Revelations

In a harsh, almost uninhabitable environment that resembles Britannia's purgatory dimension, except that this place is dark purple and brown and is bubbling with lava mud and tar pits and pyroclastic ash clouds, two figures appear by teleportation. It is Madame Artemis and her assistant, who's coated with a protective light shield. He is grossed out by the environment.

"Ew. Madame, why are we down here? Couldn't you have picked another place to talk?"

"This is one of the few places she can't see or hear us."

A tar bubble pops on her assistant's protective invisible shield. "Yuck! Let's hurry up. How much longer do you believe you can contain her? She knows that you know that she's just trying to use you and that you're just buying time."

"Of course, she knows;" says Madame; "I'm keeping my enemy close to me while I can. Her power grows by the day, and I won't be able to contain her much longer. At least I was able to trick her into revealing the locations of the other relicts. We must hurry and make our move now before she makes her. I'm so sick of her games. It's time to free my son and take care of her once and for all."

"Are you sure you don't to accept help from, you know who?"

Artemis shakes her head. "He'll only try to stop me, like he always has. He doesn't believe I can free my son without releasing anything else. I can and I will."

"What about your daughters? We still haven't located them?"

"They're probably better off in the nightmare realm. They are so stubborn. I don't want them involved in this fight. They'll be killed for sure."

"I'm sorry to say this Madame, but you can't protect them forever. You couldn't even keep them down here for their own protection."

"Speaking of which, I don't feel them. I haven't felt them in weeks. Where are they?"

Her assistant really isn't so sure. "I don't remember Madame. This is a big place after all."

"They better NOT be trying to break out of this protective area again, or they may not survive out there." Madame Artemis removes her hood, back facing her assistant. Her hair is light lavender, long and straight. "Not much long now, then I'll finally free them."

"I still don't believe they understand your type of protection, Madame."

(Close up of her eyes) Madame Artemis lowers her eyelids over her hazel eyes, looking down. "I can't let my sister get her evil hands on them, especially Iris. I don't even want to imagine the harm she'd do to her. I won't sacrifice anymore innocent lives."

"Would Madame like a cup of coca?"

"Sure. With marshmallows please. I'll take it in the library. I'm going to grab some old reports from the files and read them, see if I'm missing anything. And to make sure nothings being withheld from me, if you know what I mean. Have those boars been rounded up and destroyed yet?"

"The official report said that they were, Madame."

"I wonder. Let's go. I'm going to the villages tomorrow to see how the lands and new crops are coming along after those beasts destroyed the lands. It's embarrassing borrowing supplies from other regions."

"Well as you said, the peasants need to eat."

"People, not peasants. Get it right, Vald!"

22222222222222222222222222

Howser, Gilthunder, and Griamore watch from inside the ladder's gravity bubble as hundreds of giant wildfire boars enter the ocean and swim out to sea. Over a hundred holy knights and ordinary soldiers continue to herd the beasts towards the sea. The three senior knights are very battle weary.

"I take back what I said earlier;" says Howser; "these things are nearly as tough as the demon clan."

"That was a great plan Bartra had, hoarding these beasts to the ocean;" says Gilthunder; "they all should drown before they reach the next land mass."

"It was actually Victoria's sly comment that gave Bartra the idea;" Griamore reminds them. "I'm so glad Bartra's niece sent tropes from the mainland to help. Without them, this would've taken so much longer."

Howser yawns and slaps himself to stay awake. "Let's go. There's still plenty of pigs to get that didn't fall for our trick. The soldiers guarding the farms and villages are exhausted and these things just keep going and going. We're probably going to be up all night again."

They haven't gotten far when the Roars of Dawn order intersects them and reminds them that they have orders from the king to rest and alternate duties with them and a fresh mainland squad behind them. The three knights look at this squad from Queen Joan, the niece of Bartra's late wife Caroline. They don't know much about this squad, who call themselves the Brown Praying Mantises. They consist of 8 members (6 males, 2 females), each wearing short brown and green robes with looks of intend on their faces. They have a reputation of loving battle too much, especially their lanky and creepy looking captain, who just "loves" to slice up worthy opponents. They also have a reputation of causing great destruction and for being thuggish, making the Roars of Dawn, who are known for finishing their job no matter the costs, and the wild party bunch Seven Deadly Sins, seem like " sane angels" by comparison.

