group, not just because they too wanted a world without war, but also because they believed they could accomplish it through the power of their Gundams. Of course, it was because of the power of these machines that the leaders of each superpower/nation held a meeting to discuss what to do with them.

In the Chinese Federation, the high eunuchs were completely captivated by the sheer dominance these machines displayed, as footage from the fight, if it could even be called that, between the blue Gundam and the new Sixth-Gen. Knightmare was being shown to the world for all to see. Li had to admit, he was both grateful and nervous at the same time. His gratitude came for the fact that, were it not for Celestial Being intervening with those Purists, he was sure that the Palace would suffer damage, thus leading to casualties. However, his nervous behavior came from their goals.

'They challenge the notion of war itself...' the loyal soldier of the Empress thought, looking at the footage with a skeptical eye, watching the machine's every move. It was clear that this was no ordinary Mobile Weapon, as it moved too fluidly, too quickly, and too precise. He did notice, however, the sheer amount of brutality it displayed towards the Britannian soldiers, practically feeling the malice seeping off the blue mech as it cut down as Glasgow. 'I wonder if this means we are targets as well for this Celestial Being...'

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

In the European Union, military leaders were hold up in a dimly lit steel room with monitors as the only source of light. High-ranking officers were dressed in dark blue or green with a gun holstered at their hip or a knife strapped to their thigh. Standing amongst the group were three people, all of which seen as figures of both respect, fear, and awe. To the left was a man wearing a dark green uniform with a close shave, a scar located on his face while both hands were clasped together behind his back, and his eyes narrowed dangerously at the footage. In the middle did a beautiful woman with long hair, wearing a blue uniform with red trims, possess the same sort of glare as the man beside her, but with feelings of anxiety regarding Celestial Being's objectives. Beside the woman, standing to the right, was a young man no older than sixteen, wearing a blue uniform with the sleeves rolled up to the forearms, and a tanto knife located on his back. His face was devoid of any emotion whatsoever, but one could see the looks of blazing fury buried deep in his cold eyes, matching his dark hair.

To the left was Colonel Sergei Smearnov, known as the "Bear of Russia" for his brutal strength and capabilities. To the right was Akito Hyuga, a skilled soldier despite his age, and arguably of the same caliber as the Colonel. At the center was Leila Malkal, a former Britannian Aristocrat, as well as an influential member to the Wyvern unit. These three were considered to be the most important to the EU, despite their diversity.

"A newly unveiled Sixth-Generation, cut down to ribbons so easily..." Sergei muttered, staring long at hard at the machine that had been recently called the White Devil. "It's abilities are terrifying, to say the least."

"Indeed so." Leila nodded in agreement. "However, its brutality appears to be quite strong towards the Britannian soldiers. Perhaps the pilot is a Number, or a victim of Britannia?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," the older man replied solemnly. "that so called 'Holy Empire' has caused a lot of grief these past several years. They don't show any sort of kindness about them, if the invasion of Japan was any indication."

"I assume you're referring to the fact that two members of Britannian royalty were present?" Leila inquired.

It was public knowledge concerning the existence of two of the Emperor's children, Lelouch vi Britannia and his younger sister Nunnally. From what little was known, during the assassination of the consort Marianne vi Britannia, the terrorists kidnapped the two children and fled to Japan. The Kururugi family took advantage of this, and used the two children as mere bargaining chips during the ongoing debate for their Sakuradite mining facility.

Back then, before the event that had left him in his current state, Akito was disgusted with his former country. He hadn't been shedding tears when he found out that Genbu Kururugi, the Prime Minister, committed suicide as a form of protest against the 'do-or-die' call against Britannia's forces during the final days of invasion.

"Yes. From what I gathered, Marianne vi Britannia was very well-liked by both nobles and commoners alike, considering her background." Sergei explained to the former Britannian aristocrat. "I assume that those particular people were displeased with their country's actions."

"Such as the Ashfords." Leila added once he finished. "They were her biggest supporters."

It was after she finished speaking that Leila noticed that Akito had not spoken a word. Looking at him, she could see a vicious smirk trying to force itself onto his lips, and his fingers twitching uncontrollably. 'Oh boy, his brother's Geass is starting to surface...' Leila grimaced, recalling how exactly Akito had become feared as the "Ghost of Hannibal." 'I can only imagine how brutal he'll be against one of these Gundams...'

