It begins!
I've been kicking around this idea for quite some time now, largely based on an actual event that's occurred during my playthrough of Black version and expanded upon. I have no idea how often this will be updated. I have no idea if I'll ever finish this, due to school and other concerns (and a lack of a concrete plot at this time). But I intend to at least share this small bit. I hope you enjoy.
The being entered the room as he had so many times before, through a simple white door. The space around him was completely devoid of anything – a white nebula that extended forever, reaching out as far as you could imagine. He closed the door behind him softly, steeling himself mentally for what was about to happen. It had been almost three hundred years since the last time he'd been here, three hundred years since the cataclysm that had shaken Isshu to the very core had occurred. He remembered it all now, so vividly, as he stared blankly at the white surface of the portal he had come through. He'd lost that game – not by much, but enough to make his mouth taste bitter at the memory. The being closed his eyes briefly, shutting out the memory. He had to focus on what was to come, not on what had already been.
The being turned around, looking away from the door at the space beyond. A simple wooden table sat a few paces away, perched on what appeared to be a smoothly polished floor that extended in all directions as far as one could see. Resting atop the table was what appeared to be a chessboard, though not a conventional one. The board was huge, far larger than a regulation chessboard and boasting far more spaces than any that existed on Earth. It covered the entire table, save for a sliver of wood on either end. No pieces were set up on the board, not yet at least. The being had given some though to whom he would choose, but until the game began he had all the time in the world to make a decision.
As he stared at the board, a sudden dark cloud rolled through the space, ominously covering the half of the void that rested across the table from the being. A black door, spaced equally from the chessboard as the being's door, appeared. It swung open noiselessly, admitting another being. Rather than dress in the simple white attire of his counterpart, the newcomer wore a jet-black jacket the extended down to his ankles and matching clothing underneath. He grinned as he noticed his white-robed companion standing across from him. "I knew you'd come," he said in a voice that crackled like electricity. "You always do." He gestured at the board before them. "Shall we begin?"
Wordlessly, the being took his place at the table, sliding into the familiar seat with a soft rasp of silk. Across from him his opponent did the same, smiling back at him through razor-sharps fangs. "Are you prepared, Reshiram?" the black being asked, his grin widening. "I'd hate for this to turn out like the last game we played." It chuckled softly, the noise rolling around like thunder.
Reshiram kept his face impassive. "You should be wary, Zekrom," he said in a voice like the low crackle of flames. "I will not lose this time." His hands flexed underneath the table. The game had yet to start. His opponent's words meant nothing.
Zekrom's grin widened. "As you say," he said with a bow of his head. "I look forward to our game then. Choose your piece." The dark being swept his hand out in a grand gesture, indicating the board before them. "I trust you've chosen someone better than last time, yes?" he said, giving Reshiram another grin.
Reshiram stayed silent, his eyes fixed on the black-and-white tiles of the board. He'd given much thought to whom he'd chose as a starting piece. The game's outcome would hinge largely on who he picked, and naturally his opponent had spent just as much time selecting his. Reshiram was fairly confident he knew who Zekrom had chosen, but it was a matter of selecting someone he knew would be able to trump his opponent's piece. His mind passed over his potential pieces again, reviewing, categorizing, and revising the list. Finally, only one remained. Without flourish, Reshiram lifted his hand from beneath the table, a white marble figure in his hand. With confidence, the being set the piece on the board with a soft clack.
Zekrom's electric blue eyes locked onto the piece as his opponent placed it on the board. "Interesting," he said to himself. "I hadn't thought you'd take him." His eyes stayed fixed on the white piece for a few moments more as he thought to himself, head nodding slightly. Reshiram waited patiently, watching his opponent carefully. He knew that he'd done the opposite of what Zekrom had expected, but it was a risky gamble. The person he'd picked was complicated, and difficult to control, but the white being had a feeling that it was the key to victory.
Now all that remained was for Zekrom to finish choosing. The dark being still had a chance to select someone that Reshiram hadn't thought of, but Zekrom rarely deviated once he'd come to a determination. True to form, as the black being brought his hand down onto the board, clutching a simple black figure, Reshiram saw that it was exactly whom he'd thought it would be. "Predictable as always," the white being said dryly. "Subtlety was never your strong point." Inwardly, Reshiram felt a glimmer of hope. His opponent's choice was a tough individual, and cunning, but not invincible. Zekrom had gone ahead with his plan despite the conditions having been changed; a game-threatening mistake, Reshiram hoped.
Zekrom laughed at the white being's remark. "We'll see if it's necessary by the end of the game," he said, somewhat menacingly. "You have the first move." The dark being sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest while he waited for Reshiram to begin the game.
Reshiram for his part sat motionlessly, staring at the board again. The first move was critical, and he knew that once he'd started the game nothing could be changed. Isshu would be shaken once more, and at the end of the game would be altered forever. Every move he made would affect that change, for good or for ill, and once made there was no turning back. For an uncountable amount of time the two beings sat at the board, neither moving as they both plotted ahead, twisting strategies and devising paths to victory in their heads. Finally, after the interminable interlude, Reshiram reached out a hand. "Let the game begin," he said as he made his first move.