Miracle of The Giving Force
By Zephon Fox

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A Time to Destroy

Zelampago vaguely felt himself being moved at the very edge of his awareness.

He couldn't tell what was happening. His brain didn't seem to want to work right. His eyes opened somewhat, rolling around slowly, but nothing processed correctly.

Why...?

It was difficult to remember.

The answer came to him as his awareness was jostled back into him by way of his being dropped on the floor unceremoniously. He shook his head, starting to come around.

Because Razielphustar decked me, that's why. What is going on?

The Ocularis Magnifectus was plucked from his eyes as he winced at the singular bright light in the middle of the room now glaring undiminished into his face. Zel opened his eyes the barest slit. He discovered that he'd been bound, his arms at his sides, by chains. Thick chains, heavy and durable. His legs had been compromised like this as well, just around his ankles and moving up almost to his knees.

"M..mmfhfh...?"

His intention was to ask, "What the hell was that for?" or maybe "Tell me what's going on!", but it quickly turned into a muffled inquiry as Zelampago discovered that he'd been muzzled as well. He couldn't see it very well, but a large muzzle made out of a single piece of metal wrapped around the end of his nose to his chin and back behind his head, effectively sealing his mouth shut.

He tugged and strained a little against his bindings. Nope, they were secure. VERY secure. The wolfdemon lay there on his side on the floor of this...what was this room anyways?

The spotlight in the center had dominated his vision but as his unprotected eyes adjusted, he could see...computer screens. A multitude of screens along the back wall. Each of them seemed to be reading and writing hundreds of complex equations in both traditional-looking computer code and in archaic runic symbols.

He glanced upwards and found to his shock that the room was more of an operating amphitheater. Hundreds of robed figures lined the viewing area up there. They didn't *seem* to be just content with watching. The robed figures, faces hidden save for muzzles of indeterminate species, were chanting lowly. Zelampago couldn't begin to make out their words, but saw the walls behind them glowing with more pulsing red runes.

Someone stomped by his field of vision, either oblivious or uncaring to his predicament. 

He turned his head slightly, trying to not move as much now that he knew he was being watched.

A large, thin robed individual was walking past, carrying something large. Just at the corner of his vision, Zel watched the tall figure walk around the central area to place...Blitzrend! His sword! It hadn't vanished after falling from his hand, but had remained. The tall person propped it up in a far corner, out of the way.

Zel stared at his sword and felt a bit of his hope rising. If he could get to it...

No. First, figure out what's going on before you start charging in blindly. That's what landed you here on the floor, remember?

Zelampago closed his eyes, breathed in through his nose and kept looking. The center of the room was indeed a gurney, angled up and towards the light source. Llywyalla the cheetah angel was strapped to it. She didn't seem to be in discomfort, but Zel really couldn't be certain. Her face was troubled, apprehensive and she kept stealing glances his way. 

Zel wanted to help her. 

Help her from *what*?

He looked up.

Oh. That, maybe.

What was directly above Llywyalla was nothing short of a death ray straight out of some bad science fiction movie. A cruel, vicious looking laser port with metallic bits and bobs here and there hanging underneath an enormous charging canister. Wires snaked up to the ceiling and out of vision.

And it was pointed directly at the gurney. At Llywyalla. She was looking up at it every now and again. She looked...scared.

*b-bump~*

Zelampago felt his vision blur for a moment. Some...something was wrong with him.

*THOOM* *THOOM* *THOOM*

A huge cloven foot slammed down in front of his face. Even in the dim light, Zel could tell who that belonged to. He looked up, eyes opening fully.

Beelzebub stared right back down, hands on his hips. He seemed to be wearing the kind of wardrobe a mad scientist would wear: full white labcoat he'd buttoned up to his neck, black trousers that flared above his ankle cuffs, and thick rubber gloves. Big Red even had a pair of circular goggles resting above his eyes, just below his enormous horns.

"You're awake, huh?"

Zel didn't answer. He honestly didn't know how he *could* with a steel plate covering his mouth, so he sat there and stared at the devil before him, eyes hot.