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

At the Holy Britannian Empire, specifically at Area 11, several men and women in suits sat on either side of a long wooden table, the footage of the Enact's (coughEmbarrassingcough) defeat still being run. "Our latest model, defeated so easily..." one man, middle-aged with a touch of gray hair, spoke with both a hint of fear and disdain. "This only proves who devastating the Mobile Weapons can be if controlled properly."

"True, but how in the hell did these people create one?" another man, wearing a black suit and glasses with wrinkles along his cheeks, asked in confusion. "As I recall, the number of people who can pilot these weapons are even fewer in number than the amount of machines we have. We haven't even found a suitable pilot for the Jinx prototype!"

"This group is blatantly declaring war upon Britannia, as well as the Chinese Federation and the EU." a woman wearing a dark blue suit said calmly, looking at the video feed with a look of contempt. "They say they wish to eradicate war, when they themselves are starting one of their own!"

"That is not the issue right now." All eyes turned on the first man, who looked at the machine as if it were both a demon to be exorcised and a god to be revered. "All we know now is that we now face a new enemy... Gundams."

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

At the news station, the entire place was in total disarray. Workers scrambled on their feet, booking out the door and typing on the keyboard in panic while others shouted over each other, either on the phone or giving out orders. In the midst of the chaos, however, Kinue managed to actually get her work done as her fingers flied over the keyboard before the computer screen showed a man shaking hands with the leader of Celestial Being. "I knew he looked familiar." Kinue muttered before her assistant came up from behind her and smiled.

"Looks like your hunch was on the mark, Kinue." Diethard said with satisfaction, now knowing the identity of the founder of the organization that had just issued a clear declaration of war against the entire world. "Still, It's almost hard to believe that a man could live past 200 years."

"Aeolia Schenberg..." the older of the Crossroad siblings said aloud, eyes scanning the information beside the picture. "He was a Britannian aristocrat credited with being one of the smartest people alive. He was the one who proposed the theory of solar power, as well as the one who provided the blueprints for today's Knightmares. However, at the age of 52, he suddenly dropped out of the public eye, and cut off all ties with his family. They say he died somewhere, but his corpse was never recovered."

"Maybe he found a way to gain immortality?" Diethard offered with a joking grin. Kinue actually laughed at her partner's joke before taking out her cell and looking at the bottom of the screen. He could already guess what she was looking at. "Going back already?"

"Yeah, you think you can finish this up and show it to our editor?"

"Yeah, no problem. Oh, by the way, that memorial project of yours was approved."

As soon as Kinue had slipped on her bag, she looked at Diethard with wide eyes. "Wait, really?"

The older man nodded. "I'll see if I can arrange a meeting between you and the Margrave. Still, I have to ask, what made you choose to do a memorial project on Marianne vi Britannia?"

Kinue flashed a grin of her own, displaying what her coworkers called the "Crossroad Scoop", as whenever she got this sort of grin, one could tell their ears would be ripped off via long explanations. Some of the older workers wondered how exactly Diethard could tolerate it, having worked under her for a good five years now. "Why wouldn't I?" Kinue asked incredulously. "She was the first common person to ever become royalty, much less the Knight of Two. She gained Knight status when she was just thirteen, and only two years later, received the honor to become a member of the Knights of the Round, the elite of the elite. Following that year, she became the wife of the Emperor of Britannia. Now, do tell me that isn't worth looking into."

Diethard laughed her explanation off before reminding her that her brother was waiting for her. As soon as she heard this, her grin disappeared and was replaced by panic as she bobbed and weaved past her coworkers as she hurried toward the door. As soon as she was gone, the older man looked at the photo of Aeolia Schenberg with anticipation.

"Celestial Being, founded by a man who died over two centuries ago..." Diethard breathed in amazement. "Just when I thought they couldn't get more interesting."

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

"And I keep telling ya, Ohgi, it's a bad plan."

