Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, though I truly wish I did. In the meantime, just letting you guys know that these new enemies have nothing to do with Galaxia and that I did get the idea of using the bracelets from her but I can assure you that Galaxia is definitely not going to be in this fic. Also, I guess you could sorta rate this PG-13 for some very potty-mouthed language and innuendo. The captured High General's name will be revealed here too so you will be less confused as to who I'm talking about. Also, I have no idea about military rankings so I apologize for any mistakes. And, people, just to let you know, this is gonna be long.
Looking Back
Part VI
Location: Unknown
The woman known as the High General Zero awoke in total and complete pain. She blinked her black-blue eyes several times before starting to sit up. A cramp revealed itself on her neck and she winced. She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand, brushing aside some strands of her black short-cut hair, trying to douse the pain.
It didn't work.
She clumsily began to stand up, the action causing her knees to buckle and emitting a groan from the woman as she felt the sharp pain jolt throughout her back. Tiredly, she rubbed her eyes. The brightness of the room nearly blinded her. She was in a white room with one black wall, decked out in luxurious-looking furniture. Glancing about her, she realized that she had been sleeping on top of a fluffy bed. She scanned herself quickly. Slight panic arose in her as she realized her protective armor was gone. She was now wearing her 'civilian' clothing which consisted of her chain-mail that she usually wore underneath her armor, her steel-plated skirt that she wore for training, black leggings, and her favorite black boots. The chain-mail was spelled as to cling to her as a protective, second-skin. It cuffed around her neck and extended to her wrists.
It was then that she noticed the golden wrist bands. She studied them, tracing a finger along their surfaces, a bad feeling rising in her as she realized that these bands had no way of being opened manually. Perhaps, with her magic, she could…
Zero closed her eyes allowing her bluish aura surround her. To a watcher, you could see her magic swirling in and out through the bracelets as she searched for some way to get them off her. Suddenly, she let out a pained shriek as she fell to the ground on her knees, calling back her magic. Panting, Zero gazed at the bands.
W-What was that?
She had controlled her magic to find the origins and weaknesses of the bracelets. However, she was jolted out from her reverie when something dark and evil struck back at her mental magic. Someone…someone spelled them so that whoever tried to pry them off magically some kind of black magic would strike back to the host's mind.
"It's quite a powerful spell, isn't it?" She jumped, surprised and turned around to face the speaker. She snarled, getting into a defensive position.
The man maintained his confident stance. He had light brown hair gathered into a ponytail that rested over his shoulder and hazel eyes that swirled with shades of green. He wore a black militia outfit lined with red braids that signified his position as a High General, much like herself. But even the stuffy clothing could hide the fact that the man had quite a well-toned body. He was (she admitted grudgingly) drop-dead gorgeous. However, from the looks of things, it was not a time for her to drool over his pretty face when he was obviously working for that girl. She tensed her whole body, preparing for a fight.
"What do you want bitch?" He laughed at her sudden outburst. She narrowed her eyes at his casual attitude. "Something funny?"
"Oh, nothing really," He assured her. "Just that you look absolutely stunning when you're like that."
"Like what?" She retorted. "Pissed off?" She snorted loudly. Was this guy seriously hitting on her? Dumbass.
"Really, General Zero, you should calm down." When she looked at him surprised, he said. "Your troops are quite loyal to you, though I highly doubt that 'Zero' is your real name. No, true beauty such as yourself must have a more beautiful calling than Zero."
He chuckled and it made her even more uncomfortable. He looked up straight at her black-blue eyes and chills raced down her spine as she cursed her visionary powers. They were so empty. His eyes were like black holes of hatred and cruelty and Zero screamed as images of his murders ran before her eyes.
Zero was there at all of them, as him.
She found herself engulfed by his memories, 98% of them consisting of his murders. She was shocked by the essence of flames, destrustion, chaos, death, and blood; essences of a life this man had surrounded himself with. Zero heard the shouts of numerous people, as if an entire planet gathered around one microphone and all began screaming and begging for mercy, cursing their destroyer all at once. She felt his hungry satisfaction growing with each mutilated, battered body that fell by his hands, pools of dark red beginning to spread from beneath the dead bodies as the stench of fresh blood infested the air.
As a High General, Zero had had her share of deaths. But she only killed if it was truly necessary. In all the murders before her eyes, none could ever be justified. With a cry, she flung her head back and brought her hands to cover her face at the throbbing of her brain.
He glanced at the woman, somewhat concerned that their main lead to the escapees was suddenly having what looked like a seizure. Lugaan took a step towards her but was surprised when she suddenly looked up and placed one hand forward and he could go no further. He stood there against her force field, looking on contemplatively. He nodded his head in approval.
"Not bad," He said, referring to her force field. "Usually no one can use any type of magic let alone put up a barrier with those bracelets."
