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"'And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep

Still threatening to devour me opens wide,

To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven,'" Sphinx recited.

"Paradise Lost," Nushi immediately recognized, briefly taken out of the state of sustained shock she'd been in ever since she'd watched Ariel get dragged to the underworld before her eyes.

Sphinx nodded, pleased she'd gotten the reference. "Milton was a very fine poet. Wrong about a great many things, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that he was a master of his profession."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kai asked rather impatiently.

"I am Mandora Man!" Mandora Man agreed, stomping his feet.

After Ariel, Floragel, and Cerberus had disappeared, they had all returned to Sunsea Palace, where Sphinx promised she would explain everything. Aranea, who had stayed behind to protect the children and the ordinary humans, had immediately rushed to Nushi's side to provide what comfort she could, for which the genius was very grateful.

(A part of her wondered if Aranea had known this was coming.)

(Another part of her was afraid to ask, for fear of what the answer might be.)

"In the deepest, darkest part of Infershia, far beneath the Valley of the Gods, there is a hole," Sphinx informed them. "I do not know how deep it is. I do not know where it goes. All I know is that, eons ago, it's where N Ma emerged from."

This got everyone's attention. "He… Emerged?" Makito asked. "From somewhere deeper than Infershia?"

Sphinx nodded. "Much, much deeper. I do not know how deep. I do not know what his realm of origin was like. He never talked about it. I think… A part of him was afraid to."

This took everyone aback. N Ma had been an embodiment of hunger and nightmares, a master of darkness, a nearly omnipotent god. What could drive him to terror?

"After he crawled out of the pit, he established the Underground Hades Empire of Infershia, populating the seemingly boundless caverns of the underworld with monsters and fiends answerable only to him, creating an infernal paradise of dark magic. We of the Infershia Pantheon were created to help him administer his vast subterranean realm, with each of us fulfilling a particular role. Dagon, for example, was our leader and our master's right hand, Drake and Sleipnir the enforcers, Wyvern the strategist, I the judge and keeper of the Dark Precepts…

"But the most important, and dangerous task of all was granted to my brother, Cerberus."

"How come I didn't know I had a brother-in-law?" Kai complained. "You never told me that!"

"Or that I had another uncle!" Fuuka whined, feeling she was owed several years' worth of birthday presents.

"I am Mandora Man!" An indignant Mandora Man agreed.

"If there were an eleventh Hades God, how did we not know about him before now?" A puzzled Hikaru asked.

"For the same reason he is called the 'Forgotten' God," Sphinx explained. "After he began his vigil, N Ma erased his memory from all of us, even me. It is only now, after seeing him for the first time in millennia, that I remember what has been taken from me."

"That bastard!" Tsubasa snarled. "How dare he make you forget your own brother!"

Isamu sighed. "Well, he made me forget all of you, so I'm not that surprised. But Sphinx, what was his duty? Why did N Ma make everyone forget he existed? Why did we never fight him during the war with the underworld?"

"N Ma climbed out of the pit from somewhere deeper in the earth to what would become Infershia," Sphinx explained. "It only stood to reason, then, that someone or something else might accomplish the same feat someday. Cerberus was tasked with guarding the pit and making sure nothing from wherever our master came from followed him to our realm, and N Ma erased him and the pit from our memories to make sure nobody knew of its existence so they wouldn't try and go down and inadvertently stir up whatever he had escaped when fleeing to Infershia." She grimaced. "As much as I resent him now for making me forget my own brother, I cannot say it was the wrong idea. There were certainly many in Infershia, even in our own pantheon, who might have been tempted to delve into the deeper dark to try and claim whatever horrific power lay beneath, too greedy to realize the doom they were courting."

"It wouldn't surprise me if Meemy had entertained plans of overthrowing his master," Rin said venomously. "After all, he already betrayed us, why not betray Infershia as well?"

Isamu sighed wearily. "I still don't know where I went wrong with him…"

"You did nothing wrong, dear," Miyuki told him gently. "Some people are just beyond saving."

