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Tyrus whimpered as Zinkenite suggested that they shave his beautiful shiny soft fur. His back arched as the General King scratched fingers along his spine and Ty helplessly mewed. "A... A poodle cut?" The hair along his spine bristled and his ears pinned back. A poodle cut! Like a dog! How insulting!

Ty's tongue stuck out as he mock gagged at the idea of looking like a gross dog. But, he supposed that would be punishment, as if branding him wasn't enough. He nodded slightly and bowed his head, his gaze avoiding Zinkenite's.

"Whatever you think is fit punishment, General King," he said quietly and laid down at his feet.

Azurite's eyes flickered between Zinkenite and Buddingtonite as they spoke of her. Normally, she'd be all for this, but given what had just happened? The less attention drawn to her the better. She cringed as she watched the poor man continue to dig himself a deeper grave as he spoke. The senshi greatly wished the man would shut up. Maybe he'd get in less trouble.

"I'll uhm.. do the three civilian's and a loved one.." Azurite muttered, trying not to visibly flinch when Zink turned his gaze on her. The senshi mentally crossed her fingers as she gave him the name of her loved one, an uncle that she absolutely adored as a child. Maybe she'd get lucky and her General-King wouldn't stand there and scold her giving her the "I expected better of you" talk.

...One could hope though right?

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Lellouch stood with her arms crossed, once again she was stuck along side Azurite. At least she wasn't talking anymore... Much. She made a small pained noise when the other's got their brands and, while she would work with these people, she would not get branded for them. "The civilian's and a loved one." She muttered when it was finally her turn. Her 'sacrifice' would be her 'foster' parent. Thomas Kent. It's not like she could offer her family. She hated anyone she'd offer. Which would result in the brand... And no thank you.

He wasn’t just being burned. He was still here, set to the side with Alkaid, and everyone else seemed, for the majority, to also be burned as well. That wasn’t just some special treatment for him – which meant there was something larger in store. Not death. Zink would have torn him in half in front of everyone if he just wanted to make an example out of his death. Then what?

If he was going to follow the path of attacking loved ones, then there was Bismuthite. However, he was a Negaverse officer, not some civilian, and one that was in no way involved with the attack. Attacking another officer for the actions of another would be too far out there, and if he did go that far, he would attack him. He was already screwed. There would be no way he would let Zink exercise his power and flex his rank by punishing the other general. Especially when Bismuthite wasn’t aware of the outcome yet.

Billy already knew what Ladon was going to do and had been completely against it. Despite this, and despite Ladon’s love and respect for his partner, he did not, could not, listen. He was innocent in all regards to Wolframite’s actions.

Then what then? It really didn’t serve much in the way to send him out to kill random strangers. He had been around from the near beginning when that was common place. If he was given a list, it wouldn’t affect him, but innocent children? Senshi chibis he could kill, but not just random children or people. He could kill those who had nothing left to offer the world, and those who only made it worse, but not just a random selection. And he saw no reason why he couldn’t refuse at this point. What could Zink really take from him at this point aside from bringing him in front of the entire Negaverse army to state what he had done – and would that matter? Gossip traveled fast. What had happened would be new in a day or so.

Instead, tired and sore, he looked up at the couple locked in a embrace forever in their crystal prison.

He had one thing to ask though.

“Why did you pick this room?” He now looked over at Zink from where he was addressing Lellouch, voice cracking and sore from previously screaming from his burn.

“Do you think this is a traitor’s hall? That they were traitors?” He said, looking back at the crystal and not looking back at Zink now. His eyes were worn and tired as he looked at them both.

“This is a grave.” And it felt disrespectful to be placing punishments in their final resting place.

He turned first to Wolframite, shaking his head slowly as though he were disappointed still, as though something vital had eluded the General.
“… This Hall is a testament that there are voices from whom, even the General Kings’ and Queens Orders stem, they were punished for the crime of the… ‘Romance’ they shared. Charonite persisted in loving a woman who shared a body with Beryl herself, once… the face of our Queen. He did not respect the boundaries…It didn’t matter that he loved her, that he didn’t LIKE his orders not to touch her, it matters that he was given… orders.”


