"What do you mean it just disappeared?"
"I mean exactly as I said it. The ship was scheduled to arrive in orbit around Titan at exactly 22:00 Earth Standard Time for a rudimentary scouting mission before it mysteriously vanished without a single trace. It departed from the Mare Nubium Space Port at its exact launch time and should have only taken a few minutes to arrive via hyperspace. However, it was around ten to twenty minutes after its scheduled arrival time that we started getting several emergency transmissions from the Lunar Colony. They said that the Black Horizon never officially made it to its destined location and that all of their attempts to contact the ship were cut off due to communication interference."
"You said it never 'officially' made it to its destination. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that there's more to this story than just a simple disappearance?"
The technician remained silent for a few moments before continuing. "The 'official' story is that the Horizon suffered a catastrophic reactor meltdown that ended up blowing the whole ship and everyone in it into oblivion as soon as it attempted a hyperspace jump, which is obviously total bullshit since the ship was given the clear on all of its routine inspections before taking off. Though the 'unofficial' story varies on who you ask. Some say that the hyperspace drive was possibly sabotaged as soon as it took off while others think that it was just a one-in-a-million chance of pure bad luck and that the ship really did suffer some kind of malfunction. Hell, I've even heard a few people say that the Horizon's crew went rogue and bugged off to some unknown Oasis hideout with the entire ship as their prisoners," he shrugged as he took a drag out of a cigar he retrieved from his pocket. The other technician coughed and waved away the smoke that was blown into his face. "Either way, it's just another couple hundred folded flags that are gonna have to be sent back to more grieving families. As if this war didn't take away enough good people already."
"Amen to that," his partner said in a somber tone. "It's just still hard to believe, you know? Over 1000 people just gone in the blink of an eye. I mean how the fuck are you supposed to explain that to someone's family anyway? How do you tell someone that their loved one has just upped and vanished without a trace and they'll probably never see them again?"
"Not a damn clue, but I can tell you right now that I don't envy whoever has to do that job," the technician chuckled as he put out his cigar.
-Recorded conversation between two USCN Comm. technicians regarding the mysterious disappearance of the USCN Frigate 'Black Horizon' which was officially reported to be lost with all hands on August 13th, 2083.
Chapter 4: Mother and Child, Bringing the Cavalry, First Contact
Personal ID: Pvt. Miles "Manslaughter" Monroe
"I really don't think this is a good idea, Newborn. Ultear made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to see her mother."
"Which is why we're going to have to agree to disagree, Private Monroe. Miss Ur has also made it abundantly clear that she wants to see her daughter as soon as possible. And let me tell you that she is very adamant in doing so with or without our permission."
"Can't you just order her to stay put? Maybe put her under guard? At least until we try to get Ultear to agree to see her?"
"Private Monroe, are you asking me to deliberately put myself in harm's way between a mother and her child? A child she thought was dead no more than an hour ago? Let's also not forget the fact that said mother is also capable of manipulating ice to such a degree that she would more than likely kill anyone who tried to stand in her way."
"…Well when you put it like that-"
"I'm glad we could come to an understanding. Would you please inform Miss Ultear that her mother will be coming along shortly?"
"You know she nearly fried all of our electronics from a panic attack, right? A panic attack that was brought on by the simple mention of her mother. What do you think it going to happen when she sees her in person?"
"Then I suggest you make haste and try to keep her calm. We wouldn't want any unfortunate accidents to happen would we?"
"You know, sometimes I can't tell whether you're crazy or just don't give a shit about anything."
"Just because I choose to remain calm in every situation doesn't classify me as insane, Private Monroe, nor does it mean that I don't 'give a shit' about anything. Now if you would please do as I ask?"
"Fine, but don't blame me if she starts wrecking the place." With an annoyed huff, Miles turned around and made his way back towards Ultear's recovery room. Though he knew that the girl was bound to go off the deep end at seeing her mother in person, he just hoped that nothing too drastic would occur.
While Miles went off to try to placate the distraught daughter, Newborn was already on his way to retrieve her mother. Arriving at the designated door, he turned the handle and made his way into the room, though the sight that greeted him upon entering made him pause in his tracks.
It seemed as though his request for a wheelchair had been fulfilled, though what startled him was the fact that the woman was already out of her bed and situated into the chair without any need of assistance, which was a miracle considering her missing leg along with the rest of her bodily injuries. She was still clothed in her hospital scrubs while her forearms and leg stump remained bandaged. Her deep violet hair, while slightly ruffled, cascaded down her neck and hung loosely around her shoulders while a few loose strands hung by her forehead. Her equally violet eyes stared back into his with an excited eagerness that made him want to smile. And why wouldn't it? It was the first time a mother was going to see her child in who knows how long? Any sane parent would feel that same in her position.