Kallen rolled her eyes as she listened to yet another spat between a fellow member of her brother's resistance cell and the only man she considered to be a surrogate brother. The man in question was probably a good ten years younger than her father, who was at the ripe age of forty with gray streaks beginning to form in his dark red hair, the only thing Kallen inherited from him. Nagata, as that was the man's name, was also a father, however he had lost both his five-year-old daughter and his wife during the invasion, leaving him cold, bitter, and broken.

Of course, he, along with various other members, weren't always like this. They hadn't started to get cold feet until this Celestial Being group appeared. Ever since they made that declaration, even stating that any group who supported or took part in any form of war would be their target.

Ohgi sighed, shaking his hand and placing his hands on his hips. "Look, I understand how you feel about this, Nagata, I really do, but my hands are tied here." he told the man earnestly. "Besides, do you really think they'll go after people like us? I mean, we've only gone after military supplies and depots, and that's it. Besides, compared to the other groups, we're a small force."

Nagata still looked worried, but nodded at Ohgi's logic. Kallen could feel his pain well, as she had lost her brother about a year ago. Since his death, Ohgi became the acting leader of the resistance, though this fact itself remained unsaid for some reason. To be honest, she trusted no one else for the task, and she would certainly be damned if she ever let that moronic fool Tamaki lead this group. 'Knowing him, he'd probably screw up.' Kallen thought wryly before standing up from the couch, walking toward the two.

"I say we give this plan a shot." the half-Britannian said with a fierce tone. She hated acting like a weak and sickly child at school, she hated acting as someone she never wanted to be, however if any of her "friends" at school saw how she acted, she bet they would be surprised by her sudden change in attitude. "Naoto had found out about this just before he got captured, right?"

Ohgi nodded grimly. "Yeah, and I bet if Celestial Being found out about it, they would get involved. After all, they did say they wanted to eliminate war, and I'm pretty sure poison gas counts as taking part in it."

As she thought he would, Tamaki spat out, removing himself from the wall he had been leaning in. "I bet they ain't even serious!" he said with a scowl. "Eliminate war my ass!"

"Tamaki, did you forget that they have not one, not two, but four Mobile Weapons?" Kallen reminded him, catching him off guard. "The people who can pilot those monsters are even fewer than the mechs themselves. With those things, I'm pretty sure they could go against the Knights of the Round."

"She's got a point, if what we saw on the news was real." Yoshida nodded in agreement. "I mean, did you see how that guy chopped up those Knightmares? Whoever was piloting that thing, he sure doesn't like Britannians."

"You think he could be Japanese, like us?" Minami suggested. "It would make sense."

Ohgi sighed, scratching the back of his head before looking at everyone. "Listen guys, I know we're all nervous about this new group, but let's focus on our mission for now. If we show the world what Britannia is really like, then we could probably get some leverage over them. Hell, if all goes well, maybe Celestial Being will do our job for us."

Everyone seemed to agree with his logic, with Tamaki being the only exception, but even he had to admit, the logic was sound. However, the only thing that worried Kallen was the amount of security that would be guarding this pathogen. It would be tighter than Fort Knocks, if it was even possible, but if they could pull this off, then support for Britannia would go down rapidly. Or, at least, that was what Kallen hoped.

In any case, she wasn't about to let her brother's death mean nothing. She didn't care if she ended up having to fight one of the Gundams, she was going to succeed... for his sake.

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

Meanwhile, in a luxurious part in the Settlement, a well-aged old man fumbled with a chess piece when a buzzing sound went off, signaling that he had taken too much time. "From now on, you will have only twenty seconds per move." one of the men in suits informed the man. The old man's opponent, a rather portly man with brown hair and a nail filer in hand, seemed to enjoy this new rule as he smirked. "Very well, I'm game."

The old man was beginning to sweat bullets before he heard the door open. Already knowing who it was, he breathed a sigh of relief as he stood up, looking at his replacement. "Oh, thanks heavens! I trust everything is well?" he asked. The nobleman raised an eyebrow, looking at his new opponent.

The two who entered the room were certainly ones you would notice in a crowd. The oldest of the two was the tallest, with brown hair coming down to the collar of his green shirt, dressed in a brown leather vest with fur lining along the collar and a pair of jeans with boots. The youngest, looking no older than seventeen, had black hair that was swept to the right, carrying rich purple eyes with a scarf wrapped around his neck. His attire consisted of a white jacket with black edgings, a pink polo with an overturned collar, and black khaki slacks.