“Do you understand that Wolframite? They are traitors in that they did not… follow orders. You can’t make up the rules to suit yourself. There is always a –reason-, even if you don’t personally understand it.”

And then, Lellouch shifted.

He let out a tense sigh, narrowing his eyes with the mark of a man who’s patience has been utterly reached, and surpassed when he heard the snort, and watched the blond turn her head away like a petulant child.

He moved quickly, like a striking snake and grabbed a handful of that long blond hair, a quick twist and he’d looped it once around her slender neck and pulled it tight enough to make breathing, and derisive snorts hard.

“I’m sorry, perhaps you hoped I missed that. Perhaps… you think, that you have some valid reason for your actions that seems to have escaped your tongue. He pulled a little tighter, letting the blood start to color her face like he might actually strangle her with her own hair and then, pushed a hand into her chest.

“Go ahead… impress me, or try… because if you don’t, if you really want to push this and you fail to impress me in ANY way, you will not leave the dark kingdom alive… Am I clear?”

There was a time that Buddingtonite had longed for unconsciousness and even a time that he thought he had obtained it. Or maybe he was still conscious and merely too consumed with thoughts of nothing and whimsy to have noticed all that was going on around him. Others partook in their punishments, probably taking the smart route in their decision and not giving Zinkenite lip like he foolishly had. And would again, if given the chance. He heard voices drift in and out and periodically he caught Zinkenite's sharp insults, Wolframite's near broken mewls, and while he still felt for the poor general, he simply couldn't move himself to comfort him. Of course, he wasn't the one lying on the ground, hand a blistering mess and blood practically oozing from his side, but still, Wolframite's agony went deeper than his and as selfish as a person as Buddingtonite was, even he could see that. The question was if Zinkenite saw this and ignored such a thing to further promote the ability to not allow emotions to overrule his logic, or if he did in fact see it, and sought to make the pain deeper.

It was no wonder Zinkenite was given his rank, Buddingtonite told himself, ready to pass out, ready to just let the world fade to black and deal with anything in the morning.

Yet, it simply wasn't his time, as he felt someone roll him over onto his back, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the shifting light, but what, more like who, he saw was definitely a pleasant sight. He flashed her a weak smile, rather enjoying the view from where he laid his head on her lap, and he closed his eyes. "Heh... I was hoping to dig my way all the way out of here... guess I didn't dig deep enough, hm?"

He chuckled, but damn did it hurt. He stopped the motion, and only then did he realize he was missing the capelet at his side. Which meant that he was likely gushing delicious red insides all over the place, and who knew what kind of trouble that would have landed him with the General-King in the mood he was in. Punishment for daring to soil the great halls of the Rift with blood? Twenty lashes! Solitary confinement! Buddingtonite flinched on that last one- oh heavens, no, that would be the worst punishment of all! He'd rather die than to face that kind of punishment...

Azurite was quite beautiful and had such a lovely voice, but she didn't seem to comprehend things. Buddingtonite took in her question and answered, his voice soft and not daring to speak over or compete with the General-King nearby, unaware that he had his hands full of Lellouch's blonde hair at the moment. "Heh... of course I had to. You're one of us... you're to be praised, and cherished... it'd be a crime if I said nothing."

Or maybe he would have been spared from this. Either way, there was no point in lying now. Honestly, he held no disgust or hatred of the Dark Mirror Court, but when given a choice to defend a Dark Mirror Senshi over one of their own, there was no question that he would save Azurite, Lellouch or Alkaid over a single member of the DMC. To Buddingtonite, the Negaverse came first...

Zinkenite had mentioned something earlier about others no being present, and the general was too caught up in his own delirious state of pain to consider what he was implying. Thus far, things had already been bad for him and the only comfort he had was that he thought his part of the punishment was over. He was wrong, of course. He had not seen her being summoned, but there was something about the tapping of heels that was familiar to him, knowing that it was Turquoise that was approaching him long before she made it to his side, and his crimson eyes shot open to look at her. What was she doing here? How? WHY?! These questions screamed in his head and reflected in his eyes, even when all he could manage to do was mutter with a fragile smile. "It... disappeared, I suppose... I wasn't really paying attention. Turquoise, what are you doing here?"

