Author's note: Greetings, and welcome to Book III of the Colors of My Soul series! I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long, and not keeping to my schedule. Finals week was busy, and upon getting home, I wanted to do nothing more than to sleep on a real bed for an entire week. With nothing really to do at home, I guess I've been putting off continuing this story because I've been too bored to try and think up a plot. But, after some thought, I decided to finish the prologue and start work on the actual story.

I'm hoping that this book will be longer than the other two, and I'm working on trying to get my plans together for that. I'm also currently around 65% done with the extra chapter for book II. I was originally going to have two extra chapters, but my first chapter is at around 4k words, and just a little over halfway done, so I decided to just scrap the idea of having two and just put out one long one.

Anyways, that's all for now. I'll be trying to keep a more updated schedule on my forum ( forum/Colors-Of-My-Soul-and-Much-More/131340/#). Be sure to visit that and talk a bit if you would like to!

As always, thank you for reading!

Until Next Time,

~TabiNoTochuu

Book III

~Prologue~

My eyes opened slowly. At first, I could not make out where I was, but as my eyes finally began to adjust to the light, I took note that there were several machines next to my bed, hooked up to me through various tubes and wires. I see... So I'm still in the hospital... I had been in the hospital for nearly two months now. After a long career as the head of the Ciel Corporation, I had finally decided to retire around ten years ago. However, around a year back, I had been stuck with illness and had never fully recovered. As such, along with old age, my body was quickening its deterioration. I coughed dryly and stared out the window at the blue sky beyond. My life has been meaningful and filled with excitement. I have no regrets.

Then, as I directed my gaze towards my feet, I noticed a woman sleeping in a chair next to my bed, with her head resting on my chest. Though her hair had turned almost pure white over the last few years, the hint of green was still visible. And, most importantly, her golden eyes never lost that spark of life that I cherished so much. I had to correct myself. I did have one regret; that I would leave this world before C.C. did. I reached out and stroked her hair. Her eyes fluttered gently and slowly opened. "Good morning, Cera."

"Good morning..." She whispered sleepily.

I knew for a fact that ever since I had been hospitalized, she had been with me for as long as the staff allowed. It was no wonder she was so tired. I smiled and rested my hand on hers. But then again, this is just like her. Another cough, more painful than the first, shook my body, and immediately, her eyes were filled with concern. "Are you alright? Should I call the doctor to give you something?"

I waved her down. "Don't worry about me... I'm fine."

But, inside, I knew that I was not fine. Even now, my body was falling apart as old age set in. It was something nature had destined, and not something I could fight. However... somewhere within me, I knew that today was different. What I had to do, today, was harder than anything I've ever done before. I sighed and reached out to C.C. "Cera... Help me sit up, please."

She did so eagerly, and it broke my heart to see her like this. It made what I had to do even harder. I took her hand in mine and began. "Cera... You know that I've been hospitalized for around two months now, correct?"

She nodded, confused. "... Yes... The doctors tell me that with rest and medicine, you'll be better again. Not as good as you were before you got sick, but better than now."

I steeled my heart and my mind, and looked directly into her eyes, so that she could see the truth in mine. "Cera... I'm not going to get better. I know this. Also... I believe that I will die tonight."

C.C.'s face changed from confusion to an expression that I had rarely seen on her face before. It was pain. "You're lying! The doctors said that you were getting better! You can't think that way! There's no way that you're going to die. You're going to make it through this and everything will be fine."

"This is the hardest part of all. Deep down, you know what I'm saying is true. You have to accept it, Cera. I've accepted my fate."

She shook her head as tears ran down her face. "No, no, no! I refuse for it to end now! We've still got so many things that we've yet to do! You can't... You can't just leave me here alone... How am I supposed to bear with that?"

I pulled her close to me and hugged her tightly. "Don't think about it like that. Think of it as a long nap." I forced a smile onto my face. "You know, they say that though life is an adventure, death is a journey filled with wonders that we cannot begin to comprehend. I've had an amazing life, and death is going to have to try real hard to beat what I've already experienced."

Despite the situation, she still laughed at my words. "But what will I do without you? What will our children and our grandchildren do without you? It's too soon for you to leave... It's just not fair..."

As I embraced her, I had a sudden flashback of years ago, of a young green haired girl, complaining to me about her father underneath a starry night sky. Even after nearly seventy years, it looks like there were some parts of her that refused to change. "Life isn't fair, Cera... Death certainly isn't either. Besides, you shouldn't be so upset. Maybe in my next life, I'll find you again."

Her arms tightened around me. "I'd like that. Maybe in your next life, you won't be such an useless and weak man."

I laughed. "Highly doubtful. What should have become muscles all went into the development of my ultra smart brain. I wouldn't trade that for all the muscles in the world."

I laid back and sighed. "It's almost time for me to go." Already, it was taking more and more of my energy just to keep my eyes open, and I could tell that the end was near.

She shook her head, her eyes glinting with tears. "You can't! Not yet, Lelouch... There are still so many things we need to talk about! Please! Don't leave me!"