Zero smirked, trying to block out the aftereffects of the memories she had seen when looking into his eyes. "Guess I just have more stamina than the rest."
He mirrored her smirk with his own evil version of it. "That's what I'm counting on." He brought up one hand facing her force field and she went flying across the room, colliding with one of the walls with a shout. Lugaan stayed where he was, watching her as she got back up and faced him with another defensive stance. He shook his head, somewhat annoyed. "You just don't give up do you?'
Without waiting for a reply, he brought up his right hand, holding up his pointing and middle finger in a V position. He abruptly snapped them together and the two bracelets on Zero's wrists suddenly magnetized themselves to the other before her, acting like handcuffs. She gasped in surprise but had no time to think when he motioned with his two fingers for them to come closer to him. She found herself floating in midair, being brought closer to the monster unwillingly by the bracelets.
He chuckled eerily as she glared down at him.
"You fucking bastard!" She fairly spat out. "Have you no sense of honor you scumbag? Or does the saying of not kicking your enemy when he's down not ring into your miniscule psyche?"
He raised an eyebrow at her ferocity. "Hmm," He muttered. "A feisty one." He grinned, flashing stark white teeth. He nodded his head in a sick, approving way. "I like."
Her eyes flashed to an angry pure-black. "Fuck you."
He was knocked about over six feet from where he was standing. He sat up from his position by the wall. Rubbing the back of his head, he gazed over at the woman before him. She was once more in a fighting position, her hands balled into fists, apart from each other when his concentration broke and, in turn, had broken his link to them. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead, a sign of her exhaustion. After all, he thought bemusedly, she had just been captured by her own enemies and her magic was restrained by his bracelets. Not to mention that the magic that she was able to strain out would only exhaust her even further.
He stood up and brushed himself off. "I do not have time to argue with you." He stated calmly. "My Lady requests an audience with you so I must do what I am told."
With that being said, he once more snapped his fingers together and once more she became victim to the bracelets. She struggled for a moment, trying to pry her arms apart.
Dammit! She cursed herself. I'm too weak in this state. I'm going to have to rest and get more energy later. Wait a minute. Zero suddenly stopped her futile attempts to break his spell. He's going to bring me to the Lady. That little girl… Doesn't he know that…?
He eyed her, confused. She had been fitfully trying to get rid of the bracelets' powers over her and had suddenly stopped. A look of realization dawned upon her as she stopped fussing and lifted her dark eyes to glare into his. Grudgingly, she lowered her eyes and nodded her head in compliance. Lugaan looked at her, somewhat surprised. He had expected her to put up more of a fight but, surprisingly, she hadn't done so. He would've inquired what made her suddenly go along with him when a sharp voice entered his mind.
Lugaan! Bring that girl here immediately. I truly hope you didn't forget what I warned you about.
He snapped his head up in surprise at Nikai's voice but replied, Don't worry, my Lady. She is coming. It's just that it's taking her a while to get with the program.
I don't tolerate excuses, Lugaan. She snapped back at him. Even if you are my High General. I have very short patience and I want that girl here now!
He bowed his head slightly, knowing that her vision would let her see him. Yes my Lady. We're on our way.
Lugaan looked over at Zero. His serious demeanor shifted to a cheery one. "Come on then. She's waiting." He turned around and faced the only black wall in the white room. With a sheer nod, the wall shifted open into either side and he walked on through. She followed behind him, her hands still bonded together. They walked together in silence. She took into her memory that the technology used to build this place was very advanced and also, she though startlingly, well-spelled. The black magic that floated around the place was almost incalculable. Someone had spent a good amount of time and power into creating this dark area. The question was, who and why? She glanced over at the man ahead of her. It was then she realized that it was only the two of them in the hallway, no other guards stood by.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll just take off?" Zero inquired, breaking the silence. "After all, I'm not only a High General but I'm very well-endowed with magic and the knowledge of how to use it."
He looked over his shoulder, flashing her a grin. "Of course I know that." He replied. "Which is why I cast a death and distance spell on those bracelets of yours. You see, if you get farther away from me than about two miles, the bracelets will send a nice little poison I concocted myself into your blood stream and you will die painfully slowly."
She glared at his back, more annoyed than angry. Suddenly her life depended on her closeness with this monster. What was his name again?
Oh yes. Along with his memories of his deaths, she heard many soldiers of this enemy screaming for mercy from a 'Lugaan' character that appeared to be him. She shuddered. The man obviously had a very bad temper when defied and took it out very nicely on many of his own men. She noticed that they were nearing a huge room in which violet-black marble decorated the floors. Guards stood in every corner and a blood-red carpet leading to a black-marbled dais where a teenage girl sat upright. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes became fixated with the starkness of the young woman's ginger hair and piercing violet eyes. Her hair was only a dark orange and could never be considered anything else since it couldn't reach the intensity of the color red. But it was those eyes that drew Zero in. It was all she needed to confirm her thoughts.
