AN: Sorry for the delay in updates, but with the pandemic of COVID-19 I've been bunkering down and too stressed to write. I hope to have the next chapter to cover the rest of the events on Kamine Island, so this will be the last short chapter for a while.

I've been in between starting new story ideas and persisting with this project. And I've decided to continue to update this story and write its sequel since I'm stuck at home for the foreseeable future. I may also post other stories, so keep on the lookout for those.

Thank you for all the supportive reviews, and I'm happy that people enjoy this story as I try to get better as a writer.

Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

"The only bond worth anything between human beings is their humanness."

- Jessie Owens

Char p.o.v.

The first thing I felt was something trying to crush my chest. Then as I felt consciousness slowly return to me, I heard a panicky voice close to me.

"Come on, breathe dam it breathe!"

Those were the first words I heard before I started to cough up a lung full of water. As I gasped for fresh air, I looked with watery eyes to see my savior look as if he was about to cry.

"Oh, thank god, you're alive!"

As I blinked the sand and salt from my eyes, I saw an out of breath Rai on his knees beside me.

"I don't know what I would have done if you had…Alya would have flayed me alive if you died!"

Yeah, that sounds something someone might think she might do.

"Yeah, I guess I owe you one now," I said.

Rai let out a relieved sigh and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Maybe," said Rai as he dusted himself off and offered me a hand to get up. "But you saved me from being some science experiment before, so let's just call it even, I guess."

"Heh, right," I said before I stood up a little shaken from my metaphysical journey.

As I glanced around, I was thankful I had studied maps of the area around the base and the nearby islands, so I was almost sure this was Kanmine Island.

"You sure you're alright, Char? Because you're looking a little pale."

I was touched by Rai's concern for my wellbeing, and he was right about things feeling out of sorts for me. However, my unease and sense of emptiness will have to wait for now.

"Yeah, nearly drowning does that to a man Rai."

"Suppose you're right," he said.

"How about you, are you all good?" I asked him.

Like me, Rai was still his pilot suit, which offered little to the chill of the surf and sand.

"Oh, of course, sir, I mean Char, ugh, to be frank, I'm having a hard time of piecing together what happened," said Rai as he rubbed his forehead. "Do you have any clue about what happened?"

Did I, yes, yes I did, but should I tell you the whole truth is the real question here.

"All I can remember is fighting the Black Knights in my knightmare, and this kind of blinding light enveloping everything. The next thing I knew, I woke up on the bluff over there," Rai said, pointing out the spot he awoke to in the distance. "As I got my bearings, I saw your body washed up on the beach, and I feared the worst."

"Well, it looks like you succeeded in bringing back to life, so no worries, right?"

"No, it's not ok!" Rai shouted.

My white-haired subordinate looked like he wanted to punch me for regarding my own life so casually, but discipline and willpower prevented him.

"You get shot down, lose your knightmare, and almost drowned, are huge reasons to worry!"

Oh, I see here, Rai assumed the worst possible outcome, well I best fill him in.

"Well, you'd be right if I was shot down, lost the Lamorak, and wasn't caught in a spatial/temporal field that left me underwater."

"What?"

My explanation left Rai with even more questions than answers.

"Ok, I killed all the bad guys, had a bum wing, so I limped back to the Island, and was teleported to this Island with you, got that!"

Now a wide-eyed Rai looked at me, then around us at the island, and then back to me still bewildered.

"Teleportation, how, is it somehow because of geass?" He asked.

"Yes, more specifically, that light that displaced us here was an enemy attack, and one that was directed at me."

"How could that even be possible, though?"

Rai was right, under normal circumstances targeting multiple in different locations, and then teleporting them to another area seems impossible. But from the energy, I saw stored within the thought elevator and the sword of Akasha, I believe teleporting us here was just a sliver of its full potential.

"However improbable it may be, the fact we are here without our knightmares is a fact. So, it's quite possible, with the right system, whether it be through science, mysticism, or some fusion of the two through geass power. But before we tackle questions of meta-psychics and quantum mechanics first, let me ask you something."

Rai nodded at my reasoning.

"What do you remember anything else from before waking up here on the Island?"

Rai shook his head and looked frustrated as he tried to remember anything," I wish I could remember, but when I try, all I'm getting is a blank."

As expected, Rai's experience lined up with the knowledge of the others in the show when teleported.

"But one thing that is kind of vague, and I know this sounds crazy, but I think I heard your voice for a moment when I was unconscious." He said.

