I own neither Code Geass nor High School DxD.
It was the conclusion of an emperor's ambition, a perfectly scripted dance played out to perfection in a fashion that would make Shakespeare weak at the knees. There was no pain, unsurprising really, for the blade piercing through his chest had been thrust through expertly— severing both muscle and bone in a single movement, rendering him numb from the chest down.
He could hear the shock from the crowd, despite the forbearing quiet that had fallen over them all. He almost wished he could see their faces, looking on in awe as the Demon Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia who had conquered the world and nations kneel under the Sword of Damocles was put by the renegade the masked revolutionary who had once led Japan against the empire.
Only the captive members of the revolution, the former Black Knights, looked on in confusion— though he suspected that several had a dawning understanding of what was going on. For they knew his true identity that he was Zero, and had used them to pave his path to the throne.
All a script, a means to an end— to ensure that the world no longer went back to the never-ending cycle of hatred and bloodshed, a world where his beloved sister had no place.
'Nunnally…' he wondered, even as he spoke to Suzaku, his closest friend, and now his executioner, bloody fingertips brushing against the mask he himself had once worn that now shielded the Japanese Knight's face— a smirk on his face as he bestowed his last instructions upon the knight which slowly faded when he stumbled away. He never felt the pain as he fell, his back bouncing upon the walkway and leaving a bloody smear across the Britannian Flag in a final show of theatrics. He fell all the way under the watchful eyes of the world before finally coming to a rest at the foot of the pagoda, broken, bloody, an oppressor dethroned before the oppressed.
A shadow moved in the corner of his waning vision— Nunnally, his precious sister who had previously denounced him as a demon now looking on in shock as he lay there calmly, almost serene in his grace.
It's finally over, Nunnally…' he wanted to tell her, but he could not even turn his eyes to look upon her gentle face, no more than he could draw breath into his ruptured lungs or move his leaden arms and legs.
"Big Brother, I love you!"
Those words, four simple words that to the dying Emperor, held inside of them a greater power than if God himself had descended down to Earth and spoken them. His mouth parted, eyes turning upwards the approaching end as he tightened numb fingers around her own
"I know…" he whispered, smiling all the while, even as the world around gradually faded away "I…destroyed world… and created…anew…"
And with that, Lelouch vi Britannia, 99themperor of Britannia, passed away, his eyes shut beneath the harsh sun of his homeland.
Just before the monarch's eyes closed though, a brief image of a crane-shaped crest shone red against his purple eyes…
Bright rays of the morning sun pierced through the stained-glass windows that lined the left side of the hallway, casting a kaleidoscopic mural of colours onto the white marble floor beneath her feet. Locked to all but a select few— the hall was quiet and the murals above had a heavy weight to them, stagnant and deep. This was Court of Heaven, a chamber full of endless history, where kings had been crowned and heroes made into legend.
Gabriel placed a hand against the cold surface of the golden door, her fingers subconsciously tracing the grooves of the ancient art. She took a deep breath, pushing down every emotion that threatened to rise to the surface as turbulently as a crashing wave before allowing breath to escape her lungs slowly. Gabriel knew what awaited her, any sign of weakness and she would be pushed around by her brothers who had all grown so headstrong and resolute.
Glancing downward to take one final look at herself, Gabriel brushed away the dust she saw on the velvet material of her simple gown. Moving her golden blonde locks that had been elaborately braided just a few hours ago over her shoulder, Gabriel looked forward with serious emerald green eyes before pushing open the door.
Her wings unfolded with the sound of a thunderclap as soon as she walked into the court, glowing platinum, almost as if announcing her presence as one of the Great Seraphs— each wing was beautiful, a flawlessly aerodynamic in a way seemed to only further the opinion that one of god's greatest boons to the angels was the appearance of perfection. Suddenly sparking as brightly as a star above Gabriel's head was her halo that could burn away the eyes of those who harboured impure thoughts inside their soul.