They were dark purple, almost black. Emptiness stared back as Zero looked into the young woman's eyes. Zero had to maintain her composure as she was hit by the girl's psyche. She couldn't let her enemies know that she had managed to read their leader with a mere glance. They'd kill her on the spot.
She grinned almost crazily. It was her! However, she remembered where she was and wiped the grin off her face. Despite her outward appearance, a deep-seated hope had begun to take root within her body as she continued to walk behind Lugaan. She took into consideration that sick man that had captured her right when the escapees had entered the portal room. She snarled. Also, Zero noticed another woman in the room. For that matter, the only other woman besides herself and the girl on the throne. She had her platinum hair into tiny braids and was sending a chilly glare towards her with her icy-blue eyes.
Wait a sec. Zero thought. Why at me?
It then dawned upon her of Lugaan's attachment to her. She rolled her eyes. Great. She now had made an enemy of some jealous harpy. What that woman could see in this monster was beyond Zero's understand.
"My Lady Nikai," He cooed, bowing before the young woman at the throne. "I bring you the prisoner."
"Now, now, Lugaan," Nikai chastised softly. "I'm sure that this prisoner has a name, don't you General?"
Zero glared. "I have no obligation to answer you bastards so therefore I won't."
A couple of guards that had been in the room pulled out their weapons, ready to defend their Lady's honor. However, Nikai just smiled.
"Your stubbornness is to be expected." She said. "However, I wonder what could we do to possibly change your mind."
"How about diving head-straight into a hot lava pit and drowning there?" Zero suggested smugly.
The greasy man jumped in immediately. "Guards! Get rid of her now!"
"Don't you dare!" Nikai breathed just as several guards had taken a couple of steps towards the captive. "Go back to your positions." She commanded haughtily. Without moving her gaze from the captive, she said, "And Soren, please control that temper of yours."
The greasy rat bowed ass-kissingly low. "Yes your majesty."
"Now," Nikai pushed herself off the throne. "While your idea of a lava swim is quite amusing, I have a more effortless option at hand."
A wave of her hand gave permission to a pair of doors to the Lady's right to swing open. Three silhouettes began to enter the room, the one in the middle was obviously a prisoner. The High General's eyes widened at the sound of a very familiar voice.
"Lemme go you fucking bastards. God dammit! Lemme go! I swear to God all of you are gonna fucking suffer through some major excruciating torture before I send every single last one of you bastards to fucking hell!"
Her breathing increased as he came into light. The prisoner was wearing a battered military uniform that signified him as a colonel. However, he was kicking and yelling and futilely trying to pry his captors off him. He was incredibly gorgeous with a soft baby face that was incredibly angered now with crystal-clear blue eyes that she remembered so well. Before she knew it, she was already acting out of instinct. "Coram!"
He stopped struggling with his captors and suddenly looked over at her. His gorgeous blue eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her.
"Z-Zero?"
Nikai stood on the dais, commending herself on how well the plan was working out. With a quick waft of her hand, the guards standing on either side of him let him go.
"Coram!" He was already running towards her. Unlike her, he wasn't cuffed to anything as she was. She brought her locked wrists together around his neck and he held on to her tightly around her waist. They embraced each other for what seemed to be an eternity before pulling into a deep kiss. Upon pulling away, he brought his hands to cup her face, as if to make sure she was real.
"Oh, God, Zero," He whispered wistfully. "I heard about the attack on your HQ from some of your soldiers that were captured." He kissed her forehead roughly before shakily saying, "I thought you were dead."
The tone in his voice brought her eyes to water. "Likewise, you dummy." She muttered. Zero gazed at him lovingly. "I was so scared when I heard your troops were taken in. I thought I'd never see you again."
He laughed brokenly. "Like I'd ever leave you without saying good-bye." He chuckled. "You'd probably bring me back to life just to kill me again."
She laughed along with him. "You're right." She suddenly stopped laughing and hugged him tighter. "But if I were to see you again, I wouldn't be able to bear letting you go."
"Aww…How sweet." Zero let out a shriek of protest as Coram was violently pulled away from her and left to hang in mid-air. The man, Lugaan, materialized behind suddenly appeared behind Coram, holding a dagger against the other man's throat. Zero turned around to glare at the white-haired woman who had given her the evil eye. The woman only smirked, her hand keeping Coram up in the air. Lady Nikai was slowly walking down the dais and making her way towards Zero. A sly grin played on her lips.
"Now, let's get down to business."
~*chickay*~
Well, glad that's done with. I actually had a lot of fun making this chapter. Coram's pretty important too so keep a look out for him as well. Oh, BTW, Zero is not the good High General's real name. Just a nickname basically. But what does she know about Lady Nikai? Oh…the green-eyed monsters reels its ugly head.Look out for that one. Well, CYA!!
