Diana woke earlier than normal that day and decided to check on Sheila, being careful not to disturb Eric as she left the tent. It had only been a week since the thief returned to them, but she grew more and more tired with each passing day. Sheila slept very little any more, and when she did it was only for a few hours. After that, she would wake up screaming in terror and there wasn't much any of them could do to settle her down. They just had to ride out her fits and soothe her as best they could.

They were no longer able to travel, having given up the idea two days ago. Sheila could not walk more than an hour without needed rest and something to drink. Dungeon Master had appeared the second night after Sheila's return and given her some tea. It had made her feel better and she seemed like her old self again, at least for a time.

However, the acrobat was thankful their guide had left the tea recipe, which consisted of mostly of Sealberries and Fonce Flowers, with Presto. The next day, Sheila has been just as bad, if not worse, disappearing under cloak as a stranger had approached the camp seeking shelter. When she reappeared, she was hysterical again, and only the tea seemed to help.

So between Presto's tea making, Sheila's fits and sudden disappearances, they had decided to make a temporary campsite back near the Mirrored Lakes until Sheila was well again. They couldn't travel with her in that condition and she did seem to need rest. Her physical condition was changing day by day and Hank felt they should stay put until they found out what was wrong with her.

Sheila was also gaining weight, particularly around her middle. For as thin as she had been upon her turn, she had gained it all back plus a little bit more. Diana couldn't really understand why, since her friend hardly ate, claming food made her sick after her second day back in camp.

Seeing her friend like that was hard on Diana, but at least she knew the truth about Sheila's imprisonment with Venger. The thief had confided Diana a few days before, telling just how horrible the beatings had been, how he had kept her chained at times. Sheila also spoke a bit about the torture he had inflicted on her, and more importantly the daily rapes he had subjected her to. No specifics, but enough for Diana to know it had been a truly horrible experience.

The acrobat was therefore able to understand the thief's behavior a bit better. However, Sheila hadn't confided in anyone except Diana, especially Bobby or Hank. In Bobby's case, he simply thought Venger had done some nasty things to his sister, but the concepts of rape and physical torture never entered his mind, which was the way Sheila wanted to keep it.

Hank, though, had a pretty good idea what Venger had done to Sheila, and it terrified him. But just as he had done the night of her rescue, the ranger continued to freeze up every time Sheila mentioned her capture. He couldn't even be near her to give comfort when she experienced her night terrors, leaving the job to Eric, Presto, or most likely Diana.

Hank and Sheila also fought, almost constantly anymore. It was their bickering last night that had driven Diana to Eric's tent, her head pounding. The cavalier had been more than understanding, and listened as Diana confided in him about Sheila's secret. He had not said anything at first, then vowed to talk to Hank the next morning about the ranger's need to face his fears and tell Sheila he loved her.

Diana had stayed in Eric's tent after that, not wanting to return to Sheila and her nightly fits of fear. The cavalier had held her and rocked her to sleep in a most comforting way. For a little while, she had forgotten that this was Eric, the pest she worked hard to annoy and simply let him take care of her, just as she had taken care of Sheila the last few days.

Now, however, as Diana crossed the campsite she struggled to push Eric and his warm body from her mind. She had a job to do and thinking about her friend in that way wasn't helping.

As the acrobat approached the tent, Sheila was already awake and had obviously been for quite some time. She was hunched on the ground in a little ball, throwing up and crying. When she had finished heaving, she looked up at Diana and sniffed.

"Oh, god, Diana! I don't know what's wrong with me! I feel terrible! I'm so sick."

Diana put a hand on Sheila's forehead. "You're not hot so I don't think you have a fever. What did you eat?"

"Nothing." Sheila sniffed again. "I haven't eaten since yesterday. Even the smell of food makes me nauseous."

The thief was pale and shaking and Diana was scared. The hiding and the night terrors aside, she seemed more ill that ever. This was something the acrobat just couldn't handle.

"Eric! Presto! Anyone!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I need some help over here!"

In moments, all but came running, each in various stages of undress.

"Now what?" Hank demanded.

Sheila looked up at him and he could see the dried bile on her lips. "Sheila! What's wrong with you? You've gotta stop these games and tell me!"

"The answer is simple, Ranger," a voice spoke from behind them. "Sheila is pregnant."

"She's what?" Presto cried. "But how?"

"Venger." Hank answered for their guide. "He raped her."

Dungeon Master nodded. "You have known since the day you returned, haven't you, Sheila?"

