Disclaimer: I don't own Riddick or any of the characters from the Pitch Black universe. So don't sue me cuz I have no money, it's all for college. All other characters and plot are mine.

17. The Day the Betrayal Started: Demura vs. Helzard Pt.3

Making their way back to her main ship in one of her runners, they were passing over some of the villages. Kazira sat staring unaffected out the window. A small mining establishment came into view and again the sharp pain returned. Signaling the pilot to land, she exited the ship at a running pace. She bypassed all the adult slave workers, making her way to the entrance. She had seen the mine in her vision from the pre-born child.

The path down was cluttered, except at the center. Leaning over the edge she used her gifted vision to see that prisoners were held down there; children prisoners. Taking a few steps back, to give herself enough momentum, she dove into the pit. She ignored the yells of the guards above her and concentrated on the obstacles ahead. The pipes and beams that blocked her way would be no hindrance to her. Bending and twisting her body through, she landed on a bent knee. Standing up, she put her hands up as a gun was shoved into her face by a guard.

"Well well, what have we here? Where did such a fine ass thing like you just drop outta the sky from?" The guard had dragged the gun down to rest between her breasts in a suggestive manner. Her demeanor was calm on the outside. On the inside she wanted to snap his neck.

"I came from the turd outta your ass." She replied smartly.

"Bitch!" He raised the gun up to strike her. She pulled her hand back and shoved it into his stomach, twisting. She pulled his intestines out and dropped them on the floor next to his head. Stepping over the dead guard, she made her way down a dark corridor numbered by a dim 17 above the entrance.

She passed by so many children, all of them a part of her in a way. They were mixed breed children. More mixed than the ruling population of the planet. She was in Unit 8 when she heard a faint humming. Unit 8.8 held a small girl who was playing with a doll head. Her small dirty hands combed through the tangled hair. She was singing a sad little song:

If it's in space and all is lost
A million shattered pieces
Then let it be

I'll tell you tales you won't believe
I'll tell you anyway
I'll be released
I'll be released

Blissful bubbles
Let me sleep
Rock me gently
Don't let me think
Blissful bubbles
Let me sleep
Rock me gently
Don't let me think
Too deep
Too deep
Too deep

Don't listen to the hearts of the world
The answer lies within
You know the truth
An instrument you can become
Play real loud for me and you
Your future's just begun
Your future's just begun

Blissful bubbles
Let me sleep
Rock me gently
Don't let me think
Blissful bubbles
Let me sleep
Rock me gently
Don't let me think
Too deep
Too deep

I'll tell you tales you won't believe
I'll tell you anyway
I'll be released

Don't listen to the hearts of the world
Answer lies within
You know the truth
You know the truth

Blissful bubbles
Let me sleep
Rock me gently
Don't let me think


Kazira was crouched down in front of the bars listening to the song. It was so sad, and dark. This child had the knowledge of all her hardships summed up in that song.

Kazira reached into the cage, calmly placing her hand on the girls shoulder. She didn't jump or scream. Turning her head towards Kazira, she smiled. "I've been waiting for you."

Kazira gave the child a curious look. "Have you now little one? And who am I then?"

"Why, you're the vessel of the Goddess. She told me that you were going to take me home."

Kazira was in awe of what she had heard. No living person knew her true identity; she was the corporeal vessel of the Goddess. Giving the child a sweet smile, she instructed her to move away from the cage door. Kazira grabbed onto the bars and pulled back, taking the steel cage door off its hinges. Reaching in, the girl ran straight into her arms.

Making their way back to the entrance, Alimatia saw the body of the dead guard and smiled. Kazira picked her up and began climbing back up the wall at a fast pace. Looking down at the shirking body Ali snuggled into Kazira's body.

"You shouldn't have messed with my mommy."

End flashback

Kimera was hunched over with her elbows resting on her knees, still rubbing her head as she ciphered through her sister's weak message.

Mera, Mera, can you hear me?

Yes Ali, but barely. Where are you?

I'm on Jopah 5 you spazz. Where else would I be? The moment mother sensed your presence, she sent me out to find you. That was 5 months ago. I… I thought you were dead Mera.

She heard muffled sobs. Her poor sister had been left in the dark about her whereabouts as well. Dear Goddess, how many lives have been affected by my absence?

Sighing deeply she relayed everything that had happened to her since her awakening, including Riddick and Utze.

Um, Say what? You were trapped there for 3 YEARS? Why the fuck couldn't you get out. I mean fuck Mera, you're stronger than me.

As far as I can remember sis, someone must have bled me dry before putting me in there. Only thing that kept me aware was the sunlight and bugs that I fed off of. It was so maddening Ali. They ate my flesh at night and I healed during the day. Then I smelled blood. You know the rest from there.

So where are you heading?

If every thing is still the way I left it a few days ago... I'm heading to you, to Jopah 5.

Well when you get here, stay low. Demonican Knights are all over the place. I hate to say it, but I think He knows you're awake.

Shit! That's the last thing I need right now.

Don't I know it. I mean, you were supposed to go to Jopah 5, pick up your shit from what's his name, and jet right home. Why would he do this to you?

