How Code Geass Should Have Ended: Chapter One

The Death of the Demon Emperor was not, as some had expected, a cause for celebration across the world. For one thing, Japan got Kaname Oghi as a Prime Minister, while people across the world realized that the leaders of the world consisted of three preteen girls.

Worst hit was Britannia, who had stood in awe of the Demon Emperor, and found the anticlimactic manner of his demise insulting, and were of the opinion that if Zero couldn't come up with a way to beat him, then he should at the least have lost gracefully.

More importantly the Demon Emperor hadn't really done anything wrong. For all his card carrying villain status, his actions had all been taken for the singular purpose of taking over the world. His armies had been far more focused, and through that had successfully conquered countless regions in a manner that was actually far less bloody than the gradual swath carved through the EU by spoiled Princes who proceeded him, and certainly better than China. The absolute worst thing they could come up with to say about him at his triumph was 'everyone who disagrees with him ends up dead.'

They did not really see where China and Japan got off complaining.

People had acted terrified because he seemed to like it that way, and because Britannian's were big on know who the bigger fish was.

Now it seemed that his successor, Empress Nunnally, was going to just be disappointing. It was a week since she'd shut herself up in her room, probably crying about big brother, and how terrible her life was. The Citizens of Britannia were rather annoyed, actually. On some level they were aware that you had to have low spots to make the high ones matter, but come on.

And then, quite suddenly, Empress Nunnally emerged from her room, a furious resolve on her face and uttered these words: "This cannot be bourn!"

Things were looking up.

….

"Kaguya," came Oghi's voice over the come. "We've got a problem. Britannian forces are approaching our western shores even now! What do I do? I'm a Prime Minister, I don't know how to make decisions!"

Kaguya looked up from where she had been making tea, and picked up the phone. "Get on the hotline you moron! Figure out what's going on!"

Inside the office of the Japanese Prime Minister Oghi stared at the phone as it went dead, then turned to the hotlines, labeled 'Britannia' 'China' and 'Nation-not-appearing-in-the-UFN.' He picked up the one labeled Britannia, hand shaking.

"This is Empress Vi Britannia, how can I help you?" came the question.

"What is going on over there Nunnally?" asked Oghi in what he thought was a friendly and benevolent tone.

"Why Mr Prime," said Nunnally in the same conversational tone. "whatever do you mean? I should think's my intentions is quite obvious."

"Nunnally I-" Oghi trailed off as an aid came in with the data. "I have… um…" He halted as she saw it. "Your throwing everything you've got at us."

"Actually I'm keeping half the Britannian military forces in reserve, just to make things fair on your Black Knight's. It's a good thing your so bad at your job, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to build up my forces anywhere near at quickly."

"We're supposed to be allies you maniac!" said Oghi angrily. "We're the people who put you into office!"

"Listen to me very carefully Oghi:" said Nunnally in a low tone. "I am not your pawn. And I would have been perfectly happy without becoming Empress if you hadn't murdered my brother. As it is I am a Britannian Empress, and I am judged by the Britannian people. And I have my predaccessor's legacy to live up to."

"I don't care about your Brother's legacy!" snarled Kaname. "Call off your forces! Call them off! You know that we'll retaliate!"

Nunnally chuckled on the other end. "Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that. See, the general consensus amongst the Britannian's is that Knightmare frames are getting a bit old. So I opted for something a touch more… direct." She hung up, and Oghi stared at the line for a moment, before he heard a dawning sound, echoing from the televisions and speakers all throughout the settlement.

Someone had hacked the radio, and was even now playing a rock anthem of some sort.

"What the devil-" He began, before the the glass behind him shattered from the force of an explosion that obliterated Tokyo tower in a flash of light as Princess Cornelia leapt down from a helicopter to land atop the tallest tower of Japan and cut down it's standard threw down it's standard.

"Prime Minister!" came a voice over the com. "Britannian tanks are moving in from the mainland. They just took out our Knightmare ground forces!"

"Our main defense grid has been smashed!"

"General Tohdoh's been captured! We don't have the Guren!"

"We can't raise Major Kozuki!"

"JEREMIAH GOTTWALD IS ON THE FIELD!"

Oghi stared at the console, hearing as the nation of Japan was conquered in record time again. And he had no idea what to do. What did he do?

