Hello, everyone. As per usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

40- Lesson Learned

Zelgadis collected the important information while Lyos and Shizuri attempted to comfort an inconsolable Gourry. Pestis looked on in horror, Gourry's previous question ringing through his mind. Are you talking about the same Azarel that we're talking about?

"Do you know what poison it was that Azarel used?"

"N-no." Enrique shook his head. He'd said that Azarel had poisoned Zara, which was true in the ultimate sense. It was easier than explaining what had really happened. He just hoped that the group wouldn't notice the hesitance in his voice.

"As far as you know, this state was brought on by the poison, right? All the other injuries are minor?"

"I guess. I don't know. Azarel must have thrown him around before…"

"Enrique, could you step away for a moment? I need to speak with Professor Nisery."

Enrique nodded, wiping away tears on his blood-stained shirt sleeve. He shuffled over to where the other group members were ready to affectionately embrace him while Zelgadis motioned Pestis closer.

"Is he okay?" the professor whispered.

"He's alive, but things aren't looking good. You're going to have to cover for me while I help him." Zelgadis whispered.

"You can save him?" Pestis whispered in reply.

"Yes. I won't let him die. But you'll have to take care of Azarel on your own."

"Don't worry." Pestis assured him. "You go find a safer place to work. I'll lead the rest of the group, and I'll make sure that Azarel doesn't find out about this."

Zelgadis gave a grave nod. "I trust you."

"Good." Pestis waited only a beat before turning around to the others, waving his hands and leading them back toward the path. "Everyone follow me!" he insisted. "We have a battle to attend and we don't have any time to lose. We'll have to cover for Zelgadis, so everyone needs to be on their toes."

"Wait! What about Zara?" Gourry demanded, reaching out toward where Zelgadis was retreating. He would have run after them if he could, but both Shizuri and Lyos had a firm grip on his arm. "Is he okay? Where are you taking him? Bring him back!"

"H-hey! Where are we going? I can't be seen by Azarel! He'll kill me!" Enrique protested loudly.

"Enrique." Pestis reached out and grabbed his hand. "We won't let that happen. We'll protect you- don't worry." The professor took one of Gourry's hands in his remaining. His expression changed drastically, and the swordsman caught on to its meaning right away. He tried to pull away, shaking his head back and forth, but Pestis kept a firm grip. "Gourry. Look at me, Gourry. I'm sorry. There was nothing we could do. Zelgadis is going to… take care of things. For now, we need your help."

The light disappeared from Gourry's eyes as the professor's words seemed to confirm his worst fears. His voice cracked as he spoke. "…what?"

Enrique shrunk back, pulling his hand from Pestis' grip. "Wait… no…"

"I know what you're feeling- I promise. But there will be time to grieve later. Right now Azarel is waiting for us. We need to-"

"NO!" Gourry screamed, and it took all of the others' strength to keep him from running off. "NO, that's my SON! Bring him BACK! You CAN'T take him! I have to-"

"Gourry. Stop." Pestis reached out and pulled on Gourry's scarf. "He's dead. There's nothing you can do for him. What you need to do now is focus on helping the people that you can save."

"Wait! That can't be true!" Enrique yelled. "You're lying!"

"Please, you can't do this." Gourry protested. "That's my son! You can't-"

"LISTEN TO ME!"

Pestis jerked sharply on Gourry and Enrique's hands.

"People die. I'm not going to sugar-coat that. I don't expect you to deny that. But my duty is to save those who are still living. That means you. And if you don't listen to me, I can't do my job."

"But…" Lyos began. He was too stunned by all of it to shed any tears, but that wasn't the case for Shizuri.

"How could you be so callous?" she demanded. "Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children!"

"Shizuri." Pestis let go of Enrique and Gourry and approached the woman with a stern expression. "I want you to say exactly what you said to me, but say it to every parent who's ever had to bury their child. Say it to Amelia and Zelgadis. Say it with that same straight face. How do you think that will go over? Will it change anything?"

"…I…" Shizuri stammered. "…I didn't-"

"Will. It. Change. Anything?"

"No."

It was Gourry who answered.

"No, it won't change anything. There's no way to change the past. The only thing that can be done is work toward the future. And that's what we have to do."

"Gourry, you…" Lyos wasn't even able to figure out what he wanted to say. The brokenness in Gourry's voice was too much for him to bear. He watched the group as they kept moving, though he pulled back and tugged on Shizuri's coat sleeve.

"What do you want?" she whispered.

"Did you see Zara?" Lyos asked a question in reply.