With an enormous effort, I managed to raise my arm to stroke her face. "Don't worry... Cera. I'm embarking on... the most wondrous journey of all." I kept my eyes fixed on hers. "Be strong, my witch. Should I be reincarnated into a new life... Then I'm sure that I'll find you again. And when I do, I'll fall in love with you again. Because... My love for you is eternal."

With tears still running down her face, she leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips. "Good night, my warlock. I'll be waiting for you to find me again."

My eyes slowly closed. With the last ounce of my strength, I murmured my last words to her. "Of course. No matter where you go, I will follow."

-oOo-oOo-oOo

Ugh... Even with my eyes closed, I could tell there was a light shining. Can't they see I just want to sleep? Is even a small bit of peace too much to ask for? Reluctantly, I opened my eyes a fraction of an inch. I didn't recognize my surroundings, and I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes as I did so. "Where... am I? Is this the afterlife?"

"Greetings Master Lamperouge. You are in a place that is part of the world, but also not of it. Some call this place the afterlife, but we truly do not have a name for it."

I turned to see a tall man dressed in flowing robes standing a few feet behind me. For some unknown reason, I wasn't surprised to see him there. In fact, he seemed oddly familiar, even though I'm sure I had never seen him before. "I see... What, then, should I address this place as?"

The man smiled, as if he had known I would ask such a question. "Whatever you would like to. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

I slowly got to my feet, noting that the previously empty room had changed into a long hallway, with several doors set along the way. Without a backwards glance, the tall man strode forwards and began to walk down the hallway. I scrambled to follow him. "Excuse me... but who are you? I've got the strangest feeling that I've met you before."

He smiled. "Of course you would not remember. After all, it was I who erased your memories of me. My name, is Abraham."

Abraham... Something seemed to have awoken deep inside of me upon hearing that name, but try as I did, I could not recall what it meant. "Where are we going?"

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "A journey, you could say. A journey through the past, the present, the future, and what could have been."

As we passed by the first door, it opened to reveal a scene I had never seen before. I saw a massive armada of what looked to be giant robots, as well as fighter planes and other craft that I had never seen before. Then, to my surprise, the one at the lead opened its canopy and from inside, I came out. But, at the same time, it wasn't me. I watched myself, dressed in elegant garb fit for a king, stand and deliver a speech, filled with power, confidence, and life. "Is... that me?"

Abraham laid a hand on my shoulder and guided me past the door. "All will become clear to you in time. When we reach the end of this hall, I promise you that all your questions will be answered."

I closed my mouth, forestalling my questions and continued down the hall. Each door along the way had a different scene from it. Some I recognized as being from my life, and others showed scenes of places and people I had never met before. Some were happy, some were sad, and others were just normal scenes from life. I saw my own death, twice. Once by a blade wielded by a masked man, and the second, the moment of my passing in the hospital, with C.C. right beside me on the bed.

-oOo-oOo-oOo

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, I stopped, filled with emotions I could not explain. One final door stood in front of me, and I hesitated before I opened it. In this final scene, I was sitting underneath a large oak tree, with my eyes closed. Next to me rested C.C. There was a certain peace and happiness that I could feel, even though I was not there. "W-What... What is this?"

"This is the future you have created. This door shows nothing from the past, present nor future. Instead, it reads the heart of its user to create a scene of what that person truly wants, above all else. If what the person wants is truly impossible, then they wouldn't see anything within this door."

"I see..."

Abraham pulled out a small pocket watch and gave it a glance before he snapped it shut. "Our time together is almost over, Master Lamperouge. Despite how brief it was, I am glad that we could meet."

"Wait! I still have one more question. This... possible future..." I waved at the door behind me. "How am I to accomplish this? How do I make it my reality?"

He smiled and bowed to me. "When the time comes, you will know. Good bye, Master Lamperouge. A man like you deserves another chance."

"Another chance at what?!"

Before I could stop him, the air around me turned pure white, and I shouted at the intensity of the light. Then, everything became dark. I felt a strange sensation, as if I were flying through the air. Then, with a start, I opened my eyes. It took me a moment to reorient myself.

I looked up, startled, as a young girl's voice rang out from speakers somewhere near me. Now that I had the chance to look around a little, I saw that I was surrounded by walls of solid steel. "... in short, you would be able to control the U.F.N., am I right?"

As I lifted my eyes, I saw the screens surrounding me, with a person on every one. A man began to speak next. "If you think what we're saying is wrong, then we ask you to divide up the country of Britannia, or lower your voting power to 20%."

Divide... up Britannia? What do they mean? Before I could respond, memories began to flood back into my head. Memories of a life that I had not remembered until now. I saw what would happen, should I follow what my memories dictated. In that moment, I remembered the words of a man named Abraham. "... a man like me... deserves a second chance..."

"What is your response, Emperor Lelouch?"

I looked up and smiled. "Chairwoman Kaguya..."

I had been given a second chance in a life I thought was over. And, now, after my experience with Abraham, I knew what goal I was to work towards. But to do so was to change the future. Perhaps... such a future is worth fighting for. "... I, emperor of Britannia, hereby accept the terms you have offered me. I will limit Britannia's voting power for the sake of the U.F.N."

Book III - Prologue