"I suppose you're ready to go now?" he asked with a grin as he walked over and positioned himself behind her chair.
"I've been more than ready for too damn long," she replied with a wide smile. "I'll finally get the chance to hold my baby girl again after all this time. My sweet, little baby girl..." her voice became hoarse as a few tears began to leak from her eyes. Newborn could see her lips begin to quiver, raging emotions that had been held in for far too long were beginning to leak through the cracks of her hard exterior.
Which was why he was dreading what he was about to say next. "While I'm happy for your long awaited reunion, I'm afraid that I have to burden you with some bad news. You see, your daughter-"
"She hates me, doesn't she?" It was little more than a whisper but Newborn was able to hear it clearly. "She probably thinks that I abandoned her in that awful place when I went to get her treatment for her illness. The things she must think of me…" her voice broke further as her body began to shake. "Those bastards told me she was dead. They lied right to my face and told me she died and I was stupid enough to believe them." She buried her face in her hands and continued to sob. "It's all my fault! I left her in the hands of those maniacs thinking she was dead and now she hates me for it! What the hell kind of mother am I?!"
Newborn said nothing as he continued to somberly stare down at the woman's broken state. Despite what people claimed, he was not as uncaring as many thought him to be. He had simply seen too much death and grieving families to not have it affect him as much, though that didn't mean he didn't care for the people who had lost their loved ones to war or any other sort of terrible strife.
However, seeing this broken woman from another world crying for her child stirred something in him that he thought he had lost long ago. A forlorn feeling that he had tried his best to bury in the past.
Without thinking, Newborn gently placed his hands on the woman's quivering shoulders. Startled at the unexpected contact, Ur looked back up over her shoulder where her tear-stained eyes met Newborn's.
"Do you love your daughter?" he asked simply.
Her entire body flinched as if he had physically struck her. Her purple eyes narrowed in indignant anger. "What the fuck's that supposed to mean?! Of course I love my daughter! I would move entire worlds for her if it meant keeping her safe!"
"Then tell her the truth," he said. Not at all was he concerned with the fact that the room's lights momentarily dimmed under the woman's angered state. "Tell her that you're sorry and that you love her with every fiber of your being. Promise her that you'll do better as a mother. As her mother."
"You say it like it's that simple," she snapped bitterly. "She doesn't even want to see me much less be anywhere near me. How the hell do you know she'll even forgive me for what I've done?"
"I don't," he replied. "If she doesn't forgive you then that's her choice. You can't change the past no matter how much you want to. She may hate you for the rest of your life, but that doesn't change the fact that you're still her mother. Even if she rejects you, don't stop trying your absolute best to make sure that she's happy. A parent's job is to always care for their kids even if they want nothing to do with them. You may have made a grave mistake, but what parent hasn't? We're only human. We make mistakes all the time and sometimes those mistakes cause us to lose those we love," he gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "Does your daughter hate you? Maybe. Do you love her? Absolutely. So prove it to her. Show her that you'll always be there for her no matter how she feels about you. Show her that you'll always be there to catch her when she falls. Show her that you'll always be there to warm her heart when it grows cold."
Ur's glossy, amethyst eyes were wide; tears pouring down her cheeks as her lips began to quiver. Her heart began to beat like a drum as a whirlwind of emotions surged through her. Anxiety and fear at the thought of her daughter hating her. Uncertainty and hope at the possibility – no matter how small it was – of being given a second chance. But currently, most of the emotions she was feeling were being directed at man behind her; shock, bewilderment, happiness, joy, gratitude, and many others.
Deep down, however, there was one emotion that threatened to overwhelm all of the others. One she had not felt for any other person other than her daughter and two pupils. That of love.
Shrugging off Newborn's hands from her shoulders, Ur maneuvered the wheelchair around so that she was facing him completely. Ignoring his confused look, she leapt up out of the chair and wrapped her arms around his neck, earning a startled gasp from the man as he quickly wrapped his own arms around her waist in order to keep her balanced. He was about to reprimand her for the sudden action but found he couldn't speak when she suddenly captured his lips into her own, causing him to freeze in place while his mind came to a screeching halt.
No sound came from either of the two as they held each other in their tightened embrace. Though the sudden display of affection was entirely unexpected, Newborn couldn't find the strength nor the will to push the woman off of him. In fact, he was so out of it that he didn't notice his arms unconsciously tighten their hold on the woman's smaller frame nor did her realize he was returning her kiss with just as much fervor as she was. Soon enough his eyes began to close and the whole world suddenly disappeared around him. There was nothing else except for the woman in his arms and the feeling of pure euphoria that surged out of his rapidly beating heart and through every vein and artery in his body. Their chests were pressed so close together that he could practically feel her heart beat in sync with his own.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the pair's lips separated from each other just as fast as they had come together. Both of their chests rose and fell with hungry breathes of fresh oxygen. Neither of them said anything as they continued to inhale and exhale; simply taking the time to stare deeply into each other's eyes.