"Wh-wha? Of course I saw him." she stammered with a desperate shudder. "There's no horror like seeing someone who-"

"Right. That's what I'm saying." Lyos interrupted. "I don't know about you, but I don't think that kid was dead. He couldn't have been."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't. But I wanna know why Pestis sent Zelgadis to take care of things. What does that even mean? Zelgadis is one of our most talented fighters. We need him here. Pestis wouldn't have sent him with Zara unless Zara needed him more than we did. He's the closest thing we have to a healer, don't forget."

Shizuri sent a tentative glance to the group's leader. The answer had already dawned on her, but she asked the question anyway. "Why would Professor Nisery lie about that?"

Lyos shot a quick glance at Pestis, making sure that he couldn't hear the conversation. "…I think he's playing us. Look at Gourry. The guy is crushed. He thinks Azarel killed his kid, and now nothing matters except getting revenge. He's lost all sense of self-preservation. So what if he dies getting revenge? It doesn't matter anymore."

"We're all expendable." Shizuri breathed.

"That's what the professor is thinking, I'll bet. As long as he gets rid of Azarel, that's all he wants. She challenged him to a battle to the death, and he's going to win it, no matter who he has to sacrifice."

"But…" Shizuri glanced toward the front of the group, where Pestis was leading the way. He was no longer smiling or joking around. The whole situation had become too grave. "…he wouldn't…"

"I'm not sure of all this." Lyos shrugged. "But, more than anything, we need to look out for Gourry. Whatever happens, we can't let him sacrifice himself."

Shizuri looked down at her feet. "Part of me hopes that you're wrong about all this. But… a bigger part of me hopes- and thinks- that you're right."

Lyos said nothing, staring intently at the rest of their group. Pestis had stated that he was focused on saving those who were still living, but Lyos wasn't quite sure what that entailed. The look in Gourry's eyes was the look of a man who was already dead.

"Good evening. I'm glad you could make it."

Azarel's response when the group finally arrived was cold, and it was difficult to tell whether or not the Mazoku was being serious. Pestis stepped forward and motioned for the rest of the group to stay a safe distance away. Reactions varied, from Gourry, who was clearly exerting a copious amount of self-restraint to keep from attacking Azarel on the spot, and Enrique, who was all too eager to hide behind the others so as not to be seen.

"I hope we're not late." Pestis gave a polite bow. "We're here, just like you asked."

"Is this everyone?" Azarel raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, everyone. We're it."

"Where's your brau demon friend?"

"Not here. He's busy."

"And the Justice-freak? What about Lina?"

"They're also busy."

"Popular night for schedule conflicts, huh? I guess three days was pretty short notice."

"No kidding."

There was a pause. "Well," Azarel began with a shrug. "I suppose you can decide how to start up. Ten paces out and then we fire? I'm always game for a good old Western shootout."

"Azarel, we're knee-deep in snow in the heart of a temperate rainforest."

"Okay, then! On the count of three…"

"Are you listening to me? I just want to talk to you!"

"…one…"

"This insanity has gone on long enough, Azarel. Right now, we need to decide-"

"FIRE!"

"What happened to two and three?!" Pestis was forced to dive down and form a defensive barrier. The attack was directed only at him, so the rest of the group was safe… for now. But Azarel wasn't finished.

"Stop, stop!" Pestis yelled, but Azarel didn't appear at all fazed by his pleas. Each attack followed the other in such rapid succession that Pestis' defensive barriers were weakening quickly. He didn't understand where Azarel had gotten this power. This wasn't the way things were the last time they fought. Did that mean Azarel was truly drawing on what was left of Phibrizzo's power? That meant Pestis was fighting all-out against a Mazoku lord, and he didn't stand a chance… unless…

"Watch out!"

Gourry grabbed ahold of Pestis' shoulder and pushed him aside, blocking the majority of the attack with the blade of replica Sword of Light. Azarel's attack grazed him, but he managed to pull himself back to his feet. The professor drew in a sharp breath as he realized how close he'd been to getting hit. The consideration of such an impossible option had dazed him and he'd forgotten to concentrate his energy into a barrier.

"…Gourry…" he murmured incredulously. "…you…"

"This isn't your fight, human." Azarel spat.

Gourry practically snarled in reply. "You made it my fight."

"Heh." Azarel's frown turned up into a grin. "Don't be so sore. If you were a Mazoku, you'd understand how disposable humans really are. They're like hamsters and mice- fun pets to play with, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether they live or die. They're a dime-a-dozen anyway."