The pure amount of holy power cascading through the walls of the large auditorium that had been infused inside the single object would have been enough to instantly turn into ash even a duke of hell— five majestic thrones stood imposingly in a round formation, each equally distant from the glowing book in the centre of the room whose pages turned by themselves ever so slowly in an almost haunting manner. Gabriel could not help the small smile that appeared almost instinctively on her face as soon as her emerald eyes landed on the tome whose last pages had chronically recorded the final words of her father.
Though the smile instantly vanished when she caught sight of other occupants inside the court, most of whom were standing and glaring at each other over the tome itself— as if trying to purposefully add to the disrespect. Uncharacteristically, Gabriel almost allowed her hands to tighten into loose fists and it was only by taking another deep breath that she managed to unclench her fingers once more. Most of her brothers seemed to be almost at each other's throats by now, the burning anger appearing out of place on their beautiful faces as untamed the aura of multiple Seraphs ran rampant without restraint and weapons threatened to manifest to existence at any moment.
The loudest amongst them all was Raphael who also happened to be the largest of the Great Seraphs, with chiselled muscle protruding from every inch of his body as his twelve white wings flared behind him. Short emerald bangs waved madly, his seething fury apparent to all who knew him as he faced Uriel who looked just as enraged— the older angel could match his imposing height but was not quite as muscular, having always favoured magic over physical power in comparison. It made the azure angel seem even more imposing as he glared at his younger brother with cold eyes, his own twelve wings spread wide in challenge.
"You refuse to see reason Raphael, naivety clouds your judgement," Uriel mocked, his hands clenching dangerously. The instant before he was about to step forward, Gabriel had seen enough.
Eyes clenched shut, Gabriel's voice pierced through the room. "Stop this!" That hushed everyone.
Almost every eye watching this debacle play out rather than intervening glanced over to where she stood, and Gabriel suddenly found herself at the centre of all the court once again. "What's happening?"
One of the oldest Seraphs and perhaps the most graceful of the group, Metatron was the one who broke the hush that had fallen because of her sudden shout.
"Raphael and Uriel are having another argument, that should have been rather obvious," The raven angel whose face remained covered by a radiant haze answered rather sarcastically as he lounged on his golden throne, a smirk on his face that went away when Gabriel levelled a glare at him, unable to understand how he could just stand by and do nothing.
Straightening because of the wrathful look from the usually kind Gabriel, Metatron raised his hands rather innocently. "Raphael wants to increase the training standards of the Church and lower our recruitment age."
"What? Why?" Gabriel gasped, her eyes whipping around to land on her brothers who both looked away, unable to meet their sister's ashamed face.
"The wretched spawn of Lucifer are growing stronger each day, they must be kept in check!" Raphael was the one to answer— turning around to face her a moment later, almost as if hoping to see sympathy on his older sister's face who just stared. "Their Evil Pieces have too much power, Gabriel. They are preparing for war once again, our next move should be obvious!"
"They would not start another war so soon, the hellspawn are recovering from the war that had Lucifer's descendants dethroned. The upstart Satans have not proven themselves, and their houses remain divided." Metatron spoke, the haze protecting his face wavering to reveal some of his bespectacled eyes as he leaned back. "Though it would be hard to deny that Akuja's greatest invention poses considerate threat to the status quo protecting our peace."
"Must you always be the wise one, Metatron?" Uriel snorted, but only received a yawn from his older brother in response.
Gabriel clenched her hands, her emerald green eyes practically glowing in frustration. "We can't have boys fight our wars for us, Raphael. That goes against everything father taught us!"
"Father's teachings are going to be wiped out if nothing is done so soon soon…" added another voice.
Gabriel whipped around to see who said it and her eyes widened in surprise. "Metatron, you don't honestly think that's true, do you?"