"I don't know about them;" says Howser. When they arrive back at camp, they are shocked to see what a total wreck it. To say that a hurricane hit it would be an understatement. Veronica, who insists on remaining close to the front lines, is waiting for them.

"What happened here?" asks Howser.

"Those praying mantis guys and girls decided to let off some steam before going into battle. Cousin Joan apologized for sending them, but they're the best when it comes to this type of job. Now, sit down and eat. Then the three of you are going to get some sleep. That's an order!"

All three get some food and sit down around the campfire. They are all bone tired, but Gilthunder doubts that he'll get any sleep with Margaret out there in the world somewhere.

222222222222222222222

In Carmine's tent, everybody, minus the demon slayer whose still out cold, and Carmine, who's in another part of the tent with her glowing orb ball, sit in silence around the warm stove with bowls of Tsampa and tea. Nobody is really eating, and everybody just sits in silence either looking at their bowls or each other awkwardly. Nuri has her back turned to the Britannians, just repeatedly stirring her now cold Tsampa.

King finally breaks the silence. "Come on. Doesn't she have anything else other than this bland barley soup and tea to have?"

"King?" says Merlin shocked.

"Be grateful!" snaps Nuri; "You're lucky to have any food at all. Sorry that she doesn't have any enough barley right now to make bread! Harvest time is at the start of summer!"

King quicky picks up his spoon and starts eating. "Right. Sorry. I'm grateful. It's not so bad. Really."

Nuri sits back down and takes a spoonful of her cold Tsampa. After eating it nearly every day for 300 years, she never quite got used to the taste. Still, it brings back some of her more pleasant memories. "I remember teaching Carmine how to make this." She realizes that she said that out load. The Britannians look at her and she turns away again.

Gelda inches closer. "Li...I mean Nuri. I remember your mother. You were named after her, you know? She was the wisest, most kind and beautiful woman I ever knew. I looked up her and I still aspire to be like her."

Merlin holds back tears hearing that. Nuri pretends not to be touched by the statement. Gelda tilts her head thoughtfully.

"I don't know if it helps, but I never knew my mother either. She was human you know. Carrying a half-vampire child killed her. In truth, I had no desire to live at all until Zeldris saw the good in me."

Gelda sees Nuri cringing her fists, trying to hold her temper. "Please don't get angry. I'm sorry, I didn't know you had a crush on Zel. Merlin told me about that day, when the demon princes rescued you both."

Nuri just takes a deep breath and sieges. She finally turns to face Gelda. "I'm...I'm...sorry. It wasn't just having a crush on Zeldris. I looked up to you too, Gelda. I idolize you. I envied you. You had everything I wanted, including a loving father. When I saw you..." Nuri cringes her fists and hot tears form in her eyes. "You never even noticed me Gelda. Nobody did. You ignored me when I tried to get your attention. I hated you for that."

Gelda had no idea, neither did Merlin. No wonder Nuri's so angry and bitter.

There's silence for several more minutes, then King breaks the quite once again. "If you don't mind by asking, why would the Supreme Deity curse Merlin's sister instead of Merlin? It doesn't make sense."

Merlin knows why the deity and demon king punished and killed her sister in front of her, because they couldn't harm Merlin directly due to them giving her immunity blessings to the opposing clan's powers when she double crossed them both. Therefore, they punished Lilith instead. However, it doesn't make sense why they'd punish her any further and curse her like this.

"For her own amusement, I suppose;" answers Nuri; "I hear she's like that."

"Was like that;" says Merlin; "My comrades killed her three months ago. We should be able to easily lift that curse now."

"What makes you think I want it removed?" Merlin is shocked to hear that. King drops his bowl and Gelda drops her teacup in shock.

"Why would you say something like that?" asks the sorceress.

Nuri refuses to answer that; "You said you killed Caelestis, then why do I sense that she's still alive?"

Merlin, King, and Gelda are stunned. "Caelestis?!" the fairy king and vampire asks in unison. Merlin had learned the names of the Supreme Deity and Demon King a long time ago but had never revealed them to anybody in Britannia, not even to their offspring.

"Also (Merlin's real name), I heard what you did. You should NEVER mess with chaos, EVER!"

Merlin glares at her. "I did it for you, for our lost people."

