The immediate reaction was, of course, fear. Well, what else would it be? They were at the edge of hell proper, the pit of torment, where all manner of evil and unspeakable things were happening to the haunted souls cast into it. Still, they had to go on, their mission demanded it. They climbed the low rise and looked in...

They discovered there was a lip inside the rim that provided for the actual edge. When they got closer they found that the pit went straight down like a shaft. It seemed bottomless. And the heat that blasted up from it was fierce beyond belief. The only thing that was worse than it was the sound that rose out of the depth. A sound that froze the spirit even as the heat roasted the body.

The screams of souls in agony.

"Over there." said Xellos, pointing. Unbelievably, there was a small rocky outcrop that jutted into the void. "That's where we can address them from." he said.

The gang struggled along, this was not the place to slip, but it was flat and the heat was not intollerable if you didn't lean over the pit itself. They made it. Panting, exhausted, but they made it.

Lina trembled as she said "I never want to come here again, that's for sure." The others nodded. "So, how do we start?" she added.

Zel acted first. He walked over and looked into the pit, his chimeric make up making him a bit more tollerant of the heat. He drew a breath, then shouted "Amilia! Amilia Will Tesla Seirune, Princess of the Kingdom of Seirune! Where are you? It's me, Zelgadiss Greywords. I have something to tell you!"

Nothing.

Lina walked over beside him. "Amilia? Amilia! It's Lina Inverse! You're going to be free Amilia! Come here so we can tell you! This isn't a trick, we aren't here as a torrment, it's for real!" She listened and turned to Zel. "I wonder if they can even hear us in there?"

By now Filia and Xellos had joined them. "I am not going to be able to fly over that!" said a shakey Filia. "That stuff is beyond any dragon fire, I'll burn up, and whoever is with me will burn as well."

"No, she has to come to us." said Xellos in his turn.

"Or you could go to them..." hissed a dangerous voice from behind.

"I knew this was going too smoothly..." muttered Lina, turning with the others to face...

Beastmaster!

In her battle form, of course.

"Lina Inverse, you were supposed to save Xellos, not come here to change things! How dare you!" the war wolf barked angrily.

"This is the doing of the Silver Lord, Beastmaster. I'm sorry, you have been out ranked. As for Xellos, I did the best I could do, and he is alive, even if it is as a human." Lina replied, trying to be as polite as possible.

"You are all too much of a danger for the mazoku race, you who stand here at the pit. Now I must kill you all." She stalked closer to the group.

Xellos stepped forward, putting himself between the Beastmaster and the others. "Mother, stop this, you know we are sent. We, I, don't want to fight you, but we will if we must. Please, even now, you are my mother, and, and... I love you..."

Beastmaster gave a scream and covered her ears. "Shutup! I don't want to hear that!" she roared. Yet, it seemed to Lina as if there was pain rather than hate in her voice. But no time for speculation, let alone amazement, Beastmaster lept upon Xellos, fetching him a mighty blow. He staggered back, dazed and bleeding, and, most horribly, the staff flew from his hands, and before they could stop it, it clattered off the edge and into the pit!"

Immediately, all light, except the evil glow from the pit, went out. Not good, Beastmaster could certainly see by this light better than the others.

Brave Filia was first off the mark, her famous mace was out, and it had a legitimate target. She gave her all in one mighty blow and actually staggered the Beastmaster back from the still dazed Xellos. Lina immediately ran to his side. "Xellos! Xellos! Are you alright? Speak to me, please!"

Zelgadiss, in the mean time, joined Filia. "Stop this madness Beastmaster." he commanded. "You can't win, we were sent here by the Silver Lord!"

"We shall see." said the Beastmaster quietly. She swung at Filia, but was partly blocked by Zel, which gave Filia time to dodge the blow. She swung her mace again, but this time Beastmaster was ready and Filia also missed as her target sidestepped the swing.

There was a few minutes like this as the two attempted to struggle with one who was mighty indeed. Lina was able to get Xellos to wake up, though he was still a bit dazed. Then Beastmaster got the upper hand.

there was a sharp "SMACK" and a dazed Filia thudded to the earth, her mace following the staff into the pit. Zelgadiss, meanwhile, found himself raised into the air with Beastmaster's hand crushingly tight around his throat. She growled in cruel triumph. "You want to find Princess Amilia do you, blue boy? She's in the pit." Beastmaster suddenly swung Zel into a two handed grip, raised him over her head as if he weighed nothing, and, yelling "Go find her!", tossed Zelgadiss into the flames of hell!