Nushi frowned. "So… Cerberus is supposed to be some guardian, keeping Infershia – and possibly the surface – safe from some unknowable potential threat? But then… Why is he working with Floragel? Why would he kidnap Ariel?!"

Sphinx sighed and shook her head. "That, I'm afraid, I cannot say. It seems rather uncharacteristic of him. He took his duty very seriously. The Cerberus I remember wouldn't have left his post, not even for a few moments! And yet… He was here, in Magitopia, and working with Floragel of all people! I cannot countenance his actions. What is he up to?"

"Exactly who is this 'Floragel?'" Aranea spoke up. "From what I've gathered, she and Ariel have a rather… Complicated history."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Tsubasa muttered.

"The death of N Ma and the birth of my daughter led to a resurgence of magic around the world," Urara explained. "More and more magicians began to appear, and some of them had the potential to become Heavenly Saints. Ariel met the girl who would be Floragel in magic school, and the two became good friends, and remained so after she ascended to Sainthood." She couldn't help smiling briefly. "It probably shouldn't come as a surprise to you that Floragel fell in love with her."

Aranea smiled as well, and even Nushi managed to find the strength to turn up the corners of her mouth a little. "You're right, it's no surprise at all. I honestly have trouble wondering why anyone would ever hate your daughter."

"She has a few rivals," Nushi informed her. "But I think most of them are secretly in love with her."

"No, all of them are," Smoky said bluntly. "Trust me on this."

"However… That's where things fell apart," Urara said quietly, eyes turning down. "While Ariel did love Floragel, it… Wasn't in the way she wanted to."

Hikaru nodded. "She saw her as a sister. Whom she occasionally slept with." He paused. "So, maybe not as a sister."

"Well, depends on the family," Houka joked.

"Not ours," Miyuki said firmly.

Kai frowned. "Actually, does it count as incest with Nai and Mea, since they're technically the same person-"

Thankfully, Hikaru interrupted before that train of thought go any further. "Anyway, Floragel grew increasingly resentful that Ariel saw her as a very good friend with benefits rather than a girlfriend, especially because Ariel, as a pansexual polyromantic nymphomaniac-"

"Which we are all very supportive of," Smoky said quickly.

"Had a number of other partners, while Floragel wanted her all to herself." Hikaru sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Which is understandable, but… What she did about it…"

Urara sighed, squeezing her eyes shut. "She got into a huge argument with Ariel. Demanded that she stop seeing all those other people and be with her. Ariel protested that she didn't feel that way about her, so Floragel decided she'd make her feel that way, and…"

Aranea's eyes hardened. "Ah. So it's like that, then."

Urara nodded solemnly.

Makito clenched his fist angrily. "She used her magic pollen to make Ariel love her, and only her. And then, she… she took advantage of her, and…"

He screwed up his face, unable to say anymore, and Eriko gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"I heard the stars scream when it happened," Rin recalled solemnly. "It was one of the worst things I've ever experienced. But of course it was but a fraction of what my poor niece must have suffered."

"Magitopia itself quaked with fury at what had been done to my sister," Smoky reflected gloomily. "Everyone knew, on an instinctual level, what had happened. And we were all… We were all so angry. It was…"

"It was terrifying," Houka said softly, as her wives nuzzled her. "I never want to feel like that again."

"It didn't take us long to find the two of them," Tsubasa continued. "Floragel was easy enough to take down, and we were able to break her hold over Ariel almost immediately. But… When she realized what had happened to her… I've never seen anyone cry that much…"

He trailed off, everyone looking very somber at the memory.

Aranea dug her claws into Nushi's shoulder, hard enough to draw blood. Nushi didn't say a word. She was equally angry, even though she had known about this for months. "Why," she said harshly. "Does she still breathe? Back in the Ascendancy, such a crime would warrant the death sentence. And it would not be a quick death, either."

"Yeah! You should've killed her for what she did to Miss Ariel!" Philia exclaimed angrily.

"If this had happened in Infershia, that is absolutely what would've happened," Sphinx told them.

Rin grimaced. "It… Is not our way."