"Don't you be giving me that look, young one. You came through that door looking for war; a door, by the way, that should be IMPOSSIBLE for someone like you to even *get* to! What were you thinking!?" The Devil had thrown his hands up at this last statement, his voice rising. Several of the other figures in the room had turned their heads but quickly looked back down and away.

"And now you're here, somewhere you shouldn't be, at the worst possible time." The big red demon knelt down and turned Zel's head this way and that with one giant paw, looking for something indiscernable. "Have you gone rogue or something? Just decided to wreck some shit for the giggles of it? Why would you *do* this to me? To all of us here?" Zel yanked his head out of the big demon's grasp, feeling his anger burn renewed. Even if it was his ultimate superior dressing him down, this...this was too much and he wasn't being given a chance to defend himself or even fight back. The unfairness of it all!

*...b-bump...*

Satan shook his head, looking almost hurt, like Zelampago's defiant action stabbed him deeply. "I don't know what's going on in that addled head of yours, kid. But I'm too busy at the moment to find out, so that'll have to wait until we're done here." His face darkened, even in the dim light. "I'm so disappointed in you..." 

Zel's heart twinged at this declaration. It wasn't like he'd done anything wrong!

Beelzy stood back up and made to turn around, but paused. "Whatever it is you intended upon bursting in here like a wild tornado, I'll won't be having none of it," he grunted, pointing at Zelampago. At his words, manacles popped up out of the ground and affixed themselves to the wolf's wrists and ankles, clanging closed loudly; another much larger and heavier chain, snaked around the young wolfdemon's chest and tightened, binding his arms to his sides. Yet another did the same to his legs.

Zel startled and felt himself growl, muffled by the muzzle around his face. Big Red, unperturbed by the restrained young Hellguardian's utterance, crossed his arms and nodded once. "That should hold you until...later." His face darkened momentarily at that last word, but then the demon lord turned and stomped away, rubbing his face with one hand as if trying to wipe out the knowledge of this idiot intruder in the midst of whatever it was he was doing.

Zel grunted and twisted this way and that, trying to find a way out of the bindings, to try to explain himself. When a minute or two had passed and he was still locked in tightly, he gave up and started peering around the room again, trying to shelve the growing storm building deep within him. He looked around and saw that there were robed figures filing in here now from another entrance. He watched as the big figure who had moved his weapon earlier joined in the line...

...and, as Zel started to growl louder, looked very out of place in his steel-toed boots with miniature rocket engines attached.

Barnabus...

The figure turned to look at him. Zel stared back defiantly as the hood turned back and tipped forward, looking crestfallen.

*b-bump~*

Others were coming in now too. Some were in lab equipment just like Big Red, circling around the central raised platform, taking measurements of Llywyalla. Her vitals appeared on a computer screen behind her. She still looked scared.

Others were coming in now and even as his eyes seemed to unfocus then refocus without his wanting them to, Zelampago could see that there were markings on the robes. Symbolic maybe? No, markings that almost indicated...rank.

The wolfdemon curled himself and scooted around a bit to see better, the chains binding him clinking softly. There! The figure that *had* to be Barnabus Rochamsawkem was taking his place amongst twelve others, each with several inlaid runic rings around the wrists of his or her robe.

The Thirteen. 

*b-bump~...b-bump~*

Others arrived with fewer rings in different colors. Soon, the large chamber was filled with about fifty or so, each helping to form a ring around the center dais. Zel saw one of the figures take his place almost in front of Zel's vision, only two runic rings adorning his robed wrists. Noticed the red-furred feet and large bushy tail coming out of the back of the robe. 

That hooded figure turned as well and dropped his hood.

RAZIEL...

*b-bump~*b-bump~*b-bump~!*

The squirreldemon stared down at Zelampago and muttered, "I told you to not worry, to not mind it, but...just couldn't do that, could you?"

Zelampago panted now, lowly, growling still. Something was very wrong with him. His anger was rising at all of the looks he'd been getting, that had been directed his way. Pity. Dismissal. Condescension. All of it. It was driving him crazy and here he was, laying like a bitch on the floor unable to even try and stop...whatever this was.