"Well, what do you know, a school boy." the nobleman didn't even try to hide his arrogance as he addressed the two. "I envy you kids today, you have so much time... time for regrets. What's your name?"

"Alan." the boy spoke with an icy cold tone that made the man flinch. "Alan Spacer."

The man bent over a bit, looking at the board and whistled, looking back at his companion. "Nine minutes, eight tops." he said with a smooth tone. The boy developed a smirk as he took his seat in the old man's place. Speaking of the old man, the youth turned to him and asked, "About that thing Alan talked with you about yesterday..."

The old man nodded in understanding. "Understood. We'll discuss it later, Mr. Dylandy."

"Don't worry, Neil..." Alan said with confidence leaking into his face taking the King into his hand and looking back at the nobleman dead in the eye, as if examining him from the inside out. "We'll be done in eight minutes."

"Eight minutes?" the nobleman spluttered, staring at the boy incredulously. Was he honestly this arrogant? "You only have twenty seconds per move!"

"Enough time." Alan informed him as he placed his King towards the upper left square from its original position. The man stared even harder at the boy, realizing he had just taken his first move with one of the weakest chess pieces in the game.

"Y-you started with the King?" the man couldn't help but burst out laughing, holding his stomach. "You're an amusing fellow!"

Unbeknownst to the arrogant noble, the young man named Neil grinned, knowing full well that the man had just walked into his execution... metaphorically speaking. 'If there is one thing I have ever learned about him, it's that you never challenge him to a game of chess...'

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

"Eight minutes and forty two seconds is a new record for you." Lockon said with a grin as the two walked out of the building, the sniper holding a briefcase containing their winnings. "Gotta say, I kind of enjoy seeing the looks on those guys' face. Nobility always pays up to keep its face."

"They aren't even worth our time at all." Zero replied flatly, though Lockon could still see the satisfaction reflected in his purple irises. "Besides, he couldn't think out his moves properly since he had only twenty seconds."

"Eh, true."

"Has there been any word from Sumeragi about the next mission?"

Lockon sighed, shaking his head. Zero had always been like this, barring off his emotions from his life so that they wouldn't get in his way. The older man had told him to live out his life to its fullest, as the best way to live was with your emotions. However, his plead fell on deaf ears, as Zero had been emotionless and 'dead' since the day he joined Celestial Being three years ago. Even now, Lockon wondered what possessed the boy to join a cause that would involve him risking his life and taking the lives of others. Of course, the personal lives of each Meister was kept strictly confidential, his past included.

Of course, Lockon learned a bit about Zero in the three years of his training to become a full-fledged Meister. It was around that time that he learned that he and Zero were similar in a way. Lockon had lost his sister and his parents, while Zero lost his mother and his sister, who was blind and crippled. Still, Lockon wanted to kill the man who dared to call himself that boy's father. What sort of monster sends his son to be used as a hostage for Christ's sake?

Since then, Lockon had formed a bond of sorts with Zero, becoming his partner in a sense. They could coordinate their moves well, and they trusted each other with their lives. It was also thanks to that Lockon learned that the boy didn't want to make friends; it was just that he didn't know how to make them. To his understanding, Zero only had one friend, a boy named Suzaku Kururugi, and he had perished alongside his sister.

There were times when Lockon wondered if they truly were beyond the point of no return. Once he realized his thoughts, however, he chided himself. They had taken the lives of several soldiers just a few days ago, and it was seen all over the world. There was no turning back for them; they had to see this through.

But... that didn't mean he wasn't okay with Zero living this life.

"It's supposed to start within the next ten hours, so we have some time to kill." Lockon informed his young partner as they walked through the streets of the Settlement. "Still, this threw me for a loop. Poison gas? Isn't that, I dunno, kind of pushing it?"