Lina and Filia screamed. Xellos shouted and stood bolt upright. He ran at the Beastmaster. "Mother, stop this!" he yelled at her. "If you must kill someone, then kill me, but let these others go!"

Beastmaster turned and glared at him. "If only you'd kept your mouth shut! How could you betray us all like that?" she screamed at him.

Xellos became quiet. "As I said last time you asked that, so I say again now. I didn't realise this would happen, and I really did think she was entitled to a hint. But I say this too, now that I am a human, I am not sorry it did happen. I am only sorry I am losing you as my mother. I really did feel strongly towards you even as a mazoku, and now I am human I can only say that I love you, for you are indeed my mother. Please, mother, let them go..."

Beastmaster seemed to be struggling with something inside. Finally she replied, in a quiet voice, "It matters not, Xellos, I have no choice now. You are all a danger to the mazoku. You will all die, here, in the pit. But if you like, I will kill you now."

She moved forward, intending to grab Xellos and toss him after Zel. But she stopped. She seemed to struggle, and be unable to make herself actually grab him. And to Lina's shock, the look on Beastmaster's face was one of pain, not rage.

Suddenly, a voice behind Lina commanded "STOP.", and a brilliant beam of golden light shot out like a searchlight, bathing Beastmaster in its intense glow.

The mazoku overlord screamed as if struck and fell to the ground. Amazingly, she changed, or perhaps was made to change, from her wolf form to her human form as she fell, and now a tall, lovely blonde woman cowered on the ground at Xellos feet, trying to shield herself from the light and begging that it be turned off.

But what shocked Lina the most was the voice that had spoken. Impossible! Trembling in fear she turned...

Zelgadiss was there, absolutely black from head to foot with char and ash, holding the staff for dear life. From its jewel the golden light of the Lord of Nightmares streamed down on the mazoku overlord. Behind him, and around him, strangely silent, and what was even more eerie, cold and unfelt, the flames of hell itself, which had been down deep in the pit, now shot up into the sky as if trying to out do a volcano for fury.

Zel floated forward, and gently touched down. The light dimmed to its normal silver moon glow. Beastmaster stopped screaming in pain and flopped over on her back, unable to move, now howling in what could only be grief. Xellos knelt beside her, craddling her on his lap in his arms. Filia couldn't take her wide eyes off of them. The fire subsided back to the pit, but a multitude of little flames now began to dance and move around the spit of rock, coming ever closer, but never difting out of the pit itself onto the lip.

Beastmaster began to sob. "I- I couldn't do it, Xellos, in the end I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill you. Why couldn't I kill you? Why?"

Xellos replied quietly "I think you know why, mother, both for this time, and the last time, when you sent Lina to find me..."

She sobbed. "But I can't tell you, it would kill me."

Xellos was silent a long time, hugging Beastmaster, and stroking her hair gently, almost as if comforting a child. Finally he spoke in a low, hesitant voice. "Mother, the mazoku cannot die of old age, they must be destroyed, or kill themselves. But, unless you die, you cannot go on with the journey to the spiritual center of this world so you can climb the stairs to the top of the Astral plain. Are you sure you want to stay any more? Even before any of this happened you would occasionally speak of being tired of being a monster. It is for you to say, but maybe it is time?"

There was another long silence. Filia, Lina, and Zelgadiss could only stare with wide open eyes. Finally, Beastmaster spoke, very quietly. "Yes." she said. One word, and yet in that word was such a sense of relief, as if Beastmaster had finally reached a place of peace in her soul, that all who heard it were amazed. She spoke again. "Yes, it is time..."

Xellos gulped and tears stood in his eyes as he hugged the woman in his lap closer. "Mother..." he said, his voice breaking with grief.

Beastmaster reached up and tenderly stroked his hair and his cheek. "Promise me one thing?" she asked quietly.

He looked down and said "What is that, my mother?"

She smiled, and stroked his cheek again. "Do not ascend to the next plain until I become a human, and when I do, let me bear you again as my son, so I can tell you what I am about to say, and live..."

"It would be an honour, mother, and more than an honour." he smiled back at her through his tears.