Newborn honestly didn't know what to feel. The professional and aloof side of him wanted to push the woman away and firmly reprimand her for her foolish and unnecessary actions; especially in her injured state. However, the more human part of him wanted to continue with their act of carnal pleasure. It had been so long since he had felt anything resembling affection of any kind and that human side of him wanted to hold onto it for as long as possible. Not only that, a smaller – and much more primal – part of him wanted it to go even further because goddammit it he couldn't remember the last time he had felt the warm, velvet embrace of a woman's moist pussy and he just wanted to take the woman in his arms, rip off her clothes, throw her back onto the bed and make her scream his name to the high heavens-
'NO!' He internally screamed to himself as his thoughts began to wander to the much, much darker recesses of his mind. He mentally kicked himself for having thought such things. He had literally just met the woman no more than an hour ago. What the hell was he thinking?
Ur, meanwhile, was having similar – though much less erotic – thoughts. Why on Earthland did she just kiss a man she barely even knew? While she was eternally grateful to the man for having helped find her daughter, that didn't warrant her to jump up and start making out with him like some kind of horny schoolgirl! Oh gods, what had she just done?
But deep in her heart, she knew she couldn't help it. The man had not only helped save her daughter, he had also helped her gain the confidence she needed in order to – hopefully – repair the bond that she hoped was still there between her and her little Ultear. Somehow, someway, this complete stranger had done more for her than he could've possibly known and it had awakened buried feelings within her that she had never given to any other man. All except one. And she swore to herself she would never fall in love again after that.
But the heart wants what it wants and Ur couldn't deny it no matter how much she wanted to.
This time, with more feeling, Ur once again claimed the scientist's lips with her own, shocking him into a stupor once more before he, too, returned it. They disconnected after a few seconds but that didn't stop Ur as she gave Newborn a lingering peck on each of his freckled cheeks.
"Thank you, Cameron," she whispered to him and she rested her head in the crook of his neck. "Thanks you so much."
He chuckled as he rubbed smooth circles into the woman's back. "Just doing my job, Ms. Ur."
He winced as she delivered a punch to his stomach. "Don't ruin the moment, idiot."
They stayed in each other's embrace for a few more minutes until they reluctantly pulled apart. Ur once again settled back into her wheelchair while Newborn took up the handles behind her.
"Now then," he exclaimed jovially as he began to push her into the hallway. "Shall I take you to your daughter now?"
"Yes," she whispered anxiously. "Please take me to her. Take me to my baby girl."
"Y'know, if someone told me I'd be standing guard while a bunch of construction crewman cleared debris in an alternate dimension, I'd have asked them what they were smoking so I could get some for myself."
"Shit yeah, bro. Christ knows I could go for a smoke right about now."
"I mean, what the fuck are we even doing here anyway? I get that we're trying to get more resources and all but why the hell are they having us clean up a destroyed town?"
"No idea. Probably to build a new FOB or some shit? We could definitely use a couple dozen tanks and even a few Titans. You hear about that big fucking monster that Slaughter Boy and Polar squads supposedly saw? They that it was the cause of all the shit that went down here."
"Really? We're on a planet with a bunch of goddamn monsters? Great, just fucking great. Last thing we need is to get into a pissing match with God-fucking-zilla."
"Amen to that, bro."
Lance Corporal Dennis Wilkins shook his head as he and his squad mate/childhood friend Travis Rodriguez kept a watchful eye on the city from a nearby hill. Or at least, Dennis was through the scope of his high powered sniper rifle while Travis used his helmet's enhanced zoom to scan the distant mountains. The snow had finally cleared up which allowed them and other sniper teams a clear view of the surrounding region. Not only that but a swarm of WASP drones where also hovering above on standby while also acting as air support should an unsuspecting enemy force or – God forbid – another one of those monsters show up.
Travis clicked his tongue as his continued surveying the area. "Good thing these suits got built-in thermal gel or else I'd probably be freezing my fucking balls off right now."
"No shit. I mean it's been snowing for what, pretty much the whole fucking night?" Dennis shook his head. "Speaking of which, when was the last time we ever got any snow back on Earth?"
"Christ, man, I don't know. Like back in the early 60's when Carbon Emissions didn't completely fuck up the entire weather pattern? Or back when icebergs were still a thing?"