Hands folded in front of him, Metatron let out a sigh. "The demons have found a way to replenish their numbers and actively pursue powerful members of other races to bolster their strength. They even hunt for sacred gear users, a power meant solely for the use of mankind, solely because they know we cannot start another war." Metatron's voice was cold, with a cadence that was almost as persuasive as Michael's own. "Even the Fallen Angels grow stronger every day, their influence growing greater than ever under Azazel. It is heaven alone that can no longer produce angels, we have become stagnant."
Metatron straightened, no longer languid and relaxed— cold crimson met emerald green, and Gabriel flinched. "Father is gone, Gabriel. It may take centuries but soon, there would be no more Heavenly Host if we do nothing."
Gabriel took a step back, a hand on her chest where her heart clenched in betrayal. It took all the strength she had to prevent her eyes from watering. "Have you no faith?"
Raphael rubbed his forehead to dull its throbbing. "Father is gone, Gabriel. We are all that is left. We must make these decisions ourselves."
"What of the Brave Saints?" Michael suddenly asked.
All eyes turned to look at Metatron and Gabriel who both sighed, the former somehow leaning back even further into his chair. "Nowhere near ready. The complexity involved in changing someone's genetic code and reanimating them into an angel is astounding. Loathe as I am to admit it, Ajuka Beelzebub is a genius we cannot contend against."
Gabriel covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes cast downward in doubt. "So we really have no chance? No options? Must we resort to harming children and forcing them to fight instead of enjoying their youth?"
The room was silent for a minute, the gravity of the choice sinking into every single heavenly soul in the room. Had they really fallen this far? was the collective thought that hung over every single Seraph in the room.
One man stood up, having been quiet the entire time. He could have been Gabriel's twin for they both shared the same shade of golden blonde locks and their emerald eyes sparkled as deep unexplored forests, although hers made her visage brighter whereas his were curved in such a way that made him seem perpetually sad— garbed in ceremonial golden robes rather than the robes that the other Seraphs wore, which only served to accentuate the golden wings which separated him from the rest of the heavenly host and marked him as a leader.
Michael clapped his hands together and his voice washed over the group like a gentle wave, soothing their concerns. "We would save this debate for another day. Sunset approaches, it is time for us to rest and return with fresh minds and ideas."
Glancing out the window, Gabriel was surprised to see that her older brother was right— an orange sunset was painted against the horizon. Michael's announcement was met with resigned sighs as the Seraphs slowly walked out of the room, all slowly understanding how emotionally exhausting this debate had been.
Perhaps the most drained out of the group, Gabriel also sighed and brushed her dress once again before carefully changing direction on the balls of her sandaled feet. "Sister, please stay for a moment."
She stopped in her tracks, her eyes closing for a moment as she took in a deep breath before she turned around and walked over to her eldest brother, who had turned his throne to face out toward the windows to catch as much of the sunset as possible. A small smile appeared on Gabriel's face— she had always been closest to Michael, for he was the closest to her in age as well and perhaps the one seraph who understood her best. The oldest servants of God they were both called.
Walking past the other thrones, she paused beside the one at the head and placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of the lean man seated on it. "Yes, Michael?"
He did not look up at her, his eyes focused on the evening sun and the countless people beneath them who called heaven home. "Do you think Father would be disappointed?"
Gabriel shook her head ruefully. "He would see that you are trying your hardest. That is all that he would ask for."
Seeing her brother lost in thought, Gabriel shook her head one last time and walked out of the court. The moment before the door closed behind her, she heard her brother's melodic voice echo through the room in a haunting whisper. "Thank you, Gabriel."
The last thing he remembered was cold steel as the sword pierced his body and ended his life. Lelouch vi Britannia opened his eyes and looked around.
"Where am I?" He had woken up in a meadow, surrounded by golden grass and apple orchids that glowed under the gentle moon. The demon emperor had glanced down, only the empty wound where the red sword had previously entered his body. "What happened?"
Suzaku should have finished the Zero Requiem— he should have died, taking an entire world's worth of enmity and hatred with him. What was this place and who had brought him here? A thousand questions went through his mind and he had no answers for any of them.