"I thought I might be, but I didn't know for sure. I felt so strange, and after the prophecy and all, well, it just kind of made sense." She paused, then let out a strangled cry. "Oh, Dungeon Master! What am I going to do?"

"I do not know, my child. That decision is yours and yours alone."

"You get rid of it," Hank snapped. "There is not way in hell I'm letting you carry that baby."

"Hank," Eric chided, "don't you think you're being a little harsh?" He put his hand on Sheila's shoulder. "C'mon, she just found out she's carrying Mr. Nasty's kid. Isn't there anything else you can say?"

"No!" The ranger looked at them with fire in his eyes. "It's just not going to happen! I won't let it!" With that, he stormed off out of camp, bow in hand.

"It's not your choice," the thief mumbled to his retreating back, "it's mine."

"Yes, it is," the little man agreed. "There is much you must know in order to make your decision. The child you now carry may be the one who is the downfall of the Realm.

"Your power has combined with Venger's in this boy, for that it what it shall be, a boy, and he will be evil incarnate. The good you saw in Venger will not live in this child."

"But I just can't kill my baby!" she shrieked.

Dungeon Master sighed. "You do not have to decide to abort the baby today, Sheila, and if you decided never to do that, there are other options you may choose. But you do have to decide fairly quickly.

"It has been less than a week and already you are showing as much as a woman at the end of her first three months of carriage. This child is magical, created of magic-blessed parents, including a mother who has undergone a physical change during the Day of Sorrow.

"This child is growing far quicker than a normal baby. You will probably deliver in a month's time, should you decided to follow through. That, Sheila, is up to you."

"But Dungeon Master, how long do I have? What do I do?"

"You have a week to decide, Sheila," he sighed. "After that, there is no going back. In the meantime, continue to drink the tea the magician prepares for you. Since you are outside the protective confines of the Hall of Sorrow, it is the best care I can give you. Good day."

And with that, he vanished.

The thief looked around at her friends. "I need time."

"Need time for what?" Bobby came ambling up to the group. He had been off picking berries for breakfast.

"To get better, Bobby, that’s all." Sheila looked at her brother with a tear stained face. "I’m just really sick. But I’ll be okay in a few days. Honestly."

"Don’t cry, sis. It'll be okay," Bobby spoke up, full of confidence. "We'll take care of you. I promise."

"Thank you, Bobby." She reached out and pulled him into a fierce hug. "That's all I can ask."

Deep in Venger's Palace of Torture, the dark lord was not having a good day. In fact, he was downright miserable. He had nearly finished rebuilding the spire the insolent cavalier had destroyed with his bomb. A few more touches and it would be finished, just as it had been.

Denara was tending to his severely injured red dragon. The wounds from the Sword of Minou, had done considerable internal damage but had not killed the dragon. Venger was grateful for small favors.

However, for all of the rebuilding going on around him, there was one thing he could not rebuild - his heart. When the thief had been snatched from his chambers, he had been angry, no furious. He had taken h is frustrations out on most of the prisoners in the dungeons, killing off roughly half of them.

Still, he could not bring himself to admit the real reason he was so angry: he had just lost the one woman he had grown to love. She had been his queen and was to bear his child, the most perfect child in all the Realm. Venger had finally had it all, but in an instant, it had been snatched away from him by those infuriating Young Ones.

Venger knew he could track them down if he wanted to. All he needed was to open up his mind and search out the small specks of pureness he had associated with them since the day they had arrived quite literally on his doorstep.

The more he thought about this, the better of an idea it sounded.

I'll simply track them down, retake my queen and kill the rest. I'll get the Weapons of Power too and finish off Tiamat while I'm at it. Today shall be a good day!

He did not have to search long. Within minutes, he found six glowing spots of humanity and one unicorn, safely ensconced near the Mirrored Lakes. He was about to call for the Nightmare when he stopped short. The speck of good surrounded by the dark power he associate with Queen Sheila caught his attention.

There, growing within her goodness was a small seed of pure evil.

"My son!" Venger breathed.

He was elated. The Day of Sorrow had worked quicker than he had hoped. Now in a gleeful mood, he called the Nightmare to him and took off into the sun dappled afternoon light, soaring out the dungeon window. He was off to reclaim not only his queen but his unborn son as well

Sheila lay in her tent, a cup of Presto's tea clutched in one hand and her doll in the other. The magician sat beside her, keeping her company. After Hank had stormed out of camp and Dungeon Master had left them, the others had simply stood around looking at each other, not knowing what to do since none of them had never really dealt with the concept of pregnancy. Finally, Eric decided to go after Hank, to try and talk to him, just as he had promised Diana the night before. It was the only way the cavalier knew how help.