"That long, huh? I swear it could've been longer with how it already made it to the textbooks. To think that this is the first time we're seeing snow. Kinda fuckin' weird if you ask me."
"You don't need to tell me twice. I'm just surprised Newborn and his cronies are asking us to collect samples or some shit."
Dennis looked over to Travis with a raised eyebrow behind his faceplate. "Why would they? It's just frozen water."
"Man, I don't fucking know. Maybe 'cause we're in a different dimension so the compounds or molecules could be different." His best friend shrugged. "Like I said, I don't fucking know. I was never any good with all the science shit."
"That makes two of us, yo. Bros for life?"
Travis smirked and held out a closed fist. "Bros for life, my guy."
The two friends laughed as they gave each other a hard fist bump before their radios suddenly crackled to life.
"All units be advised; WASP swarm has picked up twenty plus foot-mobiles heading towards the city. Sniper teams are hereby ordered to displace and redeploy at the allocated positions marked on your maps while Kilroy, Granite, and Polar squads move in to intercept the unknown force. Remember: this is a First Contact scenario so all units are ordered to hold their fire unless fired upon. Repeat: do NOT fire unless fired upon."
"Well shit, dude," Travis said as he stared at Dennis with widened eyes behind his helmet. "Looks like we'll finally be getting some action, after all."
"Fucking finally!" Dennis exclaimed with glee as he hoisted up his sniper rifle. "I've been getting bored sitting here on my ass for the past hour! For their sakes they better be hostile just so I can pop their heads open for wasting my damn time!"
"Dude, I swear you're a fucking psycho sometimes."
"Thank God for that otherwise your ass would've been dead a long time ago! Now shut your damn suck hole so we can get this show on the road!" Travis shook his head as he and his best friend hustled to their designated position.
As they ran, Travis couldn't help but feel both embarrassment and pity. Embarrassment for his friend's hot-headed eagerness to kill and pity for the sorry sons-of-bitches who would be unfortunate enough to be on the end of Dennis' scope. For all of his best friend's shortcomings – especially with his attitude – he was most easily the best sniper in their entire squad. He hadn't been exaggerating when he said that Travis would've been dead hadn't been for his psychotic tendencies. It was because of that savage behavior that he had been lucky enough to live for this long. There was surely nothing more terrifying than a marine and his rage.
And God help anyone who managed to piss off a marine.
Deliora had attacked another city; more specifically the city of Brago.
Valserine Belerion didn't know whether to feel pity, anger, or fear. All three emotions and more swirled inside his head like a vortex as he and a platoon of Rose Knights hiked in steady formation up the snow-ridden mountains where the city was located – or where it used to be located if the damage was extensive enough. He didn't need to look at his fellow comrades-in-arms to know that they were all feeling the same emotions as he was.
News of the attack had spread quickly to the nearby town by a group of survivors who had been lucky enough to escape the demon's carnage. After treating their injuries, they had informed them that the demon had been spotted wandering towards Brago, though unfortunately weren't able to get everyone in the city evacuated in time. Those that still remained in the city when Deliora attacked had either been killed or went missing. Any who were still alive were forced to travel for days in the harsh cold weather. At the behest of the town's mayor, Valserine and a platoon of Knights had been sent out to search the city for any more survivors while also acting as a reconnaissance unit to see if the demon was still lingering in the area.
That had been two days ago. Now just as they were entering the ravine that connected the city to the rest of the outside world, something – or rather someone – had stopped them in their tracks and caused them to anxiously grip the hilts of their weapons.
Valserine wasn't sure what he was looking at. There were no more than six of them standing a little over six feet while being completely encased from head-to-toe in some kind of foreign, bulky-looking armor that was completely black in color. In their hands were some kind of two-handed rifles that he was also unfamiliar with; probably some kind of newly designed magical firearms that he had not been aware of. He couldn't see any of their faces as they were also entirely covered by some kind of metallic faceplate and wore a pair of lenses that also hid their eyes. Judging by the way they all stood at attention while also looking to be ready to jump into combat at a moment's notice, he deduced that they were some kind of military faction. However neither he nor the town mayor had ever received any word of there already being a military presence in Brago; not from the Magic Counsel or any other of the governing bodies in Isvan. Whoever these mysterious Knights were – if they even were Knights – they were either part of a specialized operating force that he was unaware of or they were a private military group hired by someone else.
It wasn't just the six of them. Valserine wearily noticed that there were about a dozen more of them hanging farther back from the rest of the main group who were also clad in the same armor and all armed to the teeth. They were all obviously prepared for war by the way they were armed. Had they also had a run in with the demon, Deliora? If so, had they managed kill it – or at the very least – drive it off?