However, all his thoughts came to an abrupt pause when a strange presence brushed against his mind, almost as if searching for something. The raven emperor slowly rose from the ground, unable to muster any of the grace and majesty he was known for.
"Lelouch vi Britannia."
It was as if a thousand men were talking at the same time, a soothing baritone was the loudest among them. He froze in his place, unable to move or even speak a word in response.
"I wish to propose a contract."
Gabriel frowned in annoyance as she carefully tried to make her way through the seas of people in the lakeside marketplace. Though she always tried to be a kind leader, thousands of people all trying to manoeuvre in the relatively small fresh produce area of the farmer's market was enough to grate her nerves— not to mention how angry her brothers had her today. The female Seraph glanced down at the basket hanging from the crook of her arm, checking to see if she had everything for tonight's stew, when she felt a small tug on her arm.
"Lady Gabriel?" A high pitched voice from behind her said, barely audible above the chatter of the crowd. Gabriel turned around to look at the small girl standing behind her, brown braids bouncing in excitement and blue eyes glancing downward in awkwardness at her inward facing feet. The girl turned around quickly to look at two adults whose features resembled hers, perhaps parents or guardians, who gave her a nod of encouragement.
Gabriel smiled at the adorable sight, the only genuine one that had graced her face today. "Oh, hello dear." Gabriel kneeled so she was at eye level with the girl. "How may I help you?"
"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you and I really don't want to be a bother, but can I please get a prayer please...sorry." The girl managed to mumble out, her face practically scarlet as she patted down her pockets rapidly before finding a small notebook in her back pocket along with a black marker.
Gabriel had to suppress a giggle at the number of times the girl had fumbled on the word please. "No problem at all." Taking the pad and pen, the Seraph made eye contact with the girl. "May I ask you your name?"
"Mary." Was the girl's answer with a happy nod.
Brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear, Gabriel put pen against paper. She quickly wrote a kind prayer before closing the notebook. "There you go."
Eyes wide as saucers, Mary hugged the book to her chest. "Thank you so much, Lady Gabriel!" Instinctively, the small girl lunged forward and wrapped Gabriel up in a hug before the Seraph could react. "You're so pretty and amazing. I'm gonna be just like you when I grow up!"
"You're going to grow up to be so strong and beautiful, Mary," Gabriel said with a smile, giving the girl a small hug back.
It was then she noticed it. At first, it was faint, a small streak in the sky looking as if it originated from the sun that slowly began to grow and grow before suddenly turning into a blazing golden comet. Gabriel's emerald eyes squinted for a moment before widening as she realized it was coming straight for this part of heaven.
Almost frantically, Gabriel placed Mary back onto her feet before giving her a gentle push toward the two adults from earlier. "Go back to your parents and follow the angels out. Stay safe!"
Mary who had turned around to see the accelerating object as well, nodded quickly because of her suddenly serious tone before chasing after her parents, who had been waiting for her despite the crowd of people suddenly rushing toward the end of the market. Gabriel looked toward the sky once more for a moment before glancing towards the members of the patrol force who had already begun to take action.
"Everyone, evacuate calmly and orderly! Don't push or shove!" came their collective amplified voices, shepherding the thousands of people out of the exposed marketplace.
Gabriel allowed herself to relax for a moment, she would not have to worry about the people here now— Her twelve wings exploded from her back, unleashed to full glory in a fraction of a second as she took to the sky herself to face this sudden threat. The average angel would be of no use here and none of the other Seraphs were nearby, for the meeting had ended over an hour ago and most of them should have long returned home. But there was no time to waste, whatever this thing was— it was growing closer and closer, having long since passed the artificial clouds that hovered above them and was now merely a few seconds away from impact.
She had to do something now— high above the market, Gabriel's hands glowed with golden power as a magical circle appeared above the area. It was enormous, more than three hundred meters wide and large enough to cover the evacuating population as well as a majority of the marketplace.
