Captive

Jasmine looks in the mirror holding up a teal, flowing dress. She's debating whether or not to go to the social dance. She hasn't been in 3 years, and Iris (Scout) never went since she doesn't like crowds or attention (although she loves to dance to the music in private.) The dance is well chaperone, so she wasn't worried about the girls getting into any trouble. Elizabeth, Ban, and Wild also went. She's waiting for the nightmare realm spell to wear off. She hasn't yet revealed to Elizabeth that the girls inside could possibly be her first cousins (one biological, two adopted). She thinks she remembers Azarath telling them that Artimes was the younger sister of Caelestis, the Supreme Goddess in Britannia. Elizabeth had revealed her mother as the Supreme Deity, who may be Caelestis, making Artimes her maternal aunt. However, Jasmine wants to be absolutely certain before telling Elizabeth.

She puts the cute dress back into her closet, deciding to go another time. "Not going?" ask Hawk standing at the door; "I hear that there's a number of guys who have crushes on both you and Scout."

"That's exactly why she never goes, plus she can't stand the attention."

"Does she date or have anybody special?" asks Hawk.

Jasmine shakes her head. "No. She's not interested in romance, guys, or dating at all that I'm aware of. I don't think she's ever even thought about it actually. But she's still young."

"I still can't believe that she's...you now. Anyway, what about you? What's keeping you from going?"

"Just bittersweet memories is all. Anyway, would you like some wine, Hawk?"

"Sure! Can I have half a bottle this time?"

"No."

Just then, they hear Zeldris scream. They run to the nursery to see him holding his nose while baby Jade is on the changing table. "HELP ME! I'M NOT CHANGING THIS DIAPER!"

"Why did you start?" asks Jasmine taking over; "You don't have to change their diapers."

"That pig there changed his sister but not these two!" Beatrice is hiding underneath her crib to avoid a diaper change. "I thought I should man up and face it, but I'm so not ready for this."

"It's ok Zeldris;" says Jasmine as she cleans Jade; "It's really not a big deal, you get used to it. Besides;" she tickles Jade on the tummy, which makes the infant smile and giggle. "Changing time can be fun, and great one-on-one interaction." She says something funny to baby in Greek as she puts on her clean diaper, sings "Mary had a Little Lamb", then picks Jade up and flies her through the air before putting her down. She then bribes out Beatrice by promising her favorite song and game while she's being changed. When that's done, Jaz invites Zel to have some wine with them, taking the girls, including Meliody, outside with them. The dogs also join them.

Zeldris sits in silence for a while, barely sipping his wine, before finally speaking. "So, how did Scout...may I call her Iris?"

"Of course."

"Umm, does she talk?"

"Yes, but not much."

"Hmm, when am I going to meet this supposed uncle of mine? I want to know everything, about Mother, about Iris, everything."

Jasmine nods.

Zeldris looks at his glass. "I can't believe it, that I had family out there all this time, supposedly good family too. But a SISTER, a real flesh and blood sister. I just want to hug her, and see her face, just for a moment."

"What do think Meliodas will think when he finds out?" ask Hawk looking up from his scarps plate.

"I don't know;" replies Zeldris; "Probably think it's all a joke at first, then be shocked, and probably excited."

They look at Mt Vesuvius as it gives a "little" rumble. Hawk admits that the glowing lava looks beautiful as the sun goes down. Jasmine holds out her hand, lava sparks come shooting from her. Hawk freaks out and Zeldris ask her to stop doing that. She puts her hand down giggles, then she feels something.

"What is it?" ask Zel.

"They're out. Come." The boys help her pick up the babies and follow her into the dining room. Zeldris braces himself for a fight. When they enter the room, they find Apolline, Stormy, and Arwin lying unconscious on the floor. They all look very pale and dehydrated, but something else doesn't feel right. They look at the young ladies and they seem ill. Then they see some magic smoke as if coming out of their skin. The girls don't wake up, and Jasmine knows that something's wrong. She puts the daughters of Artemis on colts and gets out the emergency liquid bags to pump into their veins.

Suddenly, the vulacish gets a horrible headache and cringes. She kneels on the floor and grabs her head.

"Are you alright?" asks both Zel and Hawk.

"Something's wrong where Iris is, I can feel it."