"Keep telling yourself that. You'd better keep an eye on whomever you stashed it in. Chaos is nothing but leftover creation power corrupted by Satan and mankind. Very few people who have been its vessels have ever been able to control it! It's so easy to be corrupted by power."

Merlin knows she must take her sister's words seriously and vows to keep Arthur on the path of righteousness. He's too pure-hearted to be corrupted like that.

Carmine returns and speaks to Nuri in Tibetan. "I just got off the teleline with Uba in Japan. She informed me that two people from Britannia are there, a giant girl and a fairy girl. Oh, also that harpy companion of yours."

Nuri gurs at the mention of Herman, then translates for the others.

"That's got to be Diane and Elaine, my wife and sister!" King hovers with joy and cries. He grabs a rag to blow his nose. "Hang on Diane, Sis, we're coming!"

The priestess then reveals that the blue dragon appeared in Japan and is one his way home, and to also be on the lookout for a half-dog demon, half-human named Inuyasha. She also informs that three other people are in Amalfi, Naples. She hasn't made direct contact with Pastor De Santis yet, but she's sure she'll try to call back soon.

"Wait, who did you say it was?" asks Nuri.

Carmine repeats. Nuri then ask if she knew the first name. When the priestess tells her, Nuri's shocked. "Did you just say, Jasmine?"

"Yes, is something, oh sweetie, you didn't know?"

Tears whale up in the vulacish's eyes as she takes a sit. The Britannians can only look on in confusion. Nuri's hands are shaking.

"Did you not get their messages?" asks Carmine; "They stayed here for a couple of weeks after they escaped the Transylvanian purgatory dimension. I saw them write and send messages to you and Azarath. They've been back in Amalfi for two months."

Nuri sobs. "You mean they're, both of them!"

Suddenly, something resembling a perfect cub surrounds them. The Chinese demon slayer has come too and trapped everybody.

"(In Chinese) I'm only asking this once, WHERE ARE THEY!"

22222222222222222222222

Elizabeth stands on the beach with her feet in the water. The light rain feels so good. She should be in bed, but she just can't sleep. She really misses Meliodas. What is he doing right now? Probably having fun and not worrying much about his situation, that's just the type of person he is. Still, he'd be missing her terribly. Hopefully nobody is sleeping near him, so he won't unconsciously grab them in his longing for her, a recent habit that Meliodas himself isn't aware of. Elizabeth especially hopes that he's not causing too much havoc, although he surely is.

"You're out here again?" comes Hawk's voice; "Are you turning into Scout or something? She loves the water and rain and being wet."

Elizabeth smiles. "I can understand why she'd loved this." The sweet sprinkles and waves hit her again.

"Don't catch cold. By the way Elizabeth, are you pregnant?"

The goddess nearly chocks on her saliva. "What? Hawk, how did you know?"

"It was a guess mostly;" explains Hawk; "Ban's wondering the same thing. Scout and Jaz figured it out already, didn't they?"

Elizabeth smiles and nods. Hawk starts leaping joyfully into the air and doing somersaults. "Yippee! I'm going to be an HONORARY UNCLE and give him or her piggyback rides! Melidy will have a playmate. Can Wild and I be the baby's god-uncles? I know Ban will be the godfather. Can Melidy be god-sister or god-cousin since they'll grow up together? Oh, and can I be junior or juniorness's personal bodyguard as well?"

Hawk starts to hyperventilate from excitement. "Hawk, calm down." Elizabeth holds him down and urges him to take deep breaths. Hawk then sneezes as the rain picks up. "AH CHEW! Jeez. Come on Elizabeth, let's go inside."

The princess nods, then informs Hawk that it's junior either way and there's no such thing as juniorness. She then tells Hawk that it's both.

"WHAT!? TWINS! You're having twins! How can you know so early, oh wait, Scout am I right? She has some mysterious spirit reading power as the girls call it."

As they enter the courtyard, they see Zeldris inside the barn reading Scout's notebook. Elizabeth can tell that he's holding back emotions, even tears. As much as she feels the need to comfort him, Zel asked for privacy during this time. He hadn't joined them for dinner and refused the food offered to him afterward.

They hear a small holler coming from the dining/living space. They can see through the window Ban pushing Wild off of him. A few seconds later, a sleep deprived Ban exists with Wild right behind.

"Seriously?! How did you end up on top of me from the other side of the room?"