"We did consider making an exception in her case, though," Isamu growled. "But ultimately we didn't. Something I am very bitterly regretting now."

"I stripped her of most of her powers," Magiel, who had of course been there the whole time – or had she? – Explained solemnly. "Revoked her sainthood. Banished her from Magitopia. Cursed her so that not only would she never be able to get anywhere near Ariel again, all would know what she had done and shun her. Even the most wicked of dark practitioners would hesitate to aid her for fear of inciting my wrath."

"Real biblical shit," Nai commented.

"Biblical shit," Mea agreed.

"And then we did our best to help Ariel recover," Urara continued, holding back tears. "It took a lot of time, a great deal of therapy, and a considerable amount of love, but… Eventually, she was able to bounce back and move on."

Miyuki smiled. "She's very strong, our Ariel."

"She is," Nushi agreed fondly.

"She's the greatest!" Philia chirped.

"After that, we more or less put the incident out of our minds, fairly certain we would never have to deal with Floragel again," Hikaru concluded.

"Until today," Aranea pointed out.

"Until today," he agreed.

"I don't get it. How was she even able to get back here? A banishment spell that powerful, coming from the Arch Saint, shouldn't have allowed her to get anywhere near here!" Philia pointed out.

Magiel grimaced. "It shouldn't have. This must be Cerberus's doing, I suppose. Strange, though, I would not have expected once such as him to be able to undo one of my edicts."

"Neither would I," Sphinx confessed. "Then again, it has been a very long time since last I saw him. The Cerberus I know would never have allied with someone like Floragel." She sighed, face falling. "Has he truly changed this much?"

"Sphinx, I'm sorry about your brother, but… You know we can't let this stand," Kai told his wife softly.

Sphinx nodded unhappily. "I know. A part of me hopes that he can be reasoned with, but… Our master chose him well. He was the most honorable and loyal of us, and will fulfill whatever he sees as his duty to his last breath. I fear we have no choice but to go to war."

Hikaru sighed. "So it would seem. Sphinx, as ruler of Infershia, do we have your permission to venture into the underworld to confront Cerberus and get Ariel back?"

"You need not even ask, brother," Sphinx said. "My army shall march beside yours." Her face was grave. "And an Army you shall need, for he rules over the Vaults of Tartarus, which are home to some of the strongest and deadliest creatures in the underworld. And, seeing as how he knows we are coming, he will surely have them ready for us."

"Then it looks like I have no choice but to do something I had hoped to never do again," Magiel murmured sadly. "Fenster. Silva. Scorpia. Attend me."

At once, a wizened leprechaun in a white tunic, a fearsome bipedal manticore in silver armor, and a silver armored scorpion woman who wouldn't look out of place among the Scorpioni tribe appeared, kneeling before her. "You called, your Archness?"

"It would seem that, once again, the time for war is upon us," she told them gravely. "Silva. Scorpia. Rally your legions. Fenster, fire up the kiln and prepare your clay, we will need Golems and Magi Monsters. Ariel has been taken from us by a forgotten God of the underworld, and we must get her back at all costs."

The trio saluted her. "At once, your Archness!"

As the trio vanished, Magiel turned to the guests to her realm. "Nushi, Aranea, am I correct in assuming that you wish to join us?"

"I'm coming, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," Nushi stated, as if it were an immutable law of physics.

"As will I," Aranea vowed.

Magiel smiled. "I had no intention of stopping you. All I ask is that you be careful. Infershia is a land of dark magic, and while it has been mostly tamed by Sphinx's efforts, Cerberus's domain is no doubt still filled with the sorts of things from which nightmares are born."

"I will keep her safe," Aranea promised. "The horrors that lurk in the night are nothing for my people to fear." She grinned, showing off her fangs. "After all, we are far worse than them."

"I like her," an aroused Nai commented.

"Like her," Mea agreed.

Philia sighed. "I kind of want to come, but… I'm not an idiot. I know I'm way too young and inexperienced, and I don't want to be one of those obnoxious tagalong kid sidekicks who insists on going along anyway and makes life difficult for everyone."

