Disclaimer: Code Geass belongs to Sunrise
"The king?"
"If the king himself will not move, his subjects will not follow," answers the young man holding the black king chess piece. He is wearing the uniform of the male senior students of Ashford Academy. Lelouch Lamperouge leans back into his armchair after he completes his move.
His opponent in the present game of chess snorts in amusement, and raises a hand to his face; or rather the tulip-shaped mask that is upon it. That mask, as well as the black cloak that usually comes with it, is well-known in Japan -- formerly Area 11 -- and the nations further westward that comprise the United Federation of Nations: the founder and former CEO of the Order of the Black Knights, Zero.
"I have to admit, you are the one who has the greater right to use that line. You've been saying that long before I came along."
"So much that it already sounded cliche when you said it to Schneizel," retorted the youth, while folding his hands under his chin. "I wondered if he recognized who was under the mask when you spoke it."
"That would mean he was keeping an eye on underground chess gambling dens," answers the masked man while reaching out for a piece on the chessboard. "I doubt he has informants that far underground."
"Who knows? We've never beaten him before. You almost did, though."
"And win on his terms? I think you know me better than that. We were once the same person, after all," Zero answers, moving a knight piece to block a bishop. The knight is black.
Had they been in the real world, in Lelouch Lamperouge's real room, in the real clubhouse of the real Ashford Academy, the game in progress would be a strange sight indeed. Both players are playing black pieces. It is only the players' attention and innate brilliance that keeps them from confusing the other's chess pieces to be his own. This storyteller's guess is as good as the reader's as to why they decided on playing the game in such a fashion.
"Ah, I do. I wonder how it would play out this time around, though, now that he's in charge."
"I wouldn't worry too much," Zero replies, resuming the posture he was in prior to moving the knight. "You did fairly well when that man's Geass sealed me in here last time."
"True," the youth replies. "Still, we were connected, then. You were nudging me to seek out where the lies ended."
"Indeed. And many times in the past, your bond with your friends have helped keep me human, as well. But all that changed..."
"...when Nunnally died."
The last phrase was spoken by both of them, and followed by a long silence. Indeed, it was their common ground, their reason for living -- Nunnally -- that kept one from being a completely separate entity from the other. After it was understood and accepted that she had been among the casualties when the FLEIJA bomb was deployed in the Tokyo settlement, each persona took on their own existence. At one point one was blaming the other for their common loss. While they were on relatively good terms at present, the disconnection could no longer be mended.
"What do you suppose he plans to do about Kallen?" It was Lelouch Lamperouge who spoke.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Zero answered. "You and I both know her; but, to him..."
"I'm worried," the youth cut in, his expression matching his words. "She may not understand."
"Have a little more faith in her. She's a strong one and you know that. We both do."
"Yes, but," the youth never completes his sentence. He runs both his hands through his hair in an expression of frustration. "It's complicated."
"It's never simple when it comes to us," the masked man replies, a smile almost audible in his tone. "I suppose we should thank him for letting us watch through the windows."
"Yes," Lelouch Lamperouge agrees. "At least we'll get to see her one last time."
"And say goodbye."
They continue their game in silence until the view from the room's windows shifted to what Lelouch vi Britannia was seeing upon his arrival in Ashford Academy. They both stood by the windows, their view suppressed when they moved too close to them, or when they reach out as if to open them. However at one moment, when Kallen turned around to face him (them?), their surroundings suddenly turned dark.
"What's happening?!"
"Wait, it's...
"...it's warm."
"Goodbye, Kallen."
Lelouch vi Britannia, dressed in his imperial regalia, walks into the place of his memories -- a place within himself that he fashioned after his old room in the Ashford Academy's clubhouse. Ignoring the rest of the room's current occupants, he walks to the bookshelf at one end of the room. It is filled with framed photographs of memories he has no longer any use for, and of people close to him that he had lost: His mother, Euphemia, Shirley, Nunnally, Rolo, and now -- in his hands to be added presently -- Kallen.
"Even though she's not dead, yet?"
"She's in the past, now, as are both of you," he turns to face his two other personae, but is surprised to see only one.
He was about to ask where the other one went, when he noticed something peculiar about the one he was speaking to: Wearing Zero's cloak, but not the mask - the missing mask being held beneath the speaker's right arm, thus revealing the young man's Geass on his glowing left eye. Closer inspection of the speaker's clothing revealed that it was not Zero's regal clothing, but the Ashford Academy uniform under the cloak.
"How did this happen?"
The other shrugs. "We were surprised, ourselves. We were watching you, then things went dark. There was this warm feeling, though. The next thing we knew, well," another shrug, "you can see for yourself. What happened out there?"
The ninety-ninth emperor of Britannia was confused. What could have happened to make this possible? It had only been moments since Kallen left him alone to return to her post. He had only taken this time to place his memories of Kallen along with the others before proceeding to the Council. The only thing that happened in recent memory when he shut them both out was when...
"She kissed me."
The eyes of the young man that was previously Lelouch Lamperouge and Zero widened in surprise. That expression quickly turned thoughtful. "I see."
They both stood there in silence, pondering the implications of this new development. It was Nunnally's death that split them into three, for two of them to become one again...
"I should be heading for the Council," said the young emperor after some time, turning to leave the room.
"Of course," answered the other, and shortly heard the door closing shortly after. Lost in his thoughts, he walked back to the table at the center of the room.
A kiss - Kallen's kiss - made this happen?
He was about to take his seat when his mind registered a more immediate concern: how will this chess game ever finish now?
Author's notes: Thank you to those who read my first attempt at storytelling. I hope this third chapter (which I didn't originally plan) doesn't disappoint. This last part spawned yet another idea for a story, but I have no idea how to make it work yet. In the meantime, I direct you to my other story in which C.C. pokes fun at Lelouch's hair.