That's surprising, I half expected Rai to say he was unconsciousness the whole time but through some link be it psychic or the remnant of the Charlemagne's geass, he was able to hear me for a moment while I fell into the pit where the construct known as the sword of Akasha was sealed at the time.

"I see, now Rai, can you tell me if my eyes have changed at all?"

"Huh, sure," Rai said as he came to get a better look. "They still look blue; did you expect them to change?"

Yes, I did, I half expected my eyes to have the same blue geass symbols Charlemagne had, or similar to Leila (Breisgau) Malcal's geass once it manifested. I wouldn't be surprised to have it activated right now, but as I focused on Rai, I was able to feel and understand his emotions. He was concerned, curious, apprehensive, and was still confused over our current situation. So, it seems I still possess the power to a degree. Yet, it has not physically manifested, or the geass had scared my psyche, and I'm dealing with a weakened version of what Charlemagne had. Nevertheless, I'm sure I'll find out more once I get off this god-forsaken island.

"Yes, but that can wait for further analysis later, fist let's take stock of where we are and what we got to work with."

"Right, from what I've noticed, we are on a smaller yet very similar Island from the one with the base, so we can't have been taken too far from where we were."

"I agree. All I have with me is a sidearm and one magazine," I said, checking my weapon that was going to need to be field stripped and cleaned.

"Same here, do you think we're alone here or should we expect hostiles?" Rai asked as he looked over his own weapon, which was in pristine condition.

"I don't think we have to worry about having to take on the entire Black Knights on our right now, but let us get off this beach and start to look for fresh water, food, and shelter," I said as I started to walk inland.

Rai then showed me the way up the bluffs surrounding the beach, and I took in the view up there. All around us was the open ocean, and I couldn't spot any other landmass on this side of the island. But before we entered the woods, I sat down next to a tree and began to clean my sidearm. Rai sat down a few feet away from me and watched me check and clean my weapon, as well as keeping a lookout for any signs of hostiles.

"You can relax, Rai," I said as I blew some sand from the barrel of my gun. "There's no one coming for us until nightfall, at least."

Rai looked at me and said, "how can you be so sure?"

I merely tapped my head, "intuition, but to be specific, the only island with a population int the area was the one we were on. However, my sixth sense is telling me that this island is no longer uninhabited."

"No longer uninhabited? You mean until we got here, right?"

"Yes, and the others who were also spirited away by the pillars of light," I said.

That shocked Rai again, and I swear he was about to jump up and pull his gun on the bushes and trees until I stopped him.

"Before you freak out, there should be only four other people on the island."

"How do you know that?" Rai asked.

"You know I said that light was a trap, right?" I said, and Rai nodded, "well the trap worked, I was pulled into some sort of limbo, and then into a literally frozen hellscape. And before you asked how I escaped, I didn't, at least not on my own."

Now Rai was looking at me weird like I had grown a second head, or he was just so unused to me being so informal with him.

"Ok, so you were pulled into a sort of spirit realm then?" He asked as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation.

"More like the bowels of the collective unconsciousness and the void between existences, but yeah, I guess so," I said with a smile as I put my gun back together.

"Right, ok, so where does that leave us right now?"

I got up and offered Rai a hand to get up.

"Now, I want to test something," I said as I pulled him up.

"What is it?"

"I want you to use your geass on me," I said.

Rai nearly stumbled face-first into the dirt when the words left my mouth.

"What the hell! Why? I thought you said geass doesn't work on you," Rai said, panicked by my suggestion.

I was immune before, but now I need to make sure in case we run into Lelouch on the island, and he tries to murder me with his geass of absolute obedience.

"For as long as I have been alive, I've lived with a presence inside of me. I've never spoken about it to anyone, so my best guess is that is was the remnant of some poor soul who was separated from his body. Because of the duality of my existence so far whenever I encountered a geass user, their commands or effect couldn't affect me. First, with you, then with a crazed man named Mao, who could read people's minds. But when I was trapped, I saw another version of myself manifest there, and by sacrificing itself, I was able to escape. However, I'm unsure how this mental/spiritual entity's absence affects my wellbeing. So, I want to test this before we go any further."

I had left out critical details in my explanation, including that I was the alien presence that has now assimilated into this reality. Still, I had to keep those close to the chest until absolutely necessary. I didn't want to push Rai over the edge and into the jaws of my enemies.

Rai looked like he was about to overload from all the information. Still, as a minute of silence went by, he started to digest the situation.

"I think I get it, it's hard to believe all that happened to you when nothing happened to me, but I believe you, Char."

Truth be told, I was relieved to hear that.

