Note: Unlike many other authors, I have a stricter policy. When someone in my story dies, they’re dead. They’re not almost dead, they’re not, “mostly dead,” (quote borrowed from The Princess Bride. Great movie) and they ain’t coming back. The only time that they come back is when their corpses have been transformed into mindless, undead soldiers. Just thought I’d make that clear : )


                    THE QUEST

          “Well, done, Baal,” complimented Mephisto, who was clearly pleased with his brother’s work.
     “I do what I can.” But Diablo was not amused or happy.
     “I have seen this creature’s thoughts. His allies are much more dangerous than we assumed. They now have the ability to summon that wretched Tyreal, and will find a way to banish us again.” But Baal just laughed.
     “Relax, brother. When you’ve reached your true form, we will be fully reunited, and unstoppable once again.” But the Lord of Terror was not calmed by these reassurances.
     “Even if they summon him before we have created a new Soulstone, they still have to complete whatever quest Tyreal sends them on. All we need is a distraction. Now, do either of you two know who killed more humans than any other in Sanctuary?” The two brothers thought for a moment, and just shrugged. “Your tomb guardian, Baal.” The two then smiled. Diablo was now confident of their victory.
     “Duriel.”

          Vargus had found a place where he could concentrate. He needed all the silence he could get in order to summon Tyreal. Meanwhile, Knuckles, Julie-su, and the Chaotix, were all grieving over the losses that had just occurred.
     “Charmy, Ray, everyone in Echidnaopolis, gone. I still can’t believe it,” muttered Vector, who was the only one who could manage to speak after what happened. All the others were shocked beyond words. Knuckles, ever since he saw that ring of fire emerge from the island, had not moved from where he was. He hadn’t said a word, he hadn’t even blinked.

               So, how do we summon that oversized beetle?” questioned Diablo.
     “I shall handle that. In the meantime, you and Baal go find a suitable location to build a fortress,” said Mephisto, who then went into a deep meditation to summon the Lord of Pain.
     “Come, brother,” said Baal, as he and Diablo set out to find a location for a new Chaos Sanctuary.

          Some strange sounds could be heard in a secluded spot on the island the group landed on. Vargus was reading the scroll that Sazabi had given him, reciting words in an ancient language. When he finished, nothing happened. Vargus began to wonder whether the scroll was even meant to work at all. Then, a bright light appeared above him. When the light took shape, the wolf’s eyes went wide, and he immediately kneeled before the light.

          Hmm, wonder where Vargus went… thought Mighty, who decided to look for him. He then caught a glimpse of something bright in the corner of his eye, and when to find out what it was. After going through some thick trees, he found a clearing, and Vargus was right in the middle, kneeling. In front of him was the source of the bright light. A large overlander, wearing golden armor, was floating a few feet above the ground. He had a hood that managed to shadow his face completely, and from his back grew huge wings, which were sparkling blue and built like long wisps. “Hey, Vargus, who is this guy?” yelled Mighty, who got an angry look from Vargus.
     “Kneel before the Arch-Angel Tyreal!” yelled Vargus. Well, he lasted longer against Mephisto than I did, so I guess I wouldn’t want to get him mad, thought Mighty, who was now also kneeling before the shining visage of Tyreal.

          Diablo and Baal were wandering through what was left of the Floating Island. It looked like Godzilla had gotten pissed off at the island, or something (I’ll be writing a fic about that soon). Baal then looked at his brother, who, for some reason, looked different than before. “Brother, is it just me, or do you look different than you did a while ago?” Diablo responded with a puzzled look on his face, and then noticed that small spikes were beginning to form on his forearms and on the tip of his chin. Also, the normally blue fur of the hedgehog’s body was beginning to turn a dark shade of red.
     “It seems that the transformation will take place after all. It will just take longer,” said Diablo, with a very small sign of relief in his voice, now knowing that he would be in his true form at some point. “However, this method will take much longer than the Soulstone method. I’d prefer to reach my true form in the fastest possible way.”
     “Well, while Mephisto is summoning the beetle, we can start building the new Chaos Sanctuary, for I have found a suitable location,” said Baal, who was now pointing toward a large area that was completely flattened by his flame nova. Diablo smirked, and began to glow dark red.
     “Let’s see what powers I have as of now,” and he raised his hands, concentrating on a specific area of land. After a few seconds, the ground started shaking. Then, a huge tower of rock sprouted from the flat area, and it began to take shape. After a few seconds, it was a huge, gothic tower. “Hmm, guess they still work,” smiled Diablo, as he began to repeat the process, to complete the long task of building the Chaos Sanctuary.

          “Arch-Angel Tyreal, we need your assistance. The Prime Evils have escaped the Dark Abyss, and will be fully reunited once the Lord of Terror has regained his true form,” Vargus explained to the shimmering form before him. Tyreal remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.
     “Very well. I will send you a guide from the ethereal plain of this realm.” Tyreal then began a deep train of thought, and spoke again. “I have found your guide. The being chosen will be given information on how to help you by me, and will be with you at all times. And be sure to deliver this message when she arrives; she’s alive and vulnerable now.”
     “She?” was all Vargus could say before Tyreal disappeared. He got up, and turned toward Mighty, who was also standing.
     “Who was that?” asked Mighty, who had not been able to make any sense of what was happening.
     “That was the Arch-Angel Tyreal, the high commander of the army of the High Heavens. I summoned him to help us with the problem we’ve come across.”
     “So, why didn’t he just tell you what to do directly?”
     “Well, he’s not famous for giving straight answers. Plus, he is forbidden to aid mortals directly,” Vargus sighed, before another ball of light appeared. This time, however, it took shape into a smaller form. When the light cleared, the two found themselves staring at a young, beautiful echidna. A light brown one, at that. Mighty looked at her for a moment, and then remembered something Knuckles once told him. “Tikal?”

          Mephisto had been concentrating very hard now. Where are you, Duriel? I haven’t got all day. Ah! There you are… thought Mephisto, as he finally found what he was looking for. He began to glow deep blue, and a red portal opened before him. From the portal came a terrifying form. What looked like the body of a giant beetle (try about 25 feet long), that had an giant overlander torso on the front end, with a back that looked like South Dakota, large spikes growing from the shoulders, which were supporting unbelievably well muscled arms, each having a downward facing scythe. There was a long neck, and on the end, a small head for such a large body. The head was a long one, and the bottom jaw reaches out a bit further than the top one. On the top of the head was a single spike, the tip facing back. The creature’s eyes were long, red slits, and huge, sharp teeth filled the mouth that was constantly grinning. There stood Duriel, the Lord of Pain.


          Short chapter, I know. I just really wanted to get this part up. The next chapter will be longer, I promise.