"Please don't cry for me, my son." she said. "Instead, be happy that Beastmaster Zellas Metallium has finally continued the long journey home."

Xellos nodded. "I will do both, mother, as a human that is how I must be."

Zellas smiled. "As you must, so do my son." she said finally. "I have no words of wisdom to give you about being human, but I suspect you will enjoy the adventure."

Xellos smiled down at her, but the tears still dropped.

She looked up at him. "Xellos..." she said, and then stopped. She closed her eyes for a time, and a golden glow sprang up in the midst of her chest. She gasped, then said "There. I have spoken what is unspeakable for a mazoku in my heart, there is no going back now, so let me say it with my mouth. Good bye my son, until we shall meet again in the fullness of time. Please remember this, and may it be of comfort to you for the rest of your life, and beyond."

She hesitated for a second and stroked Xellos cheek one last time. The others held their breath.

Beastmaster spoke her last words with great tenderness.

"I love you..."

Even as she spoke she faded, then went still and silent. Xellos immediately hugged her tightly to himself and whispered back "I love you too..."

Suddenly there was a silent, brilliant flash that took several seconds to fade. When it did, Xellos' arms were empty. He stared at his hands, then slowly buried his face in them and wept openly for his loss.

Filia moved first. Perhaps surprisingly, perhaps not, she went forward and took him into a big hug of her own, weeping openly as well.

Lina staggered and felt Zelgadiss put his arms around her as he hugged her tight while she too wept.

For a time, only the sound of mourning was heard on the rock.

Finally Lina spoke. "We mourn for one we feared greatly, and who would have killed us, if she could, mere moments ago. Does anything make sense any more?"

Zel smiled a sad, bittersweet smile. "We mourn because we understand she was only being true to her nature. And because in the end we saw the good in her. Yes, even a mazoku must have a heart, if what the Silver Lord said is true, which it is..." he said, through sniffles of his own.

"All that, and we mourn also for Xellos' loss." said Filia quietly, through her tears.

Finally Xellos spoke. "I weep with sorrow for the loss of my mother, but I also weep with joy that she has finally moved on in her journey." He took a deep breath and stilled himself. "Come my friends, let us complete our mission now." He got up slowly. Drying his eyes he went to Zel and gently took his staff back.

He walked to the pit's edge. The little flames from before still danced around, now uncountable in their multitude. He held the staff aloft and shouted in a strong voice "Amilia! Come here!"

"There is no need to shout Mr. Xellos, I'm here already." said a quiet voice.

It was unmistakeable!

Amilia!

Zel stepped forward, to the very edge of the pit. Lina grabbed him from behind, and Xellos held his arm out to stop him. "Er, let's not try that twice..." he said.

Zel looked around. "Amilia? Amilia! I hear you, but I can't see you! Where are you?"

"Zel!" said Amilia, giving a cry of joy. The little flame in front of them suddenly flared up and danced harder. It flickered and spun around on itself, then, miraculously, it coalesced, and there, in front of them, was Amilia as she looked in life.

It was Zel's turn to weep with sorrow and joy now. "Amilia! Oh, to see you again, how wonderful. Amilia, I love you. I never had the chance to say that at the end, I'm so sorry."

Amilia smiled. "Zel, I love you too. The fires of this place are undescribably hot, but not hot enough to burn my love for you out of me. But what brings you here? I see you live still, how can it be that you are here? And why do you look for me? I sensed you wanted me when you fell in the pit, and I came, as have all the poor souls in this place, for never, since the begining, has such a thing happened."

She turned her gaze back to Xellos, and frowned. "And why is this torturing fiend with you?" she asked, shivering with memories best left alone.

"I apologise, Princess, for what I was, and did, as a mazoku..." Xellos said, his shame genuine.

Lina came forward. "As for that, it is my mission to tell you, all of you, the good news. Amilia, do you know the Silver Lord?"

"Yes." came the reply. "Much that has been forgotten to the living is still retained in our spirits, and when we die the memory returns. Too late, alas. But why do you ask about he who is our true father?"

"I have met him, Amilia, now, in my flesh, and he sent us here with a message." responded Lina. "Amilia, the long wait is over. Your suffering, and I mean this of all of you here in the pit, was not without purpose. The collective pain of the tormented souls in this place has put such a burden upon the yet living, that we are at last ready to take the next step in our journey to the center. To the place were we go to the next level. But to do it we must change. Magic must be abandoned and the inner journey of the self must be started. Now we are collectively ready."