Mt. Vesuvius also acts up, and Jasmine can feel it's about to explode. She can also sense the other nearby volcanos, including Mount Edna in Sicily and the island of Stromboli, are about to explode as well. This will make transmission and transport to Egypt much more difficult, and the vulachish pastor knows that these aren't normal eruptions.

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Meliodas wakes up in what looks like a perfect cube; however, it feels much stronger than the ones his demon clan or Merlin uses, and it's pink instead of purple. He tries to kick it, only to discover that he's bond by the ankles with what looks like ivory or bone restraints. His wrists are also bind behind him by similar restraints. He's also sitting in a somewhat upright position, bound to the wall by both his neck and chest.

"What the hell!" Meliodas tries to break out, only to be shocked by black electric currents. He tries again, but he feels much weaker than normal, as if something seems to be suppressing his normally massive strength, or even draining it. He tries his demon power, but it only gets absorbed by the restraints.

"I've been trying that for a while now Meliodas;" says Inuyasha, who's right beside him.

"Inuyasha? What happened?" asks Meliodas as he keeps struggling against the restraints; "How did we end up here? The last thing I remember is collapsing after we defeated Lucy. Oh, and Willie fixing my clothes."

"They trapped us in some kind of jewel. A jewel like that could've contained my father! Where did they get something like that."

Meliodas stops struggling to take a rest; "I can't get out! What the hell are these things?"

"Devil cuffs!" says Inuyasha as he resumes his struggle. "They're made from extremely strong demon bone and infused with devil energy and anti-magic. Only a handful of beings in existence even have the power and skill to make something like these."

It seems like the more they struggle, the stronger their restraints get. Soon they are both too tired and throbbing with pain to keep struggling and rest.

GROWLLLLLL!

"Uuugh;" Meliodas says weakly; "Man, I'm famished. How long was I out anyway?"

"Don't mention your stomach;" says Inuyasha, trying to ignore his own hunger.

They hear a click and a couple of people come in. It's Ching Liang, holding what looks like a flyer, and another demon slayer who possess a language amulet.

"I thought he looked familiar." They enter the cell and show their captives a Chinese reward poster, which looks a lot like Inuyasha, although the guy in the picture had facial markings that the half-demon lacks.

"You're Sesshomaru, the son of Toga the great dog demon."

Inuyasha growls; "Idiots, I'm Inuyasha! Sesshomaru is my brother!"

"You didn't tell me you had a brother;" says Meliodas.

"Oh yes;" replies the male slayer; "I remember hearing that Toga had another son with a human woman. How disgusting."

"And this other one is supposedly Meliodas, son of Barbatos and Isabella, also a hybrid;" says Ching Liang; "Doesn't look a thing like his wanted poster." She holds up one of Meliodas's old wanted posters, which resembles a middle-aged man. Inuyasha's eyes bug out.

"That's supposed to be you?"

"Yea;" Meliodas can't help but smile; "I used to hang those posters in my tavern. Nobody was looking for a youth that didn't age, even though I'm not one, per say." Meliodas then realizes the slayer said something odd. "What was that you said about me? I'm whose son?"

Ching Liang rolls her eyes; "Stop playing stupid, son of Barbatos."

Meliodas is perplexed; "I don't know any Barb...whatever. My father was the demon king."

"Which demon king?" asks the male slayer. Ching Liang hits him in the groin with a medal stick, he shrikes with pain.

"Anyway, let's go. Madame Artemis will be in soon to see them."

"Hey, wait!" shouts Meliodas; "Are you going to feed us? I'm so running on empty. What about the toilet? I really need to go, and I can't move."

Ching Liang claps her hands. Strange, faceless, slimy things that resemble beetles appear, with what looks like several skinny tubes with needles on the ends. They stick those up both Meliodas and Inuyasha, which is extremely uncomfortable and painful, and cleans them out.

"That should do it for a while. Let's go."

"Should I leave this amulet here?"

"Absolutely NOT! Don't need them plotting behind our backs. Now come!"

The male slayer, feeling just a little sorry for them, leaves the amulet in the room anyway, and secretly plans to feed them later, despite having orders not too.

Inuyasha grinds in pain; "The nerve sticking that thing up into me. I'm going to slice that woman in half when I get out of here."

"We will;" says Meliodas; "Helps on the way I'm sure of it."

Inuyasha glares at him. "You sure are optimistic."