"Alright, fire away!" I said.

And I waited for Rai to open his mouth and command me.

I waited.

And waited.

But it seems that Rai was biting his tongue.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do it," he said, looking away. "I never wanted to have to use this power again, let alone on you!"

Hearing Rai's reluctance to brainwash me was sweet and all, but I really need to confirm this right now. So, I marched over to him and put my arms on his shoulders.

"Rai, you've already saved my life once today, I trust you, and I know that you have the willpower to not let your geass control you," I said trying to reassure him.

Rai looked back at me, and I didn't have to be psychic to know he had a moral dilemma. Not to mention the storm of uncertainty and fear raging inside of him,

"I know! But I'm still afraid of what I might do to you, and if I start using this power can ever talk to people ever again."

Rai's words may have been fearful, but they came from a person who was kind down to his core despite my actions in turning into a weapon for my personal gain. I knew that my request was bringing up bad memories that were still buried deep in his psyche, but for him to grow and for us to survive, I have to push him forward.

"Every journey starts with a single step, you're my friend Rai, and I trust you," I said.

"…no," Rai said.

"That's why I want you to look me in the eye."

"No."

"And use your geass on me!"

"NO! Stop!"

Rai's yell caused birds in the trees around us to scatter in a chaotic sound of wings and bird calls. But all I could hear was the echo of his command in my ear as it rattled around in my mind trying to adjust my mind to adhere to his power. I scrunched my face in discomfort as the sensation of a minor migraine took hold. In retaliation, I repeated a mantra in my mind, "I will not obey," over and over. Time seemed to slow for me until after ten seconds that felt like ten minutes the sensation faded.

I opened my eyes to a terrified Rai with an activated geass symbol in his left eye.

"Well looks like my immunity has changed into a resistance, shame but a fair trade for my life," I said before I squeezed Rai's shoulders.

Rai looked like a mix of relieved and bewildered, but inside I felt he was close to breaking down into tears.

I was relieved, too, but now I know that my previous immunity to geass could have been to my soul/mind not being connected to the collective unconscious. But now it looks like the fusion that occurred with the remnants of Charlemagne's soul had transformed my soul in some ways. To what degree I could not say, but at the very least, I felt invigorated and healthier than when I was taking painkillers and anti-psychotics like an addict.

I then pulled Rai close into a hug, "listen, Rai, I'm sorry for making an unreasonable demand of you, but I promise to never abandon you, and I will always support you no matter what alight?"

Rai's response was a mumbled set of words and his arms being raised to return my embrace. We stayed like that for a moment till I broke away and saw Rai's tearstained face and reddened eyes now free of the geass symbol.

"Thanks, Char," he said as he wiped his nose with the sleeve of his pilot suit. "It's nice to know I'm not alone in all this, and I have someone to count on."

"Well, what are friends for?" I said. "Besides, it's not like there are many people who will take my sort of non-sense and stick around!"

"Yeah," Rai said, rubbing the back of his head before he realized something. "Wait, did you say we were friends?"

"I mean yeah, what guy wouldn't want a gene-enhanced super-soldier with mind powers as his friend. Also, I need a real wingman to watch my back, Alya tends to frown on some of my escapades. Which reminds me I'm so going to get an earful whenever we get back."

Rai chuckled at my discomfort but seemed to cheer up a little.

"Well then, as your wingman, I guess we should get moving. The longer you're missing, the worse it is going to be for the both of us, eh partner?"

"You know it, so let's get going," I said before I rustled Rai's wild white hair as he playfully fought me off.

"So, where do you suggest we go first? Didn't you say there could be others on the island? So, should we avoid them for the time being?" Rai asked.

Should we avoid Lelouch, Euphemia, Kallen, and Suzaku? Probably, but will I?

"No, I'm feeling a little adventurous right now, so let's go hunting," I said.

"Ok, but I don't think there are any animals on this island that we should be wary of or worth wasting energy hunting down," said Rai, confused at my new zeal.

"That's where you're wrong, my friend," I said as I dusted myself off. "On an island as small as this one resources will be scarce, so we may likely run into the others on the island as we look for food, water, and shelter. So I want you to be prepared for anything got that!"

"Yes, sir!" Rai answered.

"Good, so let's get to higher ground and see if we can't find a source of fresh water, there might be a spring, stream, or waterfall if we're lucky," I said.

I then chambered a round in my gun and set off with Rai into the forest in search of prey.

AN: Please Favorite and Follow if you enjoy this story. And leave a review if you'd like. Stay safe, and I hope you have a good day!