Title: The Gods' Game of Chess: Pawn to E4

Summary: The beginning of the end occurred in the Silent Forest, next to the River of Isles. "Do not make this mistake again. Do not fool yourself into believing you can trick me into making this mistake again." Part 1 of 'The Gods' Game of Chess.' One shot.

Rating: G

A/N: This does not answer any questions. It does not give any information that anybody will understand until the first chapter of 'The Gods' Game of Chess: Catch Me' is uploaded. Even then, not until the last chapter of 'The Gods' Game of Chess: Game Over' is uploaded will everything be understandable. This is a short piece, but you will want to read it to have the proper questions in mind before you read Catch Me.

Also, the Silent Forest and the River of Isles are not real places…even in the story. The Silent Forest is a surreal dreamlike place where only those connected to the Gods can go. Isles, in this story, is pronounced I-sal-Ez, not I-els. I would also like to state that all of the Gods, Goddesses, and Higher Beings are purely fictional, and I have made most of them up or taken combinations of Greek/Roman/other Gods. They do not express any religious opinion on my part, and should be viewed as purely fictional.

Disclaimer: I doubt I need to state the obvious.

Pawn to E4-The Beginning of the Gods' Game of Chess

He said, "Oh, I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war,
If you can tell me something worth fighting for.
-Coldplay 'A Rush of Blood to the Head'

They were meeting at the River of Isles for the last time. The Silent Forest was peaceful, bright, and beautiful as always. A few chipmunks bobbed around, unaware of the horror which was about to unfold. The little red creatures would never see it, for it would take over a thousand years to take place. They would only see a very sad, romantic parting between two lovers, and they would not understand.

Lily's white dress shown pale green in the light that filtered through the trees above, and her auburn hair fluttered faintly in the cool breeze, dancing in rhythm with the swaying tree branches. She stared at the rushing water in the river before her, so clear that the bottom was visible and the little fish who struggled against the current were as obvious as the birds in the trees above. Quite suddenly, Lily was no longer alone. A startlingly handsome man walked up from behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I love you," he murmured quietly in her ear. The woman did not twitch-she showed no sign of recognition to Salazar Slytherin. After minutes of standing firm, of willing him to leave her be, Lily finally sighed in defeat, slouching a little and becoming a weak looking child.

"You know what those words will do, Salazar," she whispered quietly, tears forming in her eyes and sliding down her pale, flawless cheeks. "Do not make this mistake again. Do not fool yourself into believing you can trick me into making this mistake again." Her voice was, thanks to years of training, emotionless. The only way he would be able to tell that she was crying was to turn her around.

He did not. He merely stepped back, dropping his strong arms to his side. "Why must you marry him?" he asked her. His mind was racing for a way to get her to change her mind. Couldn't she? Perhaps...perhaps if he told her the truth. "You have told me before that the word of the king means nothing to you." And again the question came; why did he care? He was a God, and above the mortal idealisms of love. But Aubrian's words rang clearly in his mind.

"If you can hate, Salazar, then you can love. And I have witnessed before that you are more than capable of hating. All you need to do to find love is to find the right person-whether they be mortal or immortal. Male, female, or neutral…somebody out there must be right for you. Somebody out there must be right for the God of Chaos."

He had laughed at her at the time. Those words had been how everything started. It had been after the creation of the School, and after his desertion. When he had learned that inside of him was the power to control Chaos. To be a God to Chaos. The God of Chaos. But now…now he knew what love meant, and he didn't understand how Lily, the mortal who had introduced him to love, could possibly not understand the situation.

"I must marry him because I love him," whispered Lily quietly, bringing Salazar back to his original state of being. She bowed her head, allowing her beautiful hair to fall in front of her face. Salazar whipped around her, gabbing her shoulders and forcing her head up. She gasped as he whipped away a tear with his thumb.

"Do not lie to me, Lily," he stressed to her. "Do you not love me as well? You have told me before. Do you not at least love me more than that man?" He was desperate and he wanted her to nod. To wrap her arms around him like she had so many times in the past. 'I love you, Salazar,' she would say. 'Of course I do. How foolish I have been. I will run away with you-away from this wretched place and that wretched man.'

"I love you, Salazar," she did say, but that was the extent of Salazar's fantasy that came true. "But I do not love you more than I love Harry. He is my true love. I have been foolish to mess around with your heart as I have. Oh, please, Salazar, forgive me." She looked into his eyes, desperately wishing he would understand. She could never describe those eyes-never read the emotions that swirled behind him.

His arms fell and he felt the unfamiliar wetness that could only be described of tears-terrible tears of anguish and sorrow. He watched her as, at last, she turned away and ran through the forest. It was the last time he would see her…the last time for more than 1000 years that he would look at her beautiful silky hair.

After a few moments of grief, a new emotion began to take place inside of Salazar Slytherin. It filled his being, and it was all he knew. "I have witnessed before that you are more than capable of hating." Aubrian's words rang through his head once again, filling him with a white hot rage. He hated Lily Arion, and he hated Harry Pendragon. Hated them both so much that he wanted nothing more than to curse them so horribly…

And he could. "Lily," he whispered, "You have forced this of me. You have brought the end of your world. Wait only a dozen or so generations, and any descendant of yours will cause the downfall of this world."

He paused for a moment, staring at the sky. He then turned his back on the world and made his way to where he belonged. "This is your fault." He said, and his last words on earth rang through the Silent Forest. They would linger there forever, echoing through the distance of time.

Chaos would make sure of that.

A/N: I would love reviews because I want constructive criticism. Even more than that, however, I want to know exactly what questions popped into your head, to make sure I didn't miss anything. This may be the most important bit of information that is needed for anybody who reads the Gods' Game of Chess series, and I want to make sure I got everything needed. I'm not going to hold the first chapter of the next part hostage by saying that I need ten reviews or whatever before posting it, but I would appreciate a few reviews…and, as always, it'll probably take me forever to upload the next chapter. I mean, look at Traveling Soldier!

And one more bit of information, Hopes, Wishes, and Dreams is on hiatus. That means, I know, nothing to anybody reading this because I hadn't even posted the first chapter. Yeah….well, go on with your busy little life, and drop a review if it isn't too much trouble.

Thanks,
Gwen.