"Well, I need to be" replies the dragon sin with a smile; "Everything always works out. Besides, we've got plenty of friends looking for us."

GROWLLLLLL!

Meliodas cringes in pain, then laughs a little.

"Hehe, sorry."

His stomach keeps growling so loudly that it's deafening, much to the annoyance of Inuyasha. Suddenly, a certain flea demon springs from the half-demon's robe.

"BARBATOS! As in Barbatos, one of the world's original demon warlords? He's your father?!"

"WHAT?!" shouts Meliodas; "Where the hell did you come from, talking flea?"

"Myoga! You've been inside my robe this whole time and only now make your presence know?" asks Inuyasha.

"Well you wrapped me up awfully tight in there, Master Inuyasha. I only just remembered who Barbatos was?

Meliodas is beyond perplexed. "I don't know any Barbieto, my father was the demon king?"

"Which demon king?" asks Myoga.

"What do mean which demon king?" replies Meliodas; "There's more than one? Oh, yea I guess so, Cousin Cleo's the demon queen, and her father was the demon king, right?"

Inuyasha shakes his head; "What is your father's name, Meliodas?"

Meliodas realizes that he doesn't know how to answer that question; "Um, you mean as in a name name? Well..." he pauses for a moment; "Honestly, I don't know if he had a regular name or not. I only knew him as the demon king, and Father of course. Some called him Master."

"Seriously?!" says Inuyasha, "You don't know your own father's name?"

Meliodas shrugs his shoulders; "I don't recall ever being told his name. Not that I remember everything, especially after having some of my bad memories erased, but still."

"Then it is possible that Barbatos could be your father;" informs Myoga; "he was one of the worst warlords, so I heard, although not as bad as some of the warlords of the East."

Meliodas can't imagine anybody being worse than his father or the Supreme Deity, except Cath, of course.

"What about your mother?" asks Inuyasha; "If your father was a demon, she must have been human, just like my mother."

Meliodas really doesn't get that assumption; "What do you mean? There's no way my mother could've been human. Heck, I don't even know if I ever had a mother. My father didn't have a lover that I know off."

"Of course, you had a mother!" goes Inuyasha; "they said you were the son of Barbatos and...Is..a...bella, something like that. Also, you're a half-demon, like me, or don't you know that?"

Meliodas's jaw drops. He gives the half-demon a strange look. "What do you mean? I'm a full-blooded demon, I've always been. HEY!"

Myoga shucks some of the dragon sin's blood. "Nope. You're definitely half-demon, half-human, just like Master Inuyasha here. Although I think your demon genes are a lot more dominant than your human ones, unlike Inuyasha, including the fact that you've got several hearts. That would certainly give off the impression, even the magical aura, to most that you're a full-fledged demon. But believe me you're not."

Meliodas looks down and remains silent. He doesn't know what to think. How can this be possible? Of all the crazy things he's learned over the last few days, this really take the cake.

"Cake, umm;" his mouth waters and belly rumbles at the thought, then he shakes his head and refocuses. "Are...are you guys sure I'm half-human? This isn't some kind of joke, is it?" He pauses for a second; "No no guys. If I was part anything else, somebody would've told me all this, I'm sure of it. It just doesn't make any sense."

Suddenly the door opens. Myoga shivers in fear and jumps back inside Inuyasha's robe. A "short" giant enters the room in dark red robe. Inuyasha feels power much greater than that of his current enemies, and it's feels eerily familiar to Meliodas.

"We meet again, Meliodas."

The dragon sins jaw drops at the sound of that voice. "No, it can't be!"

Off comes the cloak to reveal a lady that looks very similar to Elizabeth, but with grey eyes and not as pretty. Then she glows and her clothes change to the white gown and gloves of the Supreme Deity as a large light glow covers her face, but her size remains the same as her real size wouldn't fit in these caves.

Meliodas gasps; "YOU! So your behind all this? How the hell did you survive? Zel and I sliced you to pieces!"

"You only thought you did. I don't know how you learned about your relatives in Egypt, but it worked out well."

Meliodas struggles against the restraints; "You won't get away with this. This time we'll finish you for good." He gets zaps by the restraints, then Caelestis strikes him with lightning for the fun of it.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" shouts Inuyasha. Caelestis then seals his mouth with a light ring.