Razielphustar just shook his head and turned around again, heaving his hood up. A low thrumming rumble sounded through the floor, vibrating everything. Beelzebub looked up, took note of the time on the wall (provided by a huge red digital clock) and nodded. A few assistants, all clad in the same sort of crazy scientist getup, began pulling levers near the bank of computers. Zel lost sight of Llywyalla as Beelzy walked around and faced her, reaching over to...tighten her straps or something, he couldn't tell.

*b-bump~*b-bump~*b-bump~*

Zelampago felt the chains tighten around his arms and chest. He growled more. That felt a little unnecessary, he was already bound and gagged, why bother with rubbing it in? Hell, no one seemed to even be paying any attention to him now.

Satan turned and regarded the audience above even as the light in the center dimmed.

"Brothers, sisters! It is finally time. Time to see if we can put an end to a problem we've been facing for so very long." Beelzy was holding his arms up, extended, almost preaching to them. The voices above murmured. Zel felt his arms twitching.

"We've finally got it ready and the power banks are now fully charged and stored. Five whole days of borrowing and asking...but it's here."

The lord of the damned pointed upwards and Zel's gaze turned to follow, along with everyone else in the room. The ceiling above ratcheted open to reveal a glowing blue plasma ball, viewable through a glass ceiling. The Giving Force...or at least...a planet's worth of it. More. Zelampago couldn't tell, couldn't begin to figure out what was going on that would require the direct power of...

He turned to look at Llywyalla. She stared up at the ball of energy through the glass, her face still scared.

...no...

Satan lowered his hands. "Thanks to some of you, our greatest and most cunning minds, we have completed the F.S.D. Ray on time. Preliminary tests are good and we've got plenty of feedback and data to verify this will be a permanent fix. Even with our worries and fears..."

The devil turned and moved over to next to the table and set his goggles down. "Even then, we are 99.99% certain that the Forced Soul Destroyer Ray will work as intended."

NO! NO NO!

*B-BUMP~*B-BUMP~*B-BUMP~*B-BUMP~*B-BUMP~*

Zelampago started to struggle against his bonds as the robed figures, standing in three concentric circles around the dais began to chant, their hands outstretched and touching one another. Zel kept on struggling, aware that he was between the outermost and middle rings. He pulled...pulled! He was gaining leeway somehow, his breath coming quicker even as he started to hear the machine start to power up.

"With that, let's do this," said Satan, gripping the side of the railing to the dais, watching with eager anticipation. The ray above began to hum and ratchet downwards. Zelampago could see energy siphoning from the large ball above into it.

*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!

He panted, growled, pulled and pulled. The chains were tightening again, his vision dimming, growing clouded somehow.

He thought that he was seeing red...they'd taken the Ocularis though...so...

*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!*B-BUMP~!

No...no, it wasn't the chains...it...it was HIM...

The humming in the chamber began to rise in volume, energy crackling from what looked like large liquid batteries around the ray's firing laser. Zelampago saw through the cloud of red that some of the robed figured above were chanting...and one or two were pointing at him, laying there on the floor.

They sounded urgent. Worried.

They should...SshHHhhsHHOULD BE...

Zelampago finally realized what was happening to him. In his distracted and battered mind, he'd not been aware that the injustice of being gagged and bounced around added in on what was very clearly endangering Llywyalla, an innocent. It was pushing a reaction out of him. Add in that the gun currently pointed at her was described as 'Soul Destroying' and Zel saw the line clearly.

They were going to erase Llywyalla.

Why, he didn't care. He was so beyond care now. The rage he'd felt in the corridor before, the anger that had been brutally interrupted by Razielphustar was now boiling over. All Zelampago could see as his vision fully became red...was that someone he cared about, someone he had promised to help no matter what...was about to die.

And that was all it took for the transformation to his Shredded form to fully begin.

The robed guardians on the ground startled as he roared through his muzzle, the clamp tightening on his maw, but not even silencing his howl by half. He felt his chest bulge, his shoulders as well. His arms had been thickening, causing the chains to become tight...and now the links were starting to snap, one by one. His feet were growing, the claws on his toes lengthening out even as his legs switched orientation and became digitigrade.