I cancelled the wedding 3 days before the ceremony. You figure it out.

The fucker cheated on you Mera, he could be piss in the wind for all I care.

Yeah, you're right. How are thing's at home?

The long span of silence told her that something was terribly wrong.

Mother is sick. Navis is in charge of the fleet while I am away. But, as always your generals were suspicious. They knew something was up the moment Acheron showed up.

That skinny bastard set foot on my planet? And no one killed him on sight? What's really going on over there Ali?

He's fucking blackmailing her Mera. He threatened to expose mom if she didn't do it.

She went pale again. Do what?

Re-betroth you.

WHAT THE FUCK?

She shot clear off the bed and started screaming. Her hands were shoved in her hair. Pulling and yanking, clumps of her hair fell to the floor.

"ARGH!" She walked over to the wall and punched her entire right hand through it.

"Mistress, are you alright?" Utze approached her cautiously.

Pulling her arm back out, she turned her blazing eyes on him. "Does it look like I'm alright?"

Utze put his hands up and stepped back. "Forgive me."

Ignoring him, she turned on her heel towards Riddick. Stopping in front of him, she placed her hands on the arms of the chair and stared him in the face.

"As of now, this ship is under my jurisdiction. You wanna touch something, you ask me. Not him, ME! You wanna eat salami on rye, you fucking ask me. If you wanna take a fuckin piss, you fucking ask me before your hand even touches your dick. Ya got me?"

Her hands were gripping the arms of the chair so tightly; he heard the wood squeal in protest.

"You can't tell me to do shit woman." Getting out of the chair, he forced her to back up. He jabbed his finger into her chest.

"You stay the fuck away from me." He looked over to Utze. "And you too suck head. If I even think you're near me, I'll ghost you both!" His finger hurt after jabbing her so much; there wasn't even a red mark on her skin where his finger had made contact.

"Get out." She had spoken so low he had barely heard her.

"Say what Bitch?"

"You have no idea the things I could do to you with just a thought. I've killed more people than you could ever imagine, and I plan to add more to the list. If you don't want to be one of them, I suggest you take your ass to the West Wing and stay there. Everything you need is down there. Bathroom, Kitchen, and I'm positive there's a small gym down there as well. So get ta fuckin steppin, or I'll move you my damn self." She held up her hand and started counting down from 5.

Riddick cocked an eyebrow, but didn't move.

4…

She had to be fucking kidding. Right?

3…

This fuckin freak of nature was really trying to boss him around and make threats. He still didn't move.

2…

Right before she let the last finger down, he lunged at her, putting his large hand around her throat. He squeezed and squeezed, but she showed no signs that he was having any effect on her.

Kazira raised her right hand and placed it on his wrist. Smiling at him, she thought of fire and heard the sizzle of burning flesh. He kept his grip on her. His eye twitched and she increased the heat on his wrist.

"Ahh!" Riddick cradled his brunt wrist to his chest and stared at her in hatred. What had happened to the shy girl he had talked to in the cockpit all those days ago?

Kimera looked him in the eye and snarled.

"She discovered that freedom always gets taken away from her, that's what happened." Sighing in defeat she made her way to the door and headed towards the cockpit. They'd be landing within 8 hrs. Utze walked to Riddick and placed his hands over the burn. Trying to keep him from pulling away from him, Utze healed the wound. Riddick looked up at him with suspicious eyes.

"Don't begrudge her for her actions at this time. She is… trying to cope." Utze rose from his position and moved towards the bed to sit down. He may have been healed after Kimera fed, but he was still weak. She had taken a good amount of blood from him. Plopping down on the bed, he heaved a large sigh. Noticing that the mortal was still in the room, he pushed himself into a sitting position to regard him.

"What?" Riddick was just sitting with his back against the wall, literally and figuratively.

"You wanna know why we're heading to Jopah5, besides to see her sister?"

"Of course I wanna fucking know. I don't wanna walk into some more unknown shit and get my ass handed to me by some freak. No offense."

"None taken, I assure you. But the real question is can you handle what her saving you has caused?"

"She killed those mercs for me, no questions asked. I was grateful for it, but I didn't ask to get dragged into some species war."

Utze chuckled and fixed his golden green eyes on the oblivious mortal.

"It's so much more than that my friend. By saving you, she has alerted the very person that has wanted her dead for centuries. He will come for her, for all of us actually. The things he has in mind make an assassin like me shudder in disgust."

"Who is this Mitigar?"

Sighing, Utze leaned forward, stippling his fingers under his chin. "He was my master, and also the betrothed of Kimera 30yrs ago. Kimera broke off the betrothal after she caught him fucking a whore in a brothel. She was… furious to say the least. Their wedding was supposed to be the glue that joined The Demonicans and Helcastians after their separation a millennia ago. Her Majesty, Queen Kazira, forced her daughter into this. Alimatia was more than willing to take her place, but only her birth daughter could make the treaty.