The thing raced by, smashing into the lake beside Gabriel with a devastating shockwave that nearly threatened to send the Seraph several steps backwards. The shield she had constructed bent and cracked, but it remained mostly intact— saving everyone from the shockwaves that could have caused more than a few casualties even despite the distance.
The turbulent gusts of wind subsided in a few minutes and Gabriel lowered her hand, ignoring the loud cheers and clapping of the people below her. Instead, she focused on carefully moving downward towards the epicentre, moving the strap of her gown back into place as she carefully lowered herself into the lake that had partly been vaporised by the violent impact.
A boy lay amid all the destruction, a glowing cloak of golden radiance protecting his body that began shrinking away to leave him exposed. He was naked, burned, and gravely injured, though the seraph could not tell whether the wounds were caused solely by his descent.
A strange aura protected his body, covering the boy in its defensive embrace— it was bright and overwhelming, almost forcing Gabriel to shield her eyes as she tried to observe the strange boy.
But it was not the intensity of the aura which compelled Gabriel to move closer. The aura felt nostalgic, frighteningly so.
Gabriel slowly lowered herself onto the bed of the lake, not caring about the mud smearing over her gown as she carefully moved closer to the boy. She almost thought that the boy was dead for not many people could survive a fall from the upper atmosphere, but she was proven wrong when deep amethyst eyes suddenly shot open.
The sudden movement was enough to shock the angel, who almost fell back into the mud in surprise. As if even the smallest movement might break the world around him, the boy slowly turned to look at her with a dazed frown. "I always thought angels would be hideous creatures if made into flesh, but you're as beautiful as they say."
Gabriel almost moved back in surprise, placing a hand over her chest in shock. "Angels can understand every language known to mankind, but why can't I understand you?"
The boy gave no response, having closed his amethyst eyes with that same dazed look on his face— almost as if he could not understand what was happening. Gabriel watched in shock as the chest that he had been clutching previously froze. She stood there for a few seconds before she shook her head and quickly strode over, her hands once more aglow with golden power. "Don't give up on me…"
The magic she had learned as a teen came back to her, the kind face of her father as he watched her use everything she had learned to revive a recently deceased puppy she had found, the magic none of her brothers had wanted to learn save Raphael and had fallen upon her to master the most generous aspect of her father's power.
Gabriel could not tell how long she had been weaving her magic but out of the corner of her eye, she could see a crowd gather around the edge of the lake. She could hear their whispers and could see that someone would occasionally point towards the boy she was trying her hardest to save. But none could break her trance, for all her focus was on the injured boy before her.
When nearly a quarter of her magic was gone, and she was almost positive this was a lost cause— Gabriel finally felt a small thump beneath her hands. Then the boy's chest rose again, and again, and again.
He let out a mournful moan before slowly opening his amethyst eyes once again to gaze at her.
"Medical powers…"The boy let out a mirthless chuckle, a hard wheezing sound that made her heart clench in sympathy and concern."Is this my punishment?"
Gabriel frowned. She could not understand what he said but that haunting sadness in his tone...
The boy closed his eyes once again but this time, Gabriel leapt to her feet and finally turned towards the legion of angels who had already encircled the crater with glowing spears at the ready. Her hands clenched and in a loud boom that responded throughout all of Heaven, she shouted an order that would save the boy a second time. "Put your weapons down and get this boy to the hospital!"
AN: I have decided to rewrite this story. I know this might seem frustrating to old readers, but my writing style has changed completely over the years and I found myself unable to recreate the same format I used previously. The rather obvious gap in style between the old chapters and the newer ones was turning into something that I could not ignore and was preventing me from making new chapters, so I had to go back and change the whole story into a style I felt comfortable writing.
Plus, there were some rather obvious plotholes I wanted to fix.
This chapter was inspired by a Naruto crossover called His Guardian Angel, please check it out. Thank You.