Valserine would soon get his answer as one of the armored behemoths stepped forward. "This is a restricted area. State your business." His – Valserine assumed him to be male – voice was deep but also slightly synthesized, making it sound as though he were a machine rather than a man. It was quite unnerving for Valserine to hear.
Nevertheless, he quickly swallowed his anxiety and stepped forward. His hand gripped his polearm in a tight grip as he spoke with as much confidence as he could muster. "I am Captain Valserine Belerion of the Rose Knights. We were sent here to investigate the attack on the city of Brago by the demon, Deliora."
"Deliora?" One of the armored soldiers asked. "That's what that thing was called?"
"Yes," Valserine replied hesitantly while looking at the soldier in confusion. Had these men not heard of the havoc the demon had been causing? "He has been sighted leaving destruction and chaos within multiple villages and towns all throughout Isvan. Very few have been lucky enough to escape its wrath alive. We were hoping to see if any had managed to survive its attack on Brago."
"If its survivors you're looking for then I'm afraid you're too late." The lead soldier shook his head. "We've been cleaning through the city for entire night and haven't able to find any of the surviving residents. Everyone else is either dead or missing."
"I see," Valserine said grimly. So no one else had managed to survive. This was not going to be pleasant conversation when he got back home. "Still, I humbly request that you allow me and my men passage to the city. If what you say is true then we must-"
"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Captain," The lead soldier interrupted as the rest of his squad walked up and stood beside him. "That thing is still out there and could come back at any time. We're under strict orders to not let anyone in or out of the city until we know for sure that the area is safe. Until then you and your men can return to whoever it is that sent you and tell them that the situation is under control."
Now Valserine was getting annoyed. He and his men had just spent the last two days walking through this frozen tundra and there was no way they were simply going to turn back just because of some unknown Knight's say-so. "Well apologies, Knight, but we have our orders as well, and we're not leaving until we see the extent of the damage and scavenge whatever resources we can find. So if you'll just simply get out of our way."
Brandishing their weapons, Valserine and the rest of the Rose Knights made to move past the armored soldiers but stopped as soon as the six in front of them spread out leveled the ends of their rifles at them.
"Sir," Even though the voice was synthesized, Valserine could detect he faint tracers of killing intent laced within the soldier's tone. "Believe me when I say that you don't want to do that."
Not at all fazed with the hidden threat, Valserine bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes directly into the soldier's black lenses. "And why should I?" he growled as he and his
Click.
Click.
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
Valserine blinked. Not once did he or his fellow Knights ever notice the soldiers behind the leading squad had disappeared before suddenly reappearing into thin air and effectively surrounding his entire platoon with all of their rifles pointed at each and every single Knight in the vicinity. His men were just as shocked as he was as they hastily looked around, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"Because if you try anything stupid," The soldier continued as a glowing red dot planted itself right in-between Valserine's eyes. "You and your men will all be dead before you even hit the ground."
(Earlier)
Ultear didn't know how hard she was gripping her bedsheets until her knuckles turned bone-white. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe as she stared at the woman who was practically the older, spitting image of herself. No words were able to escape her lips as her hands began to tremble.
The only thing that kept her sane was knowing that the kind blonde haired man she met earlier – Mr. Miles she corrected herself – was waiting directly outside her room and had promised to rush back in the second she called for help. Not that she wanted him to leave in the first place. And she certainly never wanted to see the woman in front of her ever again.
When Mr. Miles had told her that the man in white – Newborn Mr. Miles had called him – was bringing her mother of all people here to see her, she practically flew into a screaming fit and it took the combined efforts of Mr. Miles and his two other friends to calm her down. Why shouldn't she be upset though? It was because of this woman that she had been left for dead and experimented on like some kind of test subject! It was because of her that she had almost died! She had every right to be upset!
Anger coursed through her veins as she began to unconsciously release some of her magical power, causing the lights in the room to begin flickering in a rapid pace. The temperature in the room had also dropped a few degrees and the slightest tinge of ice could be seen forming on the screens of the nearby machines.
Ur, however, ignored all of this in favor of staring at her daughter with tears cascading down her cheeks. The daughter who she thought had been dead for the past year and was now very much alive and healthy and sitting no more than three feet in front of her. She still refused to believe the possibility until she saw her own child in the flesh and looking at her as if she were the cause of all the pain and suffering she had endured. And it was all true. Cameron had told her as much when he informed her of all the pain her daughter had been put through. Just thinking about brought more tears to her eyes. No words could describe the amount of shame and self-loathing the woman felt for herself at the moment.
But she was here now, and as little as it might mean for Ultear, it still gave Ur the chance to be a better mother for her in the future. And she would be damned she was going to waste it. It didn't matter if her daughter hated her, she would do better.