Sheila had another heaving fit and Presto had decided moving her out of the sun might be a good idea. So he had whipped up a special tent filled with fans to keep her cool, but with enough shade to ward off the harsh rays of the multiple suns. Diana was keeping Bobby busy so Sheila could rest. The young barbarian insisted on staying by his sister’s side, but the others found he only upset Sheila more with his constant questions.

So now it was Presto who kept watch over the thief, refilling her tea cup as needed. She dozed off and on, sicker now that she had been in previous days. Despite the physical changes she had undergone during the Day of Sorrow, her body was still not adjusting well to the demon child growing with in her.

The sat in silence most of the time, until Sheila could no longer stand it.

"You all hate me, don’t you Presto?"

The magician blinked a few times, looking at her in confusion. "Sheila, we could never hate you! I mean come on, you were raped! It’s not like you had a choice!"

"But I did have a choice," she sighed. "I knew he was going to physically change me that day during the ceremony. I didn’t really know what he meant until we got in there, but I knew he was going to do something."

"What would have happened if you had refused?" Presto was genuinely curious.

The thief looked away. "I would have died. Venger and Shadow Demon made that perfectly clear. Change or die. Not much choice, huh?"

Presto reached out and pushed a lock of hair from her eyes, forcing the thief to look at him.

"That’s just it, you didn't have a choice!" He paused, trying to put his horror and shock into words. "I mean who would choose to die?"

She shrugged. "I don’t know. As far as I know, most of Venger’s other queens made the same choice I did?"

"What other queens?" The way she had said that made Presto’s hair stand on end.

Sheila looked at the Presto and saw fear in his eyes, but she saw something else there too. She saw understanding, love and concern. Finally, her week of near silence came crashing in on her. She felt a need to confide in someone completely about all she had suffered at Venger’s hands. The thief had only told Diana part of the story and keeping it bottled up was killing her.

In a shaky voice, she told Presto about the repeated rapes and beatings the dark lord had inflicted upon her. How she had learned of the fates of Venger past queens, all dead but one, and some now trapped in the box full of jewelry she had made Eric take the day of her escape. However, she also told him about the good she saw in Venger and how she had fallen in love with that part of him, despite the fact he still scared her. She spoke of his capacity for kindness and anger at the same time and how it confused her.

What frightened Presto most however was when she admitted how she had felt the dark power flowing in her on numerous occasions. Presto gasped when she told him how she had scared off Shadow Demon and later on, how she had begged Venger to take her after tasting her own innocent blood from his fangs.

"I’m so scared of what I did, what I became, Presto!" she cried. "It was a part of me I never knew existed, but I didn’t hate it! I enjoyed it, no matter what I tried to tell myself."

"Shhhh, Sheila it’s okay," he whispered. "I’m sure Venger did that stuff to all of his other queens."

She shook her head. "No, that’s just it, I don’t think he did! At least not from what Queen Rianna told me. The rapes and beating, yeah, but not the other stuff. He never gave the jewelry box to anyone but me, I think because no one else was ever as much like him as I am.

"Besides," she looked down once more, "In the end, I gave him what he wanted, just like the only other queen who lived to tell about her time with Venger."

"Then we find out who is was and track her down, see how she dealt with this. C’mon Sheila, if she lived through something similar, then maybe she can help you. He probably played those same evil mind games with her, too."

"I think we’ve already met her, Presto," Sheila’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at her friend. "I think the woman Rianna talked about was Varla."

"No," Presto whispered. "It couldn't have been Varla. We rescued her from a different fortress, remember?"

Sheila hung her head. "I’m sorry. I wish I was wrong, but I don’t think I am. Rianna told me that queen was a young illusionist, one with great power. She gave Venger the things he wanted most from her, among them some of her own power. She was also the only one to ever escape.

"If that’s not Varla, then, there are an awful lot of escaped illusionists running around the Realm."

Presto’s eyes filled with tear. "Don’t tell me any more. I don’t want to know. Oh, god, if he had her… He must have tortured her terribly. She was with him for over a year."

He paused. "Do you… think he, well, you know… raped her?"

"Oh, Presto I’m sorry," the thief sighed, "but yes, I think he probably did. If she underwent the day of Sorrow, then there’s no question; he did"

Presto let out a small sob. "Not my Varla. Not her."

The magician wiped at his eyes, a question still waiting to be asked hanging between them. "Do you think she had his child."