This, combined with the muscles on his legs and thighs bulking up, snapped the chains around his legs. He was aware his pants had started to tear and fall away. He didn't care. He stomped his feet against the floor, shuddering now as he struggled to stand and break the chains around his torso. 

Razielphustar's head whipped around at the loud noise. "Oh for the love of...shit!" He turned and broke contact with the guardian to his right, pointing at Zelampago's feet. Immediately, the manacles around Zel's ankles swept out from under him, pulling him back down to the floor.

HNNNH...S...STOP...MUST STOP. MUST PROTECT, SAVE HER, DESTROY ANY IN MY WAY... Zelampago was growing now, his seven feet of height improving as he pulled his way through the coil of chains around his belly and chest. His claws were growing, hands becoming more designed to tear and crush. The wolfdemon snarled again, slamming his legs against the floor as he wrestled for control. 

Several of the attendants outside of the circle were calling to him, shouting, "No no, stop!" or "Wait, it's not what you think!", but Zelampago had already crossed far beyond giving a good goddamn about being told that he needed to stop. Plea, demand, assurance...none of that concerned him. He was *through* with being told "You can't."

The batteries, powered up now, began feeding in energy to the main tank of the ray.

*B-BUMP-B-BUMP-B-BUMP-B-BUMP-B-BUMP-B-BUMP-!!!*

Zelampago could feel his heart slamming in his chest even as he burst through the chains, sending them skittering across the floor. The growing wolf began to pull at the muzzle, his anger swelling as it proved difficult, locked tightly around his maw that was trying to grow *through* the problematic restraint.

"RAZIELPHUSTAR!" Someone was shouting from the center over the din of the charging equipment. Satan. "STOP HIM! WE CANNOT HALT NOW OR IT'LL GO CRITICAL!"

The squirreldemon turned fully and pointed his gaze at Zelampago, still in contact with his flanking guardians. Zelampago could feel himself be swept off his feet, his arms and legs splayed out now as his back rippled bigger. The Shredded Hellguardian pulled at the chains, reaching for his face.

*BbbrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRR!!*

A loud charging sound was emanating now from the tip of the device, even as the chants of the surrounding guardians reached a fever pitch. Glowing circles on the floor created a complex pattern even as the wolfdemon struggled to rise, having gotten purchase on the muzzle, *finally* pulling it free. His vest fell to the floor, split along the back and shoulders. 

He stood, a ten-foot-tall muscular behemoth of fury and power.

"HNRRRRRRAARRGGGHH!!!" Zelampago unleashed a savagely angry roar, filled with frustration at his bonds and determination to get loose and destroy every last thing in his path to protect the angel now staring down her certain doom.

A loud computerized voice echoed through the chamber.

"Charge complete. Prepare to fire."

NO NO NO NO NO

Razielphustar glared up at him, sweating hard as he stared down the feral monster, perspiring from the effort to maintain the bonds controlling his out of control friend. Zelampago felt his arms and legs  freeze, like he was pulling them out of the stickiest vat of molasses in the universe. He struggled, *heaved*, taking one halting step, then another towards the center of the room.

Llywyalla looked at Zel, through the gaps of the bodies of the surrounding guardians.

"Zel..." Her words were lost in din of the weapon charging, but the raging demonwolf was certain that she had said something like "...save me..."

Zelampago struggled, a keening roar of need, of primal desire to protect ringing out across the distance.

Satan reached over and grasped a nearby yellow-and-black-striped lever, shouting above the din: "NOW!"

Zelampago pulled. PULLED!

A crystal clear bubble of...something shot out, expanding from the center of the room to cover the entire amphitheater, reaching the very tips of the room even as Satan slammed the lever forward.

Zelampago reached his hand forward, pulling free of the manacle. Reached. Reached for the angel even as a beam of pure plasma shot towards her. He screamed as loud as he could, his mind going haywire as he tried desperately to save her. "HNNNGGNNOOOO!!!"

Llywyalla was hit dead on in the chest. Her body arched forwards against her bondings as jagged cracks ran all over her, light pouring out from them. Her eyes filled with the color, even as her face cracked...

And then, with a thunderous *SKRAKKOW!*, Llywyalla exploded, vaporizing before Zelampago's eyes.