"Shut up." She enters the cell and lowers her face towards Meliodas, who has to squint his eyes from the brightness of her light.

"Get out of my face, you devil! Or are you afraid to look me right in the eye?"

Her light fades to reveal her face again, her eyes full of hate. "How does it feel to be totally helpless and at my mercy once again, cursed child."

A furious look appears on Meliodas face. "I've never been helpless, nor am I now and have never been at your mercy!" He tries to get up, but the restraints shock him.

Caelestis flashes an evil smile; "You weren't my original target, but you'll do just nicely. Since you're here, I might as well curse you again, you back-stabbing sinner."

Someone clears his throat behind her, it's Vald; "I don't mean to talk out of turn, darling...I mean your highness, but I really don't think that's wise. I mean what's the point."

"If I wanted your opinion, I'd ask for it! Now leave me alone, you screaming worm of vomit!"

"But sweetheart..."

She hits her lover with her god thunder volt, severely injuring him. She again looks at Meliodas and starts to raise her hand.

GROWLLLLLL!

Caelestis stops as she hears that and sneers at Meliodas. He returns an ugly look at her, trying to hide his pain. The Supreme Deity just laughs.

"Well well, so your old hunger problems have returned. I don't think I'll return your curse right now. This will be even more amusing for the time being."

"You better not lay a hand on Elizabeth, YOU UNDERSTAND ME!"

Caelestis glares at Meliodas and touches his chin. Inuyasha struggles to kick her.

"Who says I'm going to, for now."

Meliodas tries to bite her fingers; she just laughs and pats his head. She then looks at Inuyasha and reveals that she has the Tassaiga and its stealth.

"Inuyasha is it, son of Toga. You come from a long line of eastern demon greatness. Thank you for the new toy, made from the very fangs of your father. I might have some use for this."

Inuyasha tries harder to break his restraints. Caelestis strengths them as well as hits the Japanese half-demon with lightning, temporarily immobilizing him. She turns to exit the cell.

"WAIT!" shouts Meliodas; "I demand that you answer one question. Do you know about my mother?"

Caelestis gives the dragon sin another smug look. "Biggest mistake Barbatos ever made, forcing a lower than the dust human to bare his vessels."

Inuyasha gasps underneath the mouth restraint. Meliodas is stunned in shock as she grabs Vald and drags him out with her. Inuyasha looks at Meliodas and can feel his blood boiling. The dragon sin feels hot tears in his eyes. A beyond furious look appears on his face, as well as his demon marks. He screams his loudest scream as his wrath starts to explode. However, instead of his black mass exiting his body, due to all the restraints binding him, his wrath attacks him directly within. Suddenly, Meliodas collapses in silence.

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In Luxor's demon realm, Azarath's in tears sitting next to his ill granddaughter. Cloe's barely conscious, sweating blood, and is suffering from a dangerously high fever. The magic purple rash has almost completely engulfed her body and her organs, especially her seven hearts, are being attacked. Azarath has seen this disease before, and it's fatal without the cure. The flowers that the disease comes from was supposed to have been destroyed centuries ago, making finding the cure even harder. Margaret, Jericho, and Guila are also affected with the disease, though not as bad as Cleo as it's a disease for demons, but their lives are still in danger. Azarath, Iris, and the healers together have been able to slow down the disease, but there's little else they can do except keep them comfortable.

"My sweet girl;" sniffs Azarath; "Why didn't I return sooner? Why did I leave at all? Maybe this wouldn't have happened to you if I stayed."

He feels a gentle hand touch him, it's Iris. She tells her uncle in sign language that it's not his fault, he did the right thing by returning to Cario to save the people there. Azarath knows that he can't, nor would Cleo want him to, trade their lives to save hers. None the less, he still feels bad about it. The look on his niece's face shows that she too blames herself, and they momentarily take each other's hands. Then they each take one of Cleo's hands and pray over her. Both of them have been trying to reach Jasmine. With several very active volcanoes in Naples, it's difficult for transmission to get through. Azarath tried twice to open portals to Naples, but the volcanic activity interferes with that as well. Plus, there seems to be something else in the air that's also interfering with his powers. He intends to keep trying while also having to comfort the realm residents. No one was killed during the battle fortunately thanks to the efforts of Meliodas and Inuyasha (and Willie pulling several to safety with his threads). Plus, thanks to Iris and the healers, the badly injured are all on the road to recovery. Much of the damage has already been repaired, however, the residents are fearfully worried for their queen.