"Probably not," she gulped. "I mean, if he already had a son, why would he need another with me? She was probably spared at least that torture."

He nodded, lost in thought, imagining what sort of pain Venger had probably inflicted on his beloved illusionist.

"Presto?" the thief asked tentatively. "Can I tell you something? Something worse than any of this?"

"Sure, Sheila. You can tell me anything."

"Well, this baby, Venger’s baby… I know it’s evil and all, but I just can’t, well, I can’t get rid of it.

"I’ve suspected for the last few days that I’m pregnant. I could feel him growing inside me. He’s a part of me as much as he is of Venger. And I don’t want to give that up."

"But, Sheila," Presto replied, bewildered, "what if Dungeon Master’s right and you boy causes the downfall of the Realm and maybe the entire universe. It could happen."

"I know, Presto, but…" She struggled to find the right words. "This is my baby too, and I love him. I know it sounds crazy, but I do. I can’t explain it."

She fell silent for a moment.

"Do… Do you forgive me?"

Before the magician could answer, a voice rang out behind him.

"Of course we do, Sheila. This isn’t your fault. And if you love the baby, well, I think that’s kind of the way it’s supposed to be." It was Eric of all people who had answered the thief’s question.

"How long have you all been there? Where’s Bobby? I don’t want him to know!" The panic was evident in Sheila’s voice.

"We’ve been her long enough to hear your story," Diana chimed in. "And don’t worry about Bobby. He took Uni down to the lake. He doesn’t know a thing."

"Do you guys really forgive me?"

The acrobat nodded. "Yeah, we do. Sheila, you’re our friend. Venger tortured you, threatened to kill you. This isn’t your fault. And as for the baby, Eric’s right. It’s natural."

Diana gave the cavalier a look of awe and he just shrugged. "It just seems logical is all."

"Presto? Hank?" The thief looked at her other friends.

"No question," Presto told her. "There’s nothing to forgive."

"Hank?" Sheila tried again.

The ranger crossed the few feet to kneel beside her cot. "Yeah, I forgive you. It’s going to be okay. I promise. And whatever you want to do about the baby is okay too."

With that, he leaned down and hugged her tightly to him, all the while conscious of the slight bulge of her belly as it pressed against him.

Later that afternoon, Eric and Hank stood guard outside Sheila’s tent as the thief napped inside. Presto and Diana were both resting as well, both of them exhausted from the last few days. Eric looked over at his friend and saw the ranger’s jaw muscles flexing in anger.

"Something you want to tell me?" the cavalier prodded, crossing his arms. "Something you want to tell someone else?

"You still haven’t told her, have you?"

Hank looked away. "How can I?"

"How can you not?"Eric countered. "Love isn’t a trivial thing, Hank. Right now, Sheila needs your love more than anything, and you’re still holding back. You’re being stupid and bull headed and I have no idea why."

"You think this is easy?" Hank snapped. "She’s lying in there right now, alone and in pain. More than anything, I want to go to her and tell her I love her. I want to hold her and tell her it’ll be alright. But I can’t.

"She’s pregnant, with Venger’s child no less. And besides the fact that I’m not sure I can really forgive her for that, the time just isn’t right. Not now. Not today.

Eric sighed. "I’m not gonna argue this with you any more, Hank. But one of these days, it’s going to be too late, you know. You’re gonna be out of time."

The cavalier pause and looked up into the bright sunlight.

"Like maybe right about now!" he yelped and pointed. "Look!"

Hank followed Eric’s finger. What he saw terrified him. Venger was flying high overhead on the Nightmare.

"Sheila!" Hank bellowed. "Get up! Run!"

The ranger's scream roused everyone else from the camp. Presto, Diana, and Bobby all came running with Uni close behind. Hank let loose a salvo of arrows while Eric rushed into the tent and grabbed Sheila. One of the arrows hit the Nightmare and Venger retreated slightly. That gave the small group time to mount one of Presto's flying carpets, quickly pulled from the magician's hat.

As they took off into the sky, Hank continued to fire arrows at Venger, who had regrouped and was on the attack again. They hadn't gotten very far before a blast from Venger's hand hit the carpet and it started to float towards the ground.

It landed with a soft whump near the Mirrored Lakes and everyone scrambled off as quickly as possible.

"I want my queen!" Venger roared. "Give her to me now!"

"Find Sheila!" Eric voice echoed after the dark lord's.

When they looked around, however, the thief had vanished, presumably hiding somewhere under her cloak.