"There was a unwritten rule within the military that chemical warfare was strictly forbidden." Zero informed Lockon, his tone suddenly becoming icy as he spoke. "The rule itself was established in 1983, during the invasion of Germany. Britannia had created a chemical that had three stages of infection: hallucination, organ failure, and death. It was used during the attempt to overtake the southern region of the country, where Adolph Hitler had made into his base of operations. The mission had two goals: test the limits of the pathogen and overtake the region. The gas was released via air strike, and claimed the lives of over 400,000 people, including civilians. Hitler was included in the casualties, but so were 30,000 Britannians."

Lockon had nearly stopped dead in his tracks. "Dear lord... small wonder they forbid the use of poison gas."

"And now Britannia intends to use it again." Zero growled, his hands balling into fists as his stride became heavy. "Clovis is as corrupted as the rest of those damned pieces of filth. Every last one of them deserves to die."

The sniper couldn't help but wince at his fellow Meister's words. Truly, his hatred for his birthplace had run quite deep, but he supposed it was natural. Just as he despised terrorists for taking the lives of his family, Zero loathed his home country for taking the life of his sister, who was the only family he had left. With her gone, he was alone in this world, unable to look out for himself. Celestial Being offered him a place in their ranks, and he accepted without hesitation.

He hoped that his hatred would dissolve once CB completes its goal in eradicating war from this world.

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

"Damn it all!" Nagata cursed as he slammed his foot down on the pedal, the truck accelerating and passing by several oncoming cars. "We finally got this stupid thing, and now we've got the damned military on our ass because Tamaki couldn't follow Naoto's plan!"

"Just keep driving, and don't stop!" Kallen shouted as she looked out the window, seeing helicopters chasing after them. Despite how far away they were, she could tell that they were equipped with gun turrets. They were just giving out warnings, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they let loose on them. "God damn it, that stupid moron! Why can't he ever listen for once?!"

"Why the hell did Ohgi even let him in on this mission in the first place?!" Nagata snarled, spinning the wheel as they made a quick turn around the corner. "He always screws things up!"

Kallen didn't respond, she was more focused on the fact that there were now news helicopters alongside the military ones. Once she saw this, she cursed and pulled her hat down. She couldn't be discovered right now, and if she were to be found out, then her friends and family would pay the price. "We had better get out of this alive..." she muttered.

She had no idea, however, that this mission would lead to an encounter that would shatter the world she knew, and open the door to a new one, a world unlike any other...

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

Zero glared coldly at the monitor. If looks could kill, his bastard of a brother Clovis would be dead a hundred times over, brought to death in the worst way possible. "Nice little speech." Lockon remarked sarcastically as he slipped his keys into the ignition, starting up his motorbike. "Little good it does for bringing back the dead."

"Hmph..."

Zero looked away from the monitor, catching the helmet that was tossed at him before stepping inside the sidecar of the bike. Once he slipped it on and buckled up, Lockon revved up the engine and the two took off. "By the way, you do realize that you have to attend school tomorrow, right?" Lockon could have sworn he saw a look of horror over Zero's face. School wasn't that bad, was it? He dropped out in his last year of middle school, joining CB around that time, so he had no idea what Ashford was like. "Ah, to be surrounded by young, healthy, beautiful women... I really envy you, you know that, Zero?"

"I fail to see the appeal of school." Zero retorted.

Lockon chuckled, realizing that he just got a rise out of the boy. "Well, you're still sixteen, so you have to attend. Just think of it as your cover during our time here in Britannia. Allelujah and Tieria are still in space, and won't be coming down until the next mission."

Zero sighed, shaking his head in resignation. "If I must..."

"Hey, who knows? You might like school."

"I highly doubt it, especially if its Ashford Academy."

"Worried someone might learn about your past there?"

"Something along those lines."

"Well, whatever. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you... why do you always move the King when you get the chance?"

"If a King does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

Lockon laughed heartedly at, throwing his head back before looking at his companion. "What's up with that? You plan on running a business or something?"

"Ambitions like that will ruin your health."

Lockon was about to go into another laughing fit when a loud "HONK!" screamed behind him. Nearly losing his grip on his motorbike, he looked over his shoulder and immediately moved away from the oncoming truck, avoiding becoming road kill. "Oi, what the hell was-" He was cut-off by the sound of helicopters whirling above them, as if they were following the truck. "What the?"

"Lockon!"