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*ERROR.
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*SYSTEM CRASH DETECTED.
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*REINITIALIZING AND RESTORING.
*PURGING BAD SECTORS.
*NOW REBOOTING...
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...all is not lost...
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**Chapter Seventeen**
...and A Time To Redeem

The blast caught Zelampago off guard. Even with his currently magnified frame, he was blown off his feet and sent rocketing towards the back wall, impacting above the last ring of guardians, sending them scrambling as he landed with a loud crash.

All was quiet in the chamber after that.

All except the sounds of one person sobbing as his world fell apart before him.

Zelampago couldn't stop it this time, could not stop the anger and fury he felt towards himself as he lay there in a heap on the ground, his form already shrinking back down, his damned body untensing and returning him to a normal state.

Failed.

Failed again.

One person...ONE...and I couldn't protect her...I couldn't save her, couldn't be...wasn't good enough.

The wolfdemon tried getting up, managing to get one of his knees under him. His pants were now ragged shorts, torn to shreds by his transformation. His vest lay before him, a ruined piece of leather no longer capable of doing anything aside from being scrap.

The holster with Ziggy had fallen off as his leg had burst through, the little AI inside trapped as he had watched, helpless to stop his owner from going mad with the overpowering need to protect. 

Zel just didn't care anymore. He was certain this was the end of his days as a Hellguardian. Certain of it. He'd invaded someplace he didn't belong, had gone batshit and tried to destroy anything and everything around him and hadn't even managed to save anyone while doing so. 

I don't deserve my title. Probably...never did...

He lay there, uncaring in his sorrow as the guardians around the room lowered their hands. Razielphustar let his flump limply at his side, panting hard and staring at where his friend had come to rest. His sides heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. 

Zel lay there, content to just drown in his aching heart.

Dimly, he became aware of a sound approaching...

*clump...clump...clump...*

He found himself staring at those rocket boots again, looked up even as his chest hitched and he sobbed once more, Barnabus Rochamsawkem kneeling down next to him and gently pulling him close. The ram-horned bulldog very softly tipped Zel's head up.

"Why are you crying, Hellguardian?" he asked, softly cupping Zelampago's cheek.

"I...failed..." the wolfdemon croaked out, his throat hoarse and aching from its recent transformation and subsequent screaming.

"Failed? Failed what? Failed who?" The bulldog seemed genuinely surprised.

"Failed...failed her, failed to keep her safe, to...to..." Zel sniffled loudly and tried to look away, unable to gaze into Barnabus' deep violet eyes.

"No...no, dear boy, you haven't. You haven't failed anything at all." The bulldog pulled Zelampago up to a sitting position and continued to lean the weakened wolf against his chest. 

"*hhh*...*hhh*...yeah, that's right, Zellyboy..." Razielphustar came over and knelt on his other side, his face pale from the double exertion of maintaining some kind of chant while desperately controlling his friend's outburst.

"I...bu...but you..."

The squirreldemon simply picked up Zel's arm and undid the now useless shackle surrounding his wrist. "No. You haven't failed. There's nothing here that you were supposed to be here to do."

"Mmyes, I agree," Barnabus nodded as Razzy worked on Zelampago's other limbs. "Can't fail what you aren't explicitly tasked to do, can you?"

"No...I...I swore I would find the cause of the glitches and...and fix it..." Zel's head hurt. Being forced out of Shredded mode had rescrambled his already bruised mind. He shuddered as his tears stopped, his breath still heaving from the sobbing.

Barnabus looked down, away from both Razielphustar and Zelampago. "Then it would be my fault, lad. I wasn't explicit enough in our discussion. I gave you the glasses to aid you in finding an answer, but I never believed you would actually *reach* the Giving Force in time to affect anything! I felt like you would search for the reason the glitches were happening and that once you had found them, you would stop and..." The big bulldog looked back up into the younger demon's faces, his own wrinkled in self-consternation. "But you didn't. And it has caused you to not only be here, but to have been knocked arse-over-teakettle by your best friend." 

Barnabus squeezed Zelampago's much smaller shoulders. "I owe you both an apology."