"That's very mature of you, daughter," Apista said in approval.

"Just… Bring her back, okay? Please?" Philia pleaded, compound eyes big and wet.

"We will," Nushi promised, putting a hand over one of the princess's tarsals. "We promise."

"You can count on me, little sister," Aranea vowed.

Philia smiled a little at that. "I always have."

"So, should we gear up to ride to the rescue, or…?" Goro asked.

"Do you think you can get the ShinLiner back up and running in time to help?" Nushi asked.

"Unlikely," Mibojin said flatly. "While we could take the Great Divine Insects or the Imperiarch, I do not think we could make it to Infershia in time to be of much assistance."

Shin groaned. "Really starting to regret picking now of all times to take half the train apart to do some massive upgrades… Look, we can start reassembly, but I don't know how long it'll take. I don't suppose you could swing by to pick us up?"

Nushi contemplated this, but ultimately decided that might not be the best idea. "We probably could," she admitted. "And this would probably go a lot better if we had all hands on deck, but… There's still the slim chance that something might happen on the surface while we are gone, and since Katsutoshi Squad are off on a mission… Well, I just wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the world unprotected, even though rationally I know it's unlikely anything will happen. And yes, I know that once the ShinLiner is fixed we could just time travel back to take care of any problems, but…"

"Say no more. We'll take care of things in your absence," Goro promised.

"And start putting the ShinLiner back together, just to be safe," Shin added.

Nushi sighed in relief. "Thanks, you guys."

"Nushi. I have encountered people like Floragel the past, and killed them. If… It is not too much to ask…" Mibojin started.

Nushi couldn't help smiling. While yes, Mibojin's habit of leaving an origami praying mantis at the site of her kills was rather morbid, she knew the ninja well enough now to know that it wasn't just a serial killer's calling card. By nature, she was not a woman who emoted easily, but that did not mean she had a heart of stone, and to a certain extent viewed the mantis as her way of paying respects to the souls of those whom her targets had killed, a way to show them that justice had been served. It was a surprisingly touching gesture from a borderline sociopath like her. "Yes, Mibojin, if I get the chance, I'll leave an origami mantis on her corpse."

"Thank you, Nushi."

"Are you certain you wish me to remain here?" Antares pleaded with Aranea at the same time. "I really do not feel comfortable with you marching into an underworld on your own."

"I won't be on my own," Aranea reminded him. "I shall be among friends with experience fighting this kind of enemy, who also care deeply for Ariel. And besides, I… Have a feeling you should stay put."

"… Very well," Antares reluctantly conceded. "I shall not press further. Just… Be careful, will you?"

"I will," Aranea promised. "It is not my destiny to die this day."

Suddenly, Coccinella fluttered her elytra. "Lepidoptera! She's waking up!" She exclaimed, eyes flashing.

Nushi stiffened. "And if she is waking up, that must mean Ariel is, too. And once she's awake, we'll be able to connect through the Buzzing and let her know we're coming for her!"

"And she, in turn, can no doubt pass useful information to us," Isamu realized.

"We would have a spy right in my brother's house, and he wouldn't even know it!" An excited Sphinx pointed out.

"Is she okay? Is she hungry? Thirsty? Has Floragel done something to her?!" A desperate Urara pleaded.

"Hang on," Nushi murmured, concentrating. "She should be conscious right… About…"

Ariel woke up.

She was immediately deluged by a seemingly nonstop torrent of cries of relief, queries about her health and safety, promises that a rescue was coming soon, and a never ending stream of love and support from the entire Buzzing.

And Ariel appreciated it. Really, she did.

But there was only one voice she really wanted to hear. "Ariel! Are you okay?!" Nushi demanded frantically.

"I… Think so? I'm not hurting or anything," Ariel said slowly, forcing herself back to full wakefulness.

The entire Hive sighed in relief. "Thank the Queen! Quick, here's what we know:"

Nushi quickly filled her in on everything they knew about Cerberus.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a lot.