Slowly she rolled herself towards the bed. Every inch closer only caused her daughter to sink further and further into its sheets. It broke her heart to see her only child so frightened of her but she pressed onward. "Ultear," she whispered hoarsely. "It's me, baby. It's momma."
Her voice only caused Ultear to flinch. Ur was sure she could practically feel her heart rip in two. "Please, sweetie, listen to me," she begged as she stopped directly next to the bed. "I'm so sorry, my love. I'm so so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you at that horrible place. I was just trying to make your fever go away. You were very sick, remember? I wanted you get better."
She tried to reach out for her daughter only for Ultear to immediately scramble away from the offending appendage as if it had physically burned her. She looked away as she sat on the very edge of the bed, her tiny frame shook as her hair covered her eyes.
"You left me," she whispered. It was so quiet that it was as though she hadn't spoken at all, but to Ur it was as loud as shattering glass. Both the tone and the accusation hidden underneath the statement tore away at her soul like a wild animal.
Her lips began to quiver as a new wave of tears left her eyes. Her hands also shook as she attempted to wipe away the liquid. "I know, honey. I know," she wouldn't dare try to refute the claim or make excuses for herself. She was one hundred percent at fault. "You deserve to be angry and hate me. Gods know I deserve it, but please listen when I say-"
"You left me," her daughter repeated. It was slightly louder but the message was no less clear. "You left me,"
"I know, Ultear. I know full well that I left you behind but please-"
"You left me!" Ultear shouted, nearly making Ur jump in shock but not nearly as much as it did when her daughter looked back at her with pure hatred in her small eyes. Eyes that were so much like her own. "You left me!"
The room started to slightly shake as the temperature dropped low enough for both occupants' breathe to be seen. Ice started forming along the walls and ceiling while the lights began flickering at a rapid pace. The machines next to Ultear's bed also began to go haywire as loud beeps echoed into the air.
Frightened that her daughter's magical energy was growing to such exponential rates, especially for one as young as she was, Ur immediately did the one thing she had been wanting to do ever since she laid her eyes on Ultear.
She jumped from her chair, onto the bed, and proceeded to wrap her arms tightly around her daughter.
The overwhelming magical energy that filled the room immediately dissipated. The ice melted from the walls and ceiling, the machines had fallen silent, and the lights had ceased their intense flickering. Ultear's teary eyes widened to the point of almost falling out of her skull as she sat rigidly still in her mother's tight grasp. She was so shocked that it took her a few moments to notice the tears falling onto her shoulders as well as the sobbing that reached her ears.
Ur didn't know how long she cried as she rocked her daughter back and forth while tracing her fingers through her hair. It could've been minutes, hours, or even days. She didn't care though. After thinking for so long that her daughter was dead she was finally back in her arms. She could remember crying just as hard when she had been born. It had been the happiest day of her life. Now Ultear was back in her arms again and she couldn't stop the overwhelming feelings of joy and relief as they leaked through her eyes in the form of tears. But just as there was joy and relief, there was also sadness and regret. Sadness for her daughter having been alone all this time and regret for being the cause of that loneliness. No more. She was never letting her daughter out of her sight as long as both of them drew breath.
"Oh Ultear," she sobbed as she placed a soft kiss on her daughter's head. "I'm so sorry. Words alone can't express how much I regret leaving you behind. You have every right to hate me for what I've done, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you. I've always loved you and nothing will ever change that. You're my sweet, precious baby girl and not a single day has gone by where I haven't thought of you. When they told me you were dead, my heart shattered. It felt like a piece of me was gone forever." Holding her daughter's head in her hands, she gave her a lingering kiss on her forehead and looked her straight in the eyes. "But no more, you hear me? You're here now in my arms and I'm never letting you go again. If you give me chance, I promise you that I'll be a better mother to you from now on. I know I don't deserve it but it would mean the world to me if you gave me the chance. Can you do that for me, baby? Can you give me the chance to be your momma again?"
It was those words that caused the dam that kept Ultear's tears at bay to break. She couldn't stop herself from flinging back into her mother's embrace and holding onto her like her life depended on it while her wails were muffled by her mother's scrubs.
Ur said nothing more as she pulled her daughter as close to her as she could and cried along with her. She didn't think she could be any happier than she was at that moment. Her daughter was back in her arms and she had forgiven her. She knew she still had a long way to go to repair the bond they once had but for now she was simply content with holding her only child for as long as possible.
Both mother and daughter were so focused on each other that they never noticed the pair of green eyes peeking at them through the cracked open doorway. Smiling to himself, Miles quietly closed the door and left to go regroup with the rest of his squad; leaving both occupants with their long-awaited reunion.
"Good to see you again, Krochevski." Tiberius formally greeted the other general with a firm handshake.