Gunfire could be heard just outside his office, and the decision was quite taken from him as a sniper shot him in the back.

…..

"So it is done then." said Nunnally as she watched the utter defeat of the Black Knight's from aboard her personal transport, the Avenger.

"Empress Nunnally," said a voice as Kaguya appeared onscreen, eyes narrowed. "you don't really think this will fly, do you? The UFN and Black Knight's will not stand for this invasion!"

Nunnally smiled, and stood from her wheelchair using bionic legs. "Perfect." she replied, before turning off the screen by her own power. She sighed. "So it ends."

"No, Empress, it has only begun." said Milly Ashford behind her.

…..

Kallen and L.L stared at the television as the Black Knight's defeat was reported, from where they had been talking over lunch a few moments ago. "…Seriously! They couldn't even last five minutes without me!" said L.L incredulously. "What the fuck is wrong with these people!"

"I never thought I'd say this, but your dad had a point." said Kallen, getting a vicious look from Lelouch. "No seriously. Name one military victory that the Black Knight's achieved that didn't have it's source at either Zero, or me? One victory. We probably would have been better off with a warehouse full of fuel and the Guren SEITEN."

"Well this makes the last two years a complete waste of my time." reflected Lelouch in irritation, not feeling quite as upset as he thought he ought to.

"What would you have done otherwise?" asked Kallen pointedly "Do your homework? Physical education?"

"Excellent point." admitted Lelouch.

The END

Authors Note:

Here is the thing about Code Geass' ending. It sucks in a very subtle manner. It's well executed for what it is, but all the music and well execution in the world can't disguise the fact that it's a stupid, nonsensical ending that slaps Gundam-Colony-Drop Ending in a show which has spent years establishing it as a world where people are people, and not cardboard cut outs who parrot ideals for no reason.

I almost wonder if the writers hadn't painted themselves into a corner with the story and decided that since they couldn't make a satisfying ending to the story, and just go out one beating all the other big Mecha series at their own storyline conclusions. Sort of a last dance of 'I may be unable to achieve a happy ending, but I'm still way better than all of you.'

Think about it, Charles Zi Britannia's plan is ripped straight from Evangelion, and he comes off as a more sympathetic version of Genbu from the story, or so I've heard. But Lelouch doesn't just sit down and take it, he gives him a brutal reason you suck speech, and disintegrates him, thus proving himself a far cooler person than the pansy of a main character in Evangelion.

And while I gripe on Zero Requiem, I gotta admit that Lelouch's plan made more sense than the one in Gundam Wing. Spreading the war misery around equally, so everyone knows what it feels like, and has a single man as the target for their vengeance, only to have said vengeance stolen from them by a faceless silent hero is a far better plan for world peace than 'burn all the guns'.

Oh, it's still stupid beyond all belief, but at least it has some basis on reality and personal experience, and at least he goes about achieving it in a manner that is morally consistent. And he'd just gone through the mother of all trauma conga lines, literally.

In sharp contrast, Relena Peacecraft has the universe bend over backwards to fit her world view, and she still fails to be more than a millstone around the main characters neck. That selfrightous, moronic letter stealing bitch. Every time I see her ugly face stealing screen time I wish that someone would shoot her in the face just to watch her die! She talks about total pacifism while she's using a genocidal death squad of wangsty teenagers who don't even have a side or plan beyond 'blow stuff up!' God damn it!

WORST FEMALE CHARACTER EVER!

…I'm sorry. I just really hate Relena Peacecraft.

Part of the reason I like Code Geass is because it takes cliche's and turns them on it's head. Princess Euphemia is a perfect example of how a character like Relena Peacecraft can be done right. Like Relena she is short sighted, and somewhat self centered, but unlike Relena she openly admits that her plan for the Specially Administrative Zone was motivated out of desire to make the lives of those who were close to her better. She doesn't go around judging people for their beliefs and if aware of her shortcomings, despite number. She is an interesting, tragic character whose life was cut short by a streak of terrible luck, and who is a textbook example of how a non action oriented female character can work.

Which is ironic, since I'm pretty sure she's secretly a terminator sent back in time to ensure Damocles never gets created. Did you see how she fired that assault rifle?