Gourry pulled himself from Pestis' side, ready to fight, and Azarel was eager to jump into battle against him. However, the Mazoku was cut off abruptly. The whole forest- snow included- appeared to burst into flames. A woman's voice emanated from the fire, clear and crisp like the burning of paper.

"No animal is ever disposable, no matter how small it is. It's the same with humans."

Azarel laughed. "Nice try, Miss Illusionist, but Hellmaster can never be intimidated by flames!"

The flames, of course, died down in that instant, revealing Shizuri in what had been the inferno. Azarel was about flaunt a victory, but didn't get far enough before being interrupted by a searing pain. It was an agony no Mazoku could ever mistake- the burn of holy magic.

"You didn't have to be intimidated." Lyos declared. "Just distracted."

The knight's sword had dug firmly into Azarel's abdomen, brimming loudly with a small quantity of the Aqualord's power. Unfortunately, as limited as the amount of power was, it was too much for the ordinary sword. The blade shattered, and Azarel was released to escape over the astral plane. The Mazoku appeared behind Lyos, weakened but still able to deliver a blow that sent him reeling forward.

Lyos, still in shock from seeing the sword shatter so easily, doubled over in pain. Azarel strode back toward Pestis, leaving the knight on the ground. Gourry was by Lyos' side in a split second, desperate to do what he could, but it became clear right away that the injury wasn't serious. Lyos was stunned, but not hurt.

"Quit dragging your pets into this mess. I'm not going to waste power killing them when I need to use it to kill you." Azarel called out to Pestis. The professor narrowed his eyes, but didn't get the chance to speak before Enrique burst in for the first time.

The boy had been hiding as far away as he could get, not wanting to incur Azarel's wrath by showing his face. But what Azarel had said was far too hurtful for him to accept.

"What do you mean, you won't waste your power? What about the power you used to kill Zara?!"

Azarel regarded the boy for a moment, decided that killing him wasn't worth the effort, and shrugged in reply.

"I didn't kill Zara, remember? He killed himself."

There was a sudden pause. The snow seemed to start falling harder.

"Wha-" Gourry's face turned pale.

"You poisoned his mind, Azarel! Even if you didn't kill his body, you're responsible for his death. Everyone who knew him would know that he loved life too much to ever throw one away- especially his own!" Enrique sobbed, losing control over his composure. "You're the one who did that to him!"

"I did nothing." Azarel stated firmly, unwilling to budge. "He killed himself."

Gourry drew in an unsteady breath. "…someone even we couldn't save him from…" he murmured hoarsely.

"You're wrong!" Enrique yelled through his tears. "You're wrong about all of that!"

"Enrique." Azarel muttered dryly. "Give it up. You won't make a difference. Stop fighting."

"NO!"

There was a brief silence. The snowfall lightened. Enrique drew another deep breath and continued.

"I won't stop. I'll never stop. Maybe I won't make a difference, but I don't care. For the rest of my life, I will fight, so what happened to Zara never happens to anyone else." He stopped for a moment to look around at the others. "…s-so… even if no one else will, I will fight you."

Everyone remained quiet. It seemed almost as if everything had stopped. Azarel stepped toward Enrique, one hand outstretched in preparation for an attack.

"The rest of your life, huh? That can be arranged easily."

Enrique realized in that split second that he had no way of fighting back. He was all talk, with no power to back it up. There was nothing he could do but stand there and let Azarel kill him. If he ran away, he'd just be the coward that he'd always been. It was a short life, but it had been rewarding. And at least he could die standing up for someone he loved.

"ENRIQUE!"

He didn't hear the scream. The explosion was louder than he'd expected. Azarel was mad. And, yet, it left his ears ringing but his body unscathed. Azarel had been prepared to deal a finishing blow- so what happened?

"You will not be killing any more children tonight."

The voice caused Enrique to straighten up abruptly. Professor Nisery stood in front of him, holding an unfamiliar weapon- a swordlike object that glowed with a red haze. It wasn't like anything Enrique had ever seen before, and from the looks of Lyos and Shizuri, it wasn't like anything they'd ever seen either.

Gourry and Azarel, however, were showing different reactions.

"Th-th-that sword…" Gourry stammered under his breath. "Th-that was…"

Azarel smirked.

"It's so good to finally see you taking responsibility, Lord Pathosmaster."

Pestis narrowed his eyes. "No creature with a mind to think and heart to feel is ever disposable. My first act as Pathosmaster will be to teach you that."

Xellos watched the scene from afar, frowning pensively as he saw what had taken place.

"Tsk." he muttered to himself. "And Azarel had been playing so nicely into my hands, too. Step carefully, professor. If you mess this up for us, Lord Beastmaster will not be happy."