"Don't be upset Ban;" replies Wild; "my soft and fluffy fur should feel good to you."

"Not when there's 3,000 pounds of it."

"Actually, all my fur together weighs less then 7 lbs. And my weight is closer to 2,000 lbs."

"Ban!" Hawk says excitedly; "Your suspicions were correct. ELIZABETH IS PREGNANT!"

"Hawk!" goes the goddess.

"Really?!" Ban has a huge grin on his face. "YES! I thought so! Way'd a go Princess!"

He picks up Elizabeth and gives her a twirl.

"Ban please."

"PREGNANT!?" Zeldris is standing outside the barn door with a shocked look on his face.

"Yes Zeldris;" answers Hawk; "you're going to be an uncle, to a niece and nephew!"

"TWINS!" says Ban also surprised; "One of each? Man, when the captain does something, he really does it!"

"Alright! More little ones to play with;" says Wild as he, along with Hawk and Ban, do a ring around the rosy type of dance to celebrate.

"GUYS STOP!"

Everybody stops and stare at Elizabeth in silence. She almost never raises her voice like that.

"What's going on out here?" asks Jasmine coming out in her nightgown.

"We just learned Elizabeth's pregnant with twins!" answers Hawk.

"Guys please;" says Elizabeth much more calmly. "Meliodas doesn't know yet. I really wanted to tell him before anybody else found out, now..."

The guys all have more sober looks. "Elizabeth;" says Ban; "We're sorry. It's just so exciting that's all. To think the Cap'n becoming a dad, and the thought that we may be raising our kids together, if Elaine's pregnant too, after everything we've all been through, especially the two of you."

Elizabeth gently places her palm on her belly and nods. "Wait, is Elaine pregnant too?"

"She may be." answers Ban; "She missed her last womanly and she was nauseous the last couple of times I cooked fish, like my mother was with my sister."

Jasmine smiles. "Babies really are God's greatest blessings. But don't forget that babies also take a lot of work." As soon as those words leave her lips, Jade starts crying. "Coming!"

"Sorry I was messing with you earlier Elizabeth;" says Ban; "I was afraid to ask directly in case I was wrong."

"That's ok. Ban please don't say anything to anybody else, especially to Meliodas. He must learn it from me."

Ban gives his solum word, as do Hawk and Wild. Meanwhile Zeldris remains silent and is staring intently at a page in the journal. Ban snaps his finger in his face.

"Hello, Earth to the demon king. Don't you have anything to say to the one carrying your niece and nephew?"

Zeldris doesn't look up; "Congratulations, I guess."

"What kind of congrats was that?"

The demon king whips a tear from his eye. "I'm sorry Elizabeth. I'm happy for you. It's just that..." He bangs his fist on a cement block, reducing it to dust. "I've always hated my father, now hate is too good a word for him."

"Whatever do you mean?" Elizabeth sits next to Zel and notices a picture in the journal. She gasps looking at it. Ban looks over Zel's shoulder. It takes him a moment but then he to gasp. There in the photo is a face of a very beautiful woman who resembles Zeldris, but even more so, Meliodas. She has the same yellow hair and mischievous grin as Meliodas, as well as the same emerald eye color and several other facial features of both brothers. Ban and Elizabeth are blown away, as are Wild and Hawk.

Unknown to them, Jasmine watches from the doorway, holding baby Jade.

"Says her name is Isabella;" explains Zeldris sobbing. "If what this book says is true...that's...my...mother."

22222222222222222222222

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha slices a giant snake creature in half. It then disappears into dust, along with two others already sliced up.

"That's the fifth time! Quit leading us into these traps, cat demon!"

"I'm not doing it on purpose;" says Ramesses hiding behind Willie.

Meliodas is laying in a causal position, watching the fight. "It's too bad those beasts are just illusions; we could eat them."

"Stop talking about your stomach!" shouts Inuyasha; "You could help me, instead of just laying around doing nothing."

"You said yourself you didn't need any help;" Meliodas smirks; "You've obviously got this."

Inuyasha's about to attack Meliodas. "Knock it off!" shouts Willie; "Seriously!"

Willie is drawing a map on the floor. "That way was a dead end. This one had an electrical field blocking it. This one lead to tombs."

"How long have we been wondering around down here?!" shouts Inuyasha.

"Several hours;" answers Willie. Ramesses tries to remain hidden from the half-demon's angry eyes.