Did she come here on her own? Did Zinkenite summon her? Was she to be punished too? Now Buddingtonite tried to sit up, preparing to help see her to the door. No, this was a mistake. She shouldn't be punished- she didn't do anything, surely Zinkenite knew that. The pain at his side and the blood loss made it hard to move, but he tried. "No matter... away with you... I'll be home soon. Come on."

He stood for a tense moment still holding that precious core of her, hair still taught around her neck before he released, first the hair, a slow trail of his hand down the golden mass that let the air slip in as it unwound.


“You don’t send her away General, I do. And you, senshi, do not decide when it’s time for him to go either. This is a punishment, and I am the General King. He has made this bed and he will lie in it until I permit him to do otherwise. Put him down, and stand at attention.”
The voice was cold and firm.

“You Lieutenant Turquoise, as well as the others previously assembled absolutely need to see what happens when a group of you, no matter how poorly some of you MAY Have allowed yourself to be informed, choose to do something like this.”

“You all need to see what happens when you decide that siding with the white moon means more than –following- orders, or CLARIFYING orders when they sound, and by god they should have sounded…odd.”

He spun and pointed towards Alkaid. “You… you’re one of our generals as well. I don’t understand what made you chose what you have done. But I know that none of the punishments designed for the assembled will really suit you either.
But you need to make up for the choices that you made. You…will use your powers to help heal anyone that you have injured, including the dark moon court. You will change bandages; you will wait at bedside if you must. But you will help each and every single one of them.

Which leaves… You, he pointed to Turquoise, and YOU.” He pointed to Wolframite.”


“After which, we can send the injured general to the hospital before making him come clean up his mess when he’s feeling more fit.”

“If nothing else Lieutenant, I want you to see what happens next.”

He marched forward towards Wolframite and took hold of the front of his uniform and lifting him, almost gently to his feet. “I don’t expect you to understand this, I don’t expect you’ll see Charonite in my eyes when I punish you, and I hope you won’t…because whatever you believe of him or saw in him I truly believe he’d have killed you for what you did Wolframite. I, on the other hand… believe that people can learn, if they wish to.”

He pushed his hand into the General’s chest. He didn’t crush, not like the ‘Queen’ had once tried to do to him, nor did he try and fill it, too much would have turned him into a Youma, and he would not do that. He did something else instead; perhaps ‘drew it out’ would have been a good explanation. Because no longer did a General stand before them, but a wise officer might count his blessings that he was still a man.



Lieutenant Wolframite, once more stood in the heart of the Negaverse.

“And now you…” He pointed at Turquoise,
"Congratulations; you’ll be operating with him as a similar team that he and I once started on. I’ll hold weekly meetings with at least him, possibly both of you and you will be describing how things are going, and more so if I happen to hear about further…intents, such as what has brought you all here today. I’ll be assigning one more Lieutenant to your team as well Wolfram, and if you need, I’ll find a captain for you to report to. Perhaps Linarite. I’m sure that she’d have a few choice words to say about your, progress.”

“You are a fool Wolframite, even NOW you don’t see. Even now you close your eyes, stuff fingers in your ears and wish for a ‘golden’ past. “But you’re right, if Charonite had been here…. He’d have killed you the FIRST time. Stop trying to blame YOUR poor choices on echoes from the past. No matter how you try and gloss it over to suit your own PERSONAL quest for vengeance against a team of –white- moon senshi, the majority of whom have been literally changed at their –core- in much the same way as these people who fought –beside- you.

Until you accept responsibility for what YOU have done, what you have LED others in doing then I will treat you like the child you chose to behave like, which is a better chance than you would have been given by HIM. Don’t you even dare try and judge what He, and what Beryl would have done because I’ve seen it first hand when you chose to be blind… I gave you a taste of the ‘old style’ justice you so craved. Don’t be so selfish that one of us… does to you what they did to Tanzanite. Don’t delude yourself that it was a gift they gave her.”

“We will speak after.”