"So my evil, possessive ex is working with an uncle I never knew existed? That's an unusual pairing," Ariel murmured, the weak joke doing little to conceal how utterly horrified and overwhelmed she was.

"Teacher! Floragel didn't… She didn't do anything to you while you were out, did she?" Philia asked desperately.

A thrill of utter terror raced through her, but she managed to force it down. "No. I… If she'd done something, I… I would've known."

She would have known. Right?

"Ariel, I… I don't feel so good…" Lepidoptera whispered.

Alarmed, Ariel glanced down and discovered that her Divine Insect partner looked rather dull, her wings turned black, a glowing magic circle on her microprocessor. "That's a dark magic seal," she immediately recognized. "They must've put it on you to keep you from transforming me. But… Wait…"

She tried to cast a spell, only for the syllables to die in her throat.

No.

She tried another spell, only for the same thing to happen.

No.

Desperate, she tried a third time. Still nothing.

Nononononononono!

"They… They sealed my magic!" She shrieked, horror and revulsion flooding the Buzzing. "My magic, it's… It's a part of me, an intrinsic part of my being, I need it, I can't, I can't exist without it, I-I-"

She started hyperventilating. This was a violation of the highest order, a betrayal of her nature, just as bad as when Floragel… When Floragel had…

Oh Arch Saint. If they'd sealed her magic, then… Then could Floragel have… While she was asleep, and she'd… She wouldn't know-

"Ariel. Breathe."

Ariel breathed.

"We are here for you. No matter what."

The entire Hive embraced her, and she could almost feel as if Nushi were in the same room as her, holding her in her lithe arms.

As her heart stopped racing, she finally took the chance to see where she was. She was lying on a massive fourposter bed with a canopy, semitransparent curtains covered in constellations hanging down around her. She was relieved to notice that she was still wearing the same clothes she'd had on when she was abducted, so that was one fear laid to rest.

Getting up – with surprising effort, the mattress was ridiculously comfortable – she pushed the curtains aside and found she was in a palatial bedroom that probably was more suited to Fuuka, seeing as how Ariel's embarrassing goth phase had thankfully only lasted for a few months. Everything was in shades of black, black, and more black. Black stone floors, black marble columns, black furniture with black cushions, a black wardrobe, black candles burning black flames, glittering black jewels embedded in the walls, and quite a lot of gruesome grinning black dog and skull faced gargoyles and statuettes.

It was very elegant and fancy, but also cold. There was no warmth here, even though a – black, of course – fire was burning in the skull-shaped fireplace.

Though maybe that was because the balcony doors were open. There was quite a draft.

Quickly crossing the chamber, Ariel stepped out onto the balcony to get the lay of the land.

The first thing she saw was the hole.

It was…

It was a hole. A very big one. A chasm so huge that she was fairly sure the Sunsea and several of Magitopia's other islands could be dropped into it without touching the rim.

It stretched out to the horizon and descended into absolute darkness, with no end in sight. Off in the distance, she could see massive chains attached to the edges of the pit stretching towards her location and off towards the far off ceiling of the cavern she was in, dwarfed by the bones of absolutely colossal monsters littering the land beyond in mountainous heaps.

Ariel immediately rushed back into the room and slammed the balcony doors shut, taking deep breaths until the vertigo and bone deep terror left her body. The draft was gone, but somehow she didn't feel much warmer.

"Lepidoptera," she said, eyes wide. "I don't think we are in Magitopia anymore."

"… Yes, because we are in Infershia," the butterfly pointed out weakly. "I thought we already knew that?"

Ariel rolled her eyes. "It was a movie allusion and you know it."

"Sorry," Lepidoptera said, feebly fluttering her wings. "I don't really feel up for joking right now."

Ariel sighed. "Yeah… Neither do I."

Abruptly, the thick, black iron door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a black skinned High Zobil with a vaguely canine mask wearing livery that wouldn't look out of place on a Royal servant from Victorian England. "The master will see you now," he intoned.

It was not a request.

The entire Hive embraced Ariel again. She was thankful, because she felt she was going to desperately need the support for what was to come.