"Listen Amilia, here is what is happening in the future, you are to be released from this place by the Silver Lord, and reborn! Reborn so that you can continue the journey! All of you, you will all be released!"

Amilia staggered where she stood. Or floated. "What do you mean Lina?" she asked, trying desperately to believe.

"What I say Amilia. Everyone here will get out of hell in the fullness of time. It won't happen at once, or else the earth will be overwhelmed, but the Silver Lord promised it will happen. And you, Amilia, you have been chosen to be the first one out."

"What? When? Why me, there are others more worthy..."

"No Amilia, it doesn't work like that. We are all equally worthy in his sight, you are first because we who happened to go looking for him, love you. Listen, here's what will happen. Zel is to take another wife, and she will conceive and bear a daughter. The daughter will be her own person as all re-incarnations are, but at the same time it will be you, carrying on your next life."

"Zel's going to be my daddy?" asked a perplexed Amilia. "Who's my mommy then?"

Zel spoke up "I'm still working on it, but she will be special, you can count on me."

Amilia stuttered "D-do I dare hope?"

Lina returned with "Amilia, look. You know us, and you know we are alive, here, in hell, the first miracle. The staff with the power of the Silver Lord and the Golden Lord, the second miracle. Xellos, who tormented you as a mazoku, now trying to help you, as a human, which is proven by the red blood he bleeds, the third miracle. Beastmaster is dead, acknowledging her love for Xellos, the fourth miracle. Zelgadiss tossed alive into the pit itself, and survives here beside me, the fifth miracle. Believe us or don't Amilia, what more can we show you?"

Amilia was silent for a long time, then softly, with tears in her voice "I believe..."

She was quiet for a bit, then said "I do believe, Lina. I do. Oh the words are so sweet to our ears! We, all of us, will await the time of our release. If I am first, so be it, but let it be for all of us, not just me!"

She seemed to dance. "Oh Zel, if I can no longer be your wife, I will be glad to be your daughter! Chose my mommy well, let her be someone who will love you as well as I have!"

Zel smiled. "I will Amilia, love, I will."

He then got serious. "Amilia, please tell me just one thing, if it is permited. What happened on that peak? Why did you fall?"

Amilia looked sad. "I do not know for sure, my love. It was near that time of the month for me, and I was trying to get some magic fun in with our daughter before I had to stop for a few days. I could feel the weakness begining on that day, but thought nothing of it, it was what I had felt all my life. But that day, something happened, I don't know what, I just blacked out. In the worst possible place too. Alas, my poor family. The pain of leaving you was, and is still, worse than the flames below me, and trust me, they hurt very much indeed. Do not come here Zel, under any condition, let this be your only visit."

She was silent for a bit. "Our children, they are alright?"

Zel nodded. "Yes, and you will have a half brother and a half sister to play with. You will play with our children again, beloved, but as one of them this time."

He smiled. "I love you." He held out his hands.

She approached and held hers out too. For a few seconds it was as if Zel was trying to grasp fire. Then the staff glowed, and suddenly Amilia's hands became solid, just for a minute.

"Until I hold you again in the flesh, my love." Zel whispered.

"Until then..." said Amilia with a smile.

The glow went out, and she returned to flame. "I am sorry," she said, sounding distant and tired now, "but I cannot hold this form any more..." Even as she spoke, her form dissolved, and the little flame they first saw danced before them.

Zel said. "Be at peace Amilia, this is but the sign we are done here and must return to the world of the living and tell others the good news. Besides, if I do not go, I cannot free you from this place. See you soon, my love..."

The flame danced, but could no longer answer.

After a minute, it, and the others with it, sank back into the pit. Zel gave a sob. Amilia was returning to the hell fires.

Lina took his hand and held it, her own tears flowing freely, as they had for Beastmaster. "Come Zel. Let us go, we must get her out for good." she said after a minute. Zel nodded.

Everyone looked to Xellos. He raised the staff again and said "If we have more to do here, please show us, if not, we are ready to go home..."

For the briefest time nothing happened. Then suddenly, the glass sphere dropped from the staff, shattering as it hit the ground.