Iris find Gowther, who's holding Gulia's hand as she suffers. She touches Gowther's head to project her thoughts to him. He's stunned by what she wants to do, and is worried that it won't be easy, but he's willing to do whatever it takes to save his captain and friends.

The bakery owner was horrified to find the shape of her bakery. Who in the world would do such a thing to her place? In addition to the horrible mess, her covers were nearly bare, and the awful stench still lingered. Plus, both ovens looked like the needed to be replaces. She finds the finished cake. It looks "ok" on the outside, but she is skeptical. Non the less, she decides to give a try, not like she hasn't tried bad stuff before. She tries to cut a small slice, but much of the cake is as hard as stone. She braces herself as she takes a bit of the softer spot. It's the most awful thing she ever tasted, and she runs to the waste basket to throw-up.

After nightfall, Azarath's still hasn't gotten through to Jasmine. She can act as an anchor in the right spot for a portal to open. Meanwhile, Iris and Gowther have disappeared.

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In the Transylvanian Alps, Ching Liang is walking the halls bothered by something. She overheard some of Artimes allies. They were discussing that something was really off about Madame Artimes because they don't understand why she'd suddenly order an invasion of demon realms that haven't caused any problem for them or anybody. They did attack people when deemed necessary, such as gathering the sacred objects to rescue her son, or having to get food that was being hoarded by other regions or rescue people being sold into slavery, but certainty not to bring about suffering, most definitely not an all-out war. Still, they trusted her and felt compelled to obey her, despite not knowing why.

Ching Liang does admit that Artimes has been acting more aggressive and less reasonable the past couple of days, and her aura feels off. However, she just wonders if the goddess has finally come to her senses and realizes that they need to kill evil, especially demons, before they wipe out all of humanity. The slayer believes that ALL demons are of the evil one and that all must be killed eventually, especially human-demons hybrids who sometimes are even more powerful and dangerous than full-blooded demons due to the blood mixing somehow enhancing their powers. She's impatient to eliminate those two hybrids and send them to hell where they belong. However, she has been ordered to keep them alive for the time being. Now would be the perfect opportunity to kill them while their down and weak. She might as well just do it and get it over with.

She's then tapped on the shoulder, jumping and ready to fight. Her fellow male slayer is behind her.

"I've told you to stop doing that!"

"Sorry;" he says; "but the human we brought in with the demons, he's not in his cell."

"What do you mean he's not in his cell?!" shouts Ching Liang.

"I mean...he's not there. We checked every inch of that cell, but I don't know how he got out."

Ching Liang activates her portal and goes to another part of the mountain. Sure enough Willie, who'd been placed in an ordinary cell with a low magic barrier, wasn't there. Ching Liang investigates and checks the door. The lock has been picked.

"DANM IT! He picked the lock. How, we searched him?"

"Maybe with his thread magic;" suggest her partner.

Ching Liang slaps the floor. "I should've known he'd do something like that. Find him! Search everywhere and everybody, he may be in disguise. NOW!"

The Supreme Deity is in Artimes' chambers, talking to a least two others on the teleline. Vald, injured and lying on the bed, has awaken and hears the conversations. He'd had no idea that Caelestis had been in contact with other warlords, goddess and demon alike. He can't make out everything they are saying, but it definitely sounds like they are conspiring. What is she up too? After she cuts off the teleline, one of her loyal goddesses comes in, informing her that the next phase of the plan is already happening in Naples. Vald doesn't really understand Britannian, but he can make out that they are talking about the volcanoes and the vulachish. As the goddess takes his leave, Vald struggles to sit up.

"Darling, what's going on? Are you going to attack the Naples vulachish?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what..."

She comes over to him and turns on her seductress charm, she then partly heals Vald and promises to give him the power he asked for after a little "down time." Despite feeling that it's a bad idea, Vald gives into her charm and starts to undress her. She tells him to hold off while she pours some champagne. Little does he know that she's spiking his drink, and that her goddesses are provoking the vulachish at Mt Edna and the Aeolian Islands (who usually keep to themselves) to fight each other, which will also set off the volcanoes. Her co-conspirators across the globe are planning the same thing in other regions, which will set off a global chain reaction if they succeed.