Raziel nodded once, saying nothing. Zelampago nodded as well, unsure of how to deal with that little event at the moment. He voiced what was on his mind.

"But what about her? She's gone...Llywyalla's gone."

Raziel surprised his friend then by picking up Zel's paw once more and kissing it, pulling it to his cheek. Around them, the gathered robed figures lowered their hoods and began walking around, looking at...something. Zel couldn't see whatever it was, his eyes still sore from the brightness of the cheetah angel's detonation. The Arch-hellguardian kissed his paw again and nuzzled it fondly. "Ainsley said it best, me bucko...'Not all is as it seems sometimes.'"

*thoom*
*thoom!*
*thoom!!*

Huge cloven feet were stomping their way over. Zelampago cringed, trying his best to curl into a ball, even as Barnabus and Razielphustar gently kept him from doing so.

Beelzebub stomped into view and pulled his goggles up and off, stuffing them in one of his lab coat pockets.

"I swear, boy, you nearly screwed this whole deal...if I weren't so impressed you managed to break out of all those bonds we hogtied you with, I'd be right pissed off right now!"

Zel looked down and sniffled, trying to not lose it in front of the being that was, for all intents and purposes, his boss. "M'sorry, sir...I dunno...I dunno what to..."

Satan stopped mid-stride, his expression changing from one of stern remonstrance to confusion...then wariness; sizing up the young Hellguardian. Zel could vaguely see the demon lord thinking quickly to himself. The huge demon straightened, shock registering on his facial features as he closed the gap and reached out, putting a finger to the young wolfdemon's lips.

"Quiet." The Devil leaned down and knelt on one knee, scooting Razielphustar over as he took Zelampago's hand. "Right now, before we can get down to business, I need to know why you're here, what you're here for, and how the fucksticks you GOT here. Because I feel like this wasn't malicious, I'm very clearly missing something important." He removed his finger from Zel's mouth. "I'm listening now. So, explain."

With three of his direct superiors staring him full in the face and feeling like he'd be caught stealing the Mona Lisa by his mother, Zel understandably half-babbled, half-whimpered as he tried to explain his reasonings for his travels to this point. 

The devil sighed and smiled a wry grin. "Easy, EASY, kiddo...how about this...may I look inside your head? I promise I won't hurt you." The big red monster pulled Zel closer, his hand firm and enclosing the wolf's much smaller paw, and gently settled their foreheads against each other. "Raziel, Barnabus, you had better too. I think the more minds see this, the better we can get it resolved."

Barnabus and Razielphustar nodded wordlessly, placing their hands upon Zelampago's cheeks.

Zel couldn't help but stare into the demon lord's eyes, eyes that searched inside him, inside his memory and his soul, that began to pull up images, flashes of conversation, experiences:

-A mispulled object from a vest

-The case shunt

-"Holy shit...Janet..."

-"Not all is..."

-A small fox boy calmed by an elder hyena

-A small kitty blowing herself to bits on a loud stage...

-A quiet chat in an office

-Golden shades in his hands

-"...the journey is what matters..."

-A picnic table talk with a tree that switched colors at random

-"Down here, everyone is loved..."

-Two cubs with ice cream cones

-Falling headfirst into Jerks

-"...here, these must be yours!"

-The spiral path of the waypoints, pulling downward.

-*BAWHNG!*

-Terror, utter and pure.

-RUN RUN RUN RUN FLYFLYFLY

-The juxtaposition of being healed while surrounded by despair

-"...fly at over 2400 MPH or Mach 3.16..."

-*AMUSE ME*

-Video of a young gooey vixen drawing on her belly

-Buzzsaw, *BRRRRZZING* 

-A broadsword, Blitzrend, swinging and cleaving its way down the hallway

-Confusion as his friend and superior knocks him cold

-Hopeless fury

-MUST SAVE
-MUST SAVE
-MUST!

-Total despair

Satan rocked back even as Raziel's hands flew to his mouth, a shocked and stifled gasp escaping. Barnabus lowered his head, eyes closed as he thought.

The Devil looked at Zel, looked with awe and pain and clarity.