"I don't see her!" Diana cried. "We've got to find her before Venger does!"

"Run!" That came from Bobby who had narrowly missed getting hit by one of Venger's spells.

The only safe spot they could see was a small grove of trees on top of a nearby hill. The group dashed for the base of this hill, still looking for Sheila who was no where to be seen. As they started to climb, Venger's energy spells blasted all around them. It was only through sheer luck the spells missed them.

However, the area had been drenched with torrential rains in recent days and the hillside quickly turned to mud. Eric's boots slipped and slid more than the others and he backslid for every inch of forward progress he made. As the cavalier looked up to where his friends were scaling the hill above him, he noticed a cloaked figure appear.

"Sheila." The word was a whisper, but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

Venger wheeled the Nightmare and started after the thief. One of Hank arrows connected with the dark lord's spell mid-flight and it deflected off course, hitting the middle of the hill. The energy sizzled as hit the wet ground and everything seemed to freeze.

Then, a great rumbling shook the little valley. Hank looked up and saw the rocks embedded in the hillside begin to slide down.

"Sheila! Run!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. But it was too late.

The tumbling rocks set off a chain reaction. Sheila had no time to react as the entire side of the hill crumbled beneath her. She tried to leap aside but only succeeded in loosing her footing.

Her friends could only watch in horror as the rain weakened ground mixed with the huge boulders in a horrific landslide, crashing into the lake below. Sheila's body went under, swept along in the rush.

"No!" Venger and Hank howled both at the same time.

For an instant, their eyes locked and an understanding passed between them. At that point in time, the only thing that mattered was Sheila's life.

As rapidly as it began, the landslide ended just a quickly. The rocks piled up at the bottom of the hill, haling the flow of dirt behind it. Before the last boulder had settled, Hank and the others were climbing over the fallen rocks, looking for any sign of Sheila. The only indication a body lay beneath the stones was a small patch of blood on one rock.

"Help me!" Hank cried, blasting at the rocks with his energy bow.

Presto began emptying items out of his hat, looking for tools and Eric started smashing rocks as quickly as he could with his shield.

"Allow me," a voice behind them rumbled.

"Get out of here, Venger, before I kill you!" Hank hissed.

He drew his bow on the dark lord and was about to fire when a small figure wandered out from behind a fallen boulder.

"No, allow me." Dungeon Master looked pointedly at Venger. "GO! I will tent to this."

Venger glared briefly at the little man and then bowed awkwardly as he was still seated on the Nightmare. "I shall do as you say."

He turned his horse and flew off, looking back only once at the small group.

Dungeon Master did not say another word, but instead brought his hands together and then parted them just as quickly. The rocks above the spot where Sheila lay flew aside, crashing down into the lake. When the hole was big enough, Hank clambered down. What he saw sickened him.

Sheila's body was smashed beyond recognition. In fact, it was hard to realize the lump of flesh had ever been a human body at all. The ranger let out a great sob and reached for Sheila's body.

"Stop!" Dungeon Master commanded. "If you move her, she will die. As I told Venger, I will tend to this."

The little man steadied himself on the rocks, and turned his palms to the sky. Slowly, the thief's body rose from the hole. She floated in mid air and then Dungeon Master levitated her to the ground. Bobby recoiled in horror as he saw the extent of his sister's injuries. He buried his face in Eric's mid section, unable to look any longer.

"Is she… alive?" Diana whispered.

"Barely," he mumbled. "We must take her to the Cloud Castle of Zenghai if she is to have any chance. However, even they may not be able to save her. There are those beyond even the Healers' help.

"Come, magician, let us prepare for the journey."

Presto reached into his belt and handed Eric and Diana several green bottles and a tub of his healing salve. "I think this is all you'll need. It's what we talked about earlier."

Then Hank and the others watched as Dungeon Master took the glowing stone from around his neck and slipped it over Sheila's head. It glowed a faint red.

"It will keep her alive until we reach Zenghai," he said softly.

The little man levitated her body off the ground and turned to Presto who nodded in return. The magician removed his hat and shook it until a sparkling silver power fell out. Gathering a hand full, Presto blew it towards Dungeon Master and Sheila, finally sprinkling some on himself. The three of them vanished in a small swirl of mist.

"No!" Hank bellowed, still gazing at the place she had lain. "Sheila! Please come back to me! I love you!"

Eric grabbed the ranger's shoulder and spun him around. His normally soft brown eyes were now black and hard.

"Then tell her!" he hissed.

He took Diana's hand and they stalked off, this time leaving Hank to stare after them.