"You as well, Tiberius." The Russian returned the handshake with an equal grip.
Sergeant Artyom Sokolov of the 501st Spetznaz Battalion barely paid attention to the two military commanders in favor of staring out at the bright white landscape with awe and disbelief. He didn't need to see any of the faces of his comrades to know that they held similar expressions. And why wouldn't they? This was the first time any of them were seeing pure, untainted snow for who knows how long and the sight was almost enough to make him cry on the spot. He probably would have if he hadn't spent years training to keep his emotions in check. Such things had no place on the battlefield after all.
"So this is the infamous 501st I've heard so much about?" The American general's voice brought Artyom out of his sightseeing as he stood ramrod straight along with his other comrades. None of the soldiers said a word as the American inspected each and every troop from top to bottom. General Krochevski followed closely behind him with his arms clasped behind him. "I've got to admit, Krochevski; they all look like fine soldiers. I'm sure my men would be more than honored to fight alongside each and every one of them in battle."
"You honor me, Tiberius." Krochevski said with a smirk. There was no mistaking the pride that was laced with his accent. "But I agree, nonetheless. Each and every man you see here has been broken, bled dry, and rebuilt from the ground up through years of hellish training. Just a single one of them is capable of killing at least ten to twenty of those pathetic Oasis grunts." A grin spread across his bearded face as he playfully nudged Tiberius with his elbow. "And not to be insulting, Tiberius, but unlike you we certainly don't need any of those damned robots to do all of the heavy lifting. They are more than capable from doing it themselves. Isn't that right, boys?!" he shouted to the soldiers.
The ground nearly shook as fifty of Russia's deadliest soldiers stomped at attention and saluted. "Da, General!" They all yelled in unison.
Tiberius crossed his arms and nodded in approval. "Impressive. Very impressive, indeed, Krochevski. We could've definitely used more of these men on Phobos."
"Apologies, General. Unfortunately Mars' moon wasn't the only place the Alliance felt the need to attack." Bitterness crept into Krochevski's gruff voice as he recalled the event. "An entire year later and we're still cleaning up the mess."
"Yes, I'm sorry to hear about the attack on Novosibirsk. I wish there was more we could've done to help."
"It matters little. What's done is done," Krochevski waved his hand dismissively. "But we are not here to discuss the past. Tell me, why is it that I'm being told by your head scientist that your soldiers came into hostile contact with some kind of foreign monstrosity?"
"Because that's exactly what happened," Tiberius frowned as he gestured for the Russian general to follow him. "A few hours ago two of our squads came into contact by what appeared to be an unidentified biological organism. The monster or whatever the hell it was stood at a damn-near twenty-five to thirty feet tall and pretty much destroyed everything it came into contact with. It even completely decimated an entire city before it finally disappeared."
"Wait a moment, you said a city? As in with other humans?" Krochevski asked, stunned.
"I did. Apparently we're not the only humans who are currently inhabiting this planet."
"Other humans…good God, Tiberius! This is unbelievable!"
Artyom could scarcely believe it either. Another world inhabited by other humans? It sounded too good to be true.
"Believe me, I feel the exact same way, Krochevski. Which is why we're currently taking delicate steps in order to firmly take control of the situation-"
"General Tiberius, Sir!" A nearby radioman shouted as he waved to get the general's attention. "We just got word back from Polar Squad! They've just apprehended an entire platoon's worth of what appear to be Knights who were trying to force their way into the city!"
Knights. So there weren't only giant monsters that inhabited this planet but also honest-to-God Knights. Artyom and the rest of the 501st could practically feel the sheer incredulousness radiate around the entire camp like a heat wave. If he wasn't a soldier, Artyom was sure he would've outright laughed at the gob-smacked expressions that both generals were giving the radioman, who looked just as equally stunned as everyone else.
After a few tense moments of silence between the two generals, Tiberius cleared his throat and addressed the radioman. "Tell them to hold position and await further orders. Rules of Engagement remain the same. Tell them to not fire unless fired upon but make sure that they keep the – ahem, unknown individuals from leaving or moving further into the city. I may have someone who may be able to clear up this whole misunderstanding."
"Roger that, General." The radioman responded with a salute before relaying the orders back to the squads.
Everyone noticed that Tiberius purposely prevented himself from saying the word "Knights," if only to further spare everyone's sanity. "Who exactly is this person you have in mind, Tiberius?" Krochevski asked suspiciously. "Please do not tell me that it is that crazy head scientist of yours."
"No, Krochevski. In fact it's someone entirely different." Tiberius took a deep breath and prepared himself to become the official laughing stock of the entire US Army for what he was about to suggest. "Tell me, would you believe me if I told you that we managed to come into the possession of a woman who has the ability to control ice?"