"Y...you went through Scum of the Earth. YOU. You...you went through there and came out through the Gateway...this was no mistake...you...you were trying to help! You went through hell and back to help and...oh my aching horns, Zelampago, I have gravely misjudged you!"

Zel looked up to see the devil's face, torn with anguish as he realized what the young Hellguardian had put himself through in pursuit of an answer for something no one would hardly even begin to help him with.

"Oh...oh my word, young wolf. You have gone so far beyond what was expected of you upon becoming a Hellguardian. You deserve to stand...you didn't need to do any of that! You weren't expected to! No one was! But...here you are!" The devil began to rise and helped Zelampago stand on shaky legs. Razielphustar scooted over and took his place, letting his big friend lean on him and Barnabus.

"So THAT'S how you got these." Beelzebub pulled out the Ocularis Magnifectus and gave Barnabus a stern gaze. 

The ram-horned bulldog had the merit to look slightly abashed. "You must forgive me, B, ol' boy, but I couldn't help it. He wanted to do something, to figure out how to fix something that...well, I couldn't just refuse. Besides, I stand by what I said. Zelampago has potential. I just gave him the tool to search. I never expected him to find us here at this momentous point..."

Satan regarded Rochamsawkem for a long moment before sighing and slapping him on the shoulder. "You and your games..." He turned to Zelampago again, who was managing to support a tad bit more of his weight now.

"I still just can't believe you made it through Scum of the Earth. Only I ever go down there and most of the time, it's just to check on things and see how Rache is holding up," Satan said, swinging the Ocularis around by one handle. He suddenly laughed and put his hands on his hips, the specs held between thumb and forefinger.

"Goddamn, boy."

Zel looked down again. "But...she's still gone."

The Devil tipped his face up and smiled, a warm smile, an encouraging smile. "As they said, boy, not all is as it seems." He turned and pointed to the digital clock that had been ticking seconds ever since Zelampago noticed it.

The readout had frozen in place at 10:37:23. It wasn't ticking. Zelampago stared at it for a very long time before his eyes widened. He even felt his jaw drop somewhat.

"What is it, son?"

The wolf felt his heart tug a little. "I...I think something's going on here that you haven't told me."

Razzy, still supporting most of his big friend's weight, piped up. "Well yes, we've been busy chewing over the fact that you may have done something truly epic to get to this point. Especially since we locked the door behind us. But since you're asking..."

Barnabus took over. "Yes, let's see if you can get it. I believe all the pieces are in place, so why don't you start with the prime question that kicked this all off to begin with: why are you here?"

The wolfdemon frowned, concentrating. "I used the glasses to follow the leylines of the Giving Force. When I found that it was flowing away from objects instead of towards them, I followed it..." He shuddered. "Followed it here. I think you were siphoning energy, pulling from the Giving Force to do...two things?"

"Mmmyes?" Barnabus nodded as Satan folded his arms. Behind him the staff were folding the laser away.

"One, you needed to power that thing. Destroying someone's soul is impossible once they've given up their heart. Since she's an angel and technically not damned or dead, Llywyalla didn't even need to do that." He looked at Satan, who simply tilted his head to the right and back a bit, but said nothing.

"Two...I think you needed more power to fully stop time itself, right at the moment that she would be destroyed. To do that would need precise timing and coordination from...from a bunch of people all at once."

Raziel was grinning. "I think he's catching on. Can't tell you how tired I've been of practicing, bucko."

Zel pressed further, following the line of logic, feeling like he was nearing the moment when clarity would come through finally. "So...you need to stop time...but doing it over the entirety of Hell is impossible, or would probably be too much. So you come here, as close to the Giving Force as you can get.

"And...and then you...stop time..." He felt it slipping then, his words fumbling as he concentrated. A piece was still missing. Something amiss. 

Zelampago tilted his head back and looked up at the Giving Force above, still pulsing and throbbing with energy. He looked at it...looked at it more. Pulsing?

That's it!

"No! You didn't just stop time everywhere...you stopped time JUST here! Here, inside this room! And just for her! We're still moving, still talking, but everything else in the room is frozen in place!"