"This is a waste of time;" Inuyasha draws his sword; "I'm trying this again."

"It didn't work the first two times;" informs Meliodas.

"Shut your trap!" Inuyasha tries to smash his way through the ceiling. Just as the first two times, it turns his power back on him and gives him a bad electrical shock.

"I already told him that wouldn't work;" says Ramesses. Inuyasha looks furiously at the cat demon, who gets underneath Willie's cloak. "I declare sanctuary."

"On me?"

"Well, you're a Christian monk."

"Get out of there!" Willie gets Ramesses out of his clothes.

"Where are you're taking us again?" asks Inuyasha, exasperated.

"To the Demon Queen, she'll help us."

Meliodas is surprised; "Did you just say, demon QUEEN?"

"Demons?" barks Inuyasha; "You're taking us to see demons!? I don't trust demons!"

"I'm a demon;" informs Meliodas.

"And I don't trust YOU!"

"I'm a demon;" adds Ramesses; "So is your companion."

"HE'S NOT MY COMPANION! He's a unless coward who always runs away and hides when there's danger. Where is he anyway?"

"Here." Meliodas flicks Myoga off his shoulder after sampling his blood. "A talking pig is one thing. A talking cat is another, but a talking flea, that's just crazy."

"I'm not a coward!" denies Myoga; "I just like to stay safe. And don't forget Master Inuyasha that Shippo and Kirara are also demons."

"Shut up."

Meliodas gets up. "Your one to talk, In...a...In-yoga...

"That's Inuyasha, Meliodas!"

"Whatever. You guys sure do have very weird names. Anyway, Inahsa, you're also a demon."

"I'm a half-demon! Half-human, half-demon. So are you, you hypocrite."

"Huh?" Meliodas's stomach growls very painfully. He hugs his abdomen and forgets about what Inuyasha just said. "Oooooh. Willie, how much longer until we get to...that place?"

"I wish I knew Meliodas." The monk grabs Ramesses and makes him look at the hand drawn map. "Any of this refresh that rusty old memory of yours?"

"I'm not old." Ramesses then notices Meliodas looking at him intently, drooling. "Ah, Meliodas, if you really are desperate..."

"You're not feeding him 2,000-year-old burial scrapes Ramesses."

"Gosh NO!" replies Inuyasha.

"Did you say, 2,000-year-old scrapes?" Meliodas is actually debating that one. "I doubt even Hawk would eat those."

"I have;" admits Ramesses; "They always make me sick for a week."

"Never mind." Disappointed, Meliodas yawns and rubs his eyes. "Man, I'm so ravenous and exhausted. I'm going to catch some shut eye."

"You're exhausted?" snaps Inuyasha; "You've been riding on my back the whole time! Not to mention I've been doing all the fighting."

Meliodas lays down and is fast asleep within seconds.

"Oh, come on! We don't have time for this." Inuyasha tries to shake the dragon sin awake, only to end up being cuddled in his arms. Inuyasha forces his way out, whipping off the spot on his cheek where he got kissed.

"YUCK!"

"He's just missing his fiancé;" explains Willie; "He did it to me and Ramesses too."

"Don't remind me."

"That's pathetic;" states the half-demon, catching himself in the middle of a yawn. Willie also yawns. He slaps his head trying to stay awake.

"Perhaps you guys should get some rest too;" suggest Ramesses.

"I agree Master Inuyasha;" adds Myoga; "You look beat."

"No, I'm NOT!" Inuyasha forces back another oncoming yawn; "We don't have time to rest."

Willie is literally on his last legs and can barely keep his eyes open. "Perhaps we should make time. Maybe some sleep will clear this cat's memory."

"Humph, I doubt it." Non the less, Inuyasha lays down and is out cold within seconds. Willie puts his cloak on top of Meliodas, whose shivering, and turns his robe into warm pajamas. Before long, all five are asleep.

A little while later, Scout appears. They are way off course of the demon realm, but Scout knows exactly where they're at and where to find it. Before she goes, she kneels over Meliodas to look at him. She sobs and despite wanting to feel his face, she doesn't touch him. No longer wearing her shades, she whips the tears from her eyes and gets up. As she turns the corridor, she takes one last look at Meliodas. Her eyelids lower softy over her emerald, green eyes, and she's on her way.