The blank look on the Russian general's face was a clear enough answer to everyone present.
'Giant monsters, Knights, and now people who wield magical powers?' Arytom thought to himself in disbelief. 'Just what kind of backwards fairy tale world did we get ourselves into?'
Is War our Reality?
"M'Sorry it had ta come ta this, luv. But we both knew that it was never meant ta last."
The man pulled up his pants and fastened his belt around his waist before looking back over towards the naked woman sprawled across the bed. No matter how many times he looked at her he still couldn't get over just how beautiful she was; from both her physical appearance to her sparkling innocent and kind personality. He remembered how he had instantly fallen in love with her the very second his eyes met hers. He remembered how her giggles would send his heart soaring and how her angelic smile would light up an entire room. But more importantly, he remembered how deeply she stared back into his eyes with warmth even the sun couldn't hope to muster and told him with from the bottom of her heart that she loved him back. It was probably the greatest day of his miserable, God-forsaken life.
Which is why it very nearly killed him when he pulled out the knife.
Years of agonizing training and mind-breaking torture taught him to mask his emotions as easily as breathing. With a simple snap of his fingers he could go from happy, sad, or angry to an empty husk completely void of anything resembling a human being with nothing on his mind but one simple rule: Complete the mission no matter the cost.
Though he in particular must've either been a special case or just plain lucky because no matter how much he tried to prove otherwise, he was still human. He still felt emotions despite everything he did to keep them at bay. Which is why it was so impossibly hard for him to finally do what he had been ordered to.
Even now she was still incredibly beautiful to him. From her generous breasts down to her smooth, creamy thighs, he couldn't help but marvel at the angel now lying in her cradle. Strands of her long and silky sea-green hair spread themselves behind her thin shoulders and all over the lustrous bedsheets. Her clear and slightly pale skin practically glowed in the darkened room. He always did love how smooth and clear her skin was. Especially whenever they took long walks throughout the Capital in during the clear summer days. The bright rays from the sun only managed to make her skin glow brighter, giving her the appearance of a real angel sent down from the Heavens above.
Yes, she was indeed still beautiful. Even as her lovely eyes – which were just as green as her hair – stared blankly up at the ceiling with a permanently frozen gaze of pure horror and betrayal. Even as her mouth remained wide open in an expression of shock. Even as the gaping line across her throat continued to leak blood and stain the bedsheets red.
He loved her. Even he couldn't lie to himself anymore as he continued to stare at the angel he had just murdered with empty eyes. Though if one were to look closely they could see the faintest trace of a single tear running down his cheek before dripping onto the floor.
The man gazed at her body for a few more moments before reluctantly turning away. 'The mission come first,' he told himself. 'The mission always comes first.'
Picking up his discarded jacket, the man reached into one of the pockets and pulled out a small wireless communicator that he knew was linked to only one channel. Dropping the jacket back onto the floor, he placed the device in his ear and walked onto the nearby balcony that overlooked the entire Capital.
"This is Black Dove," he spoke into the device with a slight British accent. He leaned against the balcony's railing and stared down into the vast city that made up the Kingdom's capital. The way the thousands of buildings were almost able to light up the entire night sky was a testament to just how large the Capital truly was in person. The castle had always been his favorite but even he couldn't deny that the colosseum sitting high in the nearby mountain was probably just as magnificent. The entire Capital truly was a peaceful place to live. Too bad that peace was about to end. "Snow White has been put to rest. I repeat: Snow White has been put to rest."
"Copy that Black Dove." The disembodied voice said on the other end. "You have new orders: link up with Spectre and remove the Thorn Crown. Stay out of sight. You were never there."
"Roger. I was never here." The line fell silent and the man pocketed the device. Moving back inside, the man put on the remainder of his clothes before moving back towards the bed. Gently, he closed the woman's eyes and her mouth before readjusting her body and pulling the covers over her naked form, making sure to carefully place them just above her open wound before tucking her body in. Cupping the side of her face he leaned in and gave her a small kiss on her forehead before stepping back and heading towards the door.
"Do me a small favor, luv," he said as he looked over his shoulder. She looked so peaceful just lying there on the bed. It really looked as if she were still sleeping. "When you head on upstairs, do your best ta forget about me. I'm truly sorry it had ta end this way. Even though I was the worst thing ta happen ta you, you were still the best thing ta ever happen ta me. I'll never forget you but please try ta forget about me. Hopefully you'll find someone better up there in the great beyond."
With one last sigh the man known as Black Dove closed the door, leaving the room basking in silence and a Princess dead in her own bed. Tonight the last few hours of peace would end and tomorrow a revolution would begin.
Reap the Whirlwind.