"After the incident on New Rome, Kimera became a different person. She made it clear that there was no way she would be the tool to mend the species. Navis, her adopted son, grew at an alarming rate; the boy fled the planet and ran back to New Rome with thoughts of revenge in mind. Kimera sought him out. When she arrived on New Rome, Mitigar was there with Navis' new tongue lying in his hand." He raked his hands through his rebellious hair and looked up at Riddick with defeated eyes.

"Even without her generals to assist her she took out most of the planets defenses in under one night. She was, possessed by some force. The way her eyes glowed red, you knew there was something dark lurking inside. After she destroyed the army, she went to the villages. She sent her 7 generals in first to weed out the stragglers. Her Earth general, Gaia, struck the ground with her fist and caused several major earthquakes to shake the planet and mudslides killed thousands. She sent Her Fire general, Freon, to the fields. She burned all the crops and barbequed the livestock.

"It was when she sent Zephyr, her air general, that Kimera began to crack. Zephyr joined her forces with Colza, the general of Ice and created a storm of that shrouded the planet in an icy prison. That alone killed more than the earthquakes and the fires put together. Kimera was at the center of it all, just observing the scene like a show. She hadn't even put in anything yet and her generals were tearing that place apart looking for Navis. Kimera could be seen floating in the sky at the center of the ice storm, just waiting to send her next general in. When she sent Wuya, Her Water general in, she caused all the oceans, rivers, lakes, pond, hell even the sinks to over flow. The whole planet was a frozen, desolate place. Since all the water was polluted with the dead, the civilians couldn't find a source of water.

"Seraphim was the one who landed one of the hardest blows. Being that she is the general of light, she blocked out the sun. Next was Nergala, general of darkness, she did the same to the moon. Now all that was left was absolute darkness. The only people left were Kimera and Alimatia. Kimera already decided that she was saving her fury for Mitigar, so Ali went in and bombed the place with her fighters. When she returned to the sky Kimera was nowhere to be found. She was told by Wuya that she had descended to the planet after she had heard Navis' weak cry in her mind."

Riddick was staring at him with a clenched jaw. If this was what her generals could do, he didn't even want comprehend what she was capable of. Then something came to him.

"How the fuck you know all this shit? Where were you during the massacre?"

"I was guarding the boy while Mitigar made his… plans."

"You sick fuck." Riddick snickered at Utze, and then broke out in a full blown outburst of laughter that had him doubling over.

Utze rolled his eyes in annoyance. Clenching his fists he cleared his throat a few times to try to grab Riddick's attention, but the man was still laughing, now with his hand slapping the floor.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Riddick let out a few breaths to ease him down and wiped the tears from his eyes. He knew it was wrong for him to find something like that funny but he had.

"Alright, alright man. I'm done. Go on with it, 'cuz I know you're not even close to being done."

"As I was saying, Kimera was on the planet, just walking and looking at what she had done. In fact it wasn't her, but Kazira, the dark entity that had been festering in her soul since she was a child. Kimera was only a shell to be used whenever her emotions took control. When she reached the citadel where Navis was being held she didn't even hesitate in trying to kill Mitigar. She had her hand in his chest about to rip his heart from his body, when she stopped. Not even I know what happened to stop her. Only she and Mitigar have that knowledge. She took her hand out went to Navis and scooped him up and flew out the ceiling. And that is what happened on the planet that was once New Rome."

"So, what's so important on Jopah 5?"

"Kimera entrusted a life long friend to specially craft a weapon that would kill Mitigar, in body and soul. Along with the fact that her sister is on the planet; been waiting for her a while I would suppose." Utze rose from the bed and let out long sigh before fixing his gaze on Riddick. His eyes were hard and serious as he took Riddick in. "I know you have plans for parting ways with us, but for your well being and life, I would suggest accompanying us to Helzard. At least there you will be far away from any mercs and Demonicans as well."

"What about little miss PMS out there? I highly doubt she's gonna willing let me go with her."

Letting out an exasperated breath, Utze rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. He stiffened for only a few seconds when he felt Kimera's presence on the other side of the door. Relaxing when she went past, he cursed under his breath in Helvar (helcastian/demonican language). Buka shemo, they act like children.

"Patience Mr. Riddick, that is all that is required. I've only given you a sample of what that girl has been through. And there is quite more to be in her way, I guarantee that. I'm not telling you to apologize to her and be all buddy buddy like none of the events in the past week haven't occurred. Just… give her space."

Riddick took in every thing that he said, then gave a curt nod and got up to leave. With his hand on the handle, turned his head around just enough so that Utze could see the strong silver shine of his eyes. "Does she know that you were there when Mitigar was cuttin' up her kid?"

His eyes only showed surprise for a moment before her regained his composure.

"I would assume so. When one feeds from another, all their knowledge goes with it. Secrets included."

Riddick smirked while turning the knob and made his way down to kitchen to get some food into his empty stomach.

As the door closed, Utze took a few steps back before his knees hit the bed and he fell backwards. Arms and legs spread out in defeat, he brought his hand up to rub his palms into his tired and weary eyes. There was a throbbing pain behind his right eye that had been bugging him since he'd gotten back into his body. He let his eyes droop closed. He was unaware of the small chip that was imbedded in his right cornea.

The song I used is Lullaby For Gaia by BT