Said Meister snapped out of his funk and looked back at the truck, which had taken the wrong lane and slammed into an abandoned construction building. The force of the crash sent bits of debris flying, and a cloud of smoke exploding all over it.

"Uh... did we cause that?"

Zero ignored him and hopped out of his side of the bike, running over to the side. He could see several bystanders watching the truck, as if expecting something to happen. 'Hypocrites...' he thought darkly, despising people like them before looking back at the truck.

Was it his imagination, or did he just see a sparkling green light that resembled GN Particles appear near the access panel atop the cargo holder? "Hey, wait, that truck..." Zero looked over at Lockon, who stared at it intently. "If I remember right, that's the one that has the poison gas."

Instantly, Zero ran down the ramp and for the truck, causing Lockon to look at him in disbelief. "Oi, what the hell are you doing?!" he shouted after him, but his words fell on deaf ears as he watched the boy run near the truck in question. Sighing in irritation, he pulled out his cell and punched in a few numbers before pressing the phone against his ear.

"Honestly, kids these days..." he grumbled before the person on the other line finally picked up. "Hey, Miss Sumeragi. We've got a problem..."

~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~

Kallen groaned as she felt the banging of her skull beginning to subside. At first, she wondered where she was before remembering that she was on board a truck containing the poison gas that the third prince of Britannia created. She managed to wear off her sluggishness before looking at Nagata, who was still unconscious, his head resting against his shoulder while his right arm hung limply. "Nagata..." she called out, shaking his shoulder. She received no response, forcing her to shake it harder. "Nagata!"

Finally, the man stirred awake, and his arm returned to the wheel. "Let's go, the military will catch up to us in no time!"

The man nodded before slamming his foot down, rearing the truck back and then shoving off back onto the main road, ignoring the warnings and offers of the soldiers. Kallen knew that they would never let them go, considering they had just stolen a valuable piece of machinery that, if exposed to the world, could ruin public support.

Kallen hoped it would be enough to send Celestial Being into action. In truth, ever since she saw that video showing that blue Gundam decimate the base like child's play, she grew captivated by their brilliance, their abilities, their strengths. She longed to have those qualities, to be able to fight against the people that had taken her brother away from her.

She wondered if she would see that Mobile Weapon up close in the near future...

Turn 2...END

Fate. It is the wheel that continues to spin, trampling those who stands in its way underfoot. It cannot be stopped, and it cannot be deterred. A crimson flower, a black crown, and a white shield come together at last.

Next Time, Waltz of Exia

Zero reunites with an old friend from the past...

~~~Author's Notes~~~

Wow, I didn't think I'd get this many views on my story. Still, I thank you guys for reviewing, considering I'm just starting out on fanfiction. Every review only helps my motivation, so keep 'em coming! Anyway, the next chapter should be coming in the next couple of days, but since I have to balance my schoolwork with my plain life, the updates will be slow. Plus, they will get even slower after the 30th, and for good reason. I'm a Persona fan, and Ultimax is being released in ten days. Needless to say, I am excited. Also, if any of you are a fan of the series, I'll have a Persona story up soon. I hope you will enjoy it to your heart's content!

Now, onto the questions.

1) Setsuna will not be featured in this story, but he will make an appearance in R2, but he will be piloting Exia still, the role of the pilot of 00 goes to Lelouch. Sorry~

2) The reason why Lelouch is so menacing in the first place is because, well, he thinks Nunnally is dead and gone. His reason for creating the Black Knights, and even donning the mask was all for the sake of his sister. When he thought she died, he fell into depression and was even willing to allow the Black Knights to kill him when they found out about his Geass, but thanks to Rolo, he regained his resolve. In this fic, Lelouch is downright terrifying, and is willing to use any means necessary to take out anyone who gets in his way. This will be further shown during the battle at Narita.

3) I agree that Suzaku and Euphemia are a bit naive, but Suzaku gets a wake-up call after meeting with Zero for the first time. He won't be joining the Black Knights though, and as for Celestial Being... You'll have to wait and see.

4) You'll find out about C.C. soon enough.

5) The pairings are still undecided, but I can assure you, SajiXLouis is still there.

Well, that's it for now. Adios, guys!