He saw their smiling faces...and then his eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"Because, young Zelampago, I am a desperate son of a bitch," said Beelzebub, sighing as he started to fiddle with the Modify Vision button on the Ocularis. "Ever since we found Llywyalla all that time ago, I've been pondering on how to fix her. We've tried books, spells, any number of dissections-ALL PAINLESS, I might add!" he quickly added upon seeing Zel's look of concern.

"But nothing would stick. She would go back to lying. And honestly, I knew it would always fail. Her curse is nothing short of an Act of God, handed down by Him personally. Undoing that would take extraordinary measures."

Barnabus nodded. "So Beelzy here contacts us in the Thirteen, says he wants to have a pow-wow. We get together and bang our heads against each other for hours. And it isn't until Razielphustar here dropped by with a surprise delivery of pizza and nachos that we had a revelation."

Zel looked at his squirrel friend. Raziel grinned and cheekily tipped his head. "Yep. I'd asked what they were working on and they told me it was Llywyalla. Only thing I mentioned is that Bartleby had asked how she was doing the other day."

"And that's when it hit us," Big Red declared, setting the Ocularis back on Zelampago's forehead.

"When...what hit you, sir?" Zel stared up, more than a little confused as to where they were going with this. 

"Think, boy! You just said it yourself. What have we accomplished here?"

"You stopped time wi...thout stopping time..."

"YES. And what IS that? What have we created?" Satan was edging forward, hungry to see Zelampago understand now.

A look of dawning realization came over him as the last piece clicked into place. 

"A paradox..."

"Sorry to sound cliche, chaps, but by jove I think he's got it!" Barnabus declared and pulled back from Zelampago who was, without even realizing it until this moment, standing under his own power once more.

"A paradox! That's how Bartleby freed her when he found her!" Zel exclaimed.

"Yes yes, bucko, you've got it now!" Razielphustar was clapping his hands, watching his friend reach the end of his mental trials. 

"By creating a paradox, a moment in time...you destroyed her soul...and froze it in place as it was scattering..." Zelampago looked up to see Satan reaching over to nudge the Ocularis down onto the wolf's muzzle. His vision became purest gold. Everywhere within the room, frozen in place, standing perfectly still, were little droplets of soul, paused in time and space as they were scattering into nothingness.

It was...more impressive than the Giving Force, if Zel were to be honest.

"...to bank everything on a miracle. That we might be able to finally redeem Llywyalla," Satan said. Zelampago looked through the glasses and nearly lost his shit. There stood a simple furson, pure white wings, untainted. He was looking at the latent angelic aura still within the Devil, buried so deeply inside.

Zelampago stared and gazed around the room as the assorted robed guardians were sorting through the bits, one by one. Checking for differences.

"We'll be here all night if we need to be, son, but now that you're here, I think Barnabus may have given us the very thing we lacked and that I'd completely forgotten about." He tapped Zel's nose gently. "Those."

Zel looked at all three of them, unsure of what to do.

"Zelampago, you have gone through pain and suffering, all in the effort to protect and serve Hell by determining the cause of its woes. More than I'd ever be willing to put anyone through who did not deserve it," Beelzebub said again, holding his hands in front of his muscular torso. "I said it before and I'll say it again: you have every right to be here and help us solve this. So do what you've been doing: find the problem. You've more recent practice than all of us, anyhow. So, seek. See. Find."

Barnabus, Raziel, and the Devil slipped back as Zelampago turned and began looking through the room. His mind reeled from the information, the sheer impossibility of this moment, existing within time and yet not. Other guardians were passing along the word of what he'd done and he was gaining quite the amount of turned heads and amazed smiles. 

He felt...odd. 

Like he should've been punished...but was being rewarded. Huh, just like when I first got here in Hell, I guess.

He continued walking, letting his mind wander, his eyes to scan the room.

I wish they'd told me, but seeing as how this is kind of a big thing, I guess I can understand the massive amount of secrecy. This is a pretty big thing and keeping it under wraps would be paramount... He paused, looking under the gurney before moving on. Though I guess I can see it from their point of view. With such grave consequences if they failed this, not getting anyone's hopes up would probably be a good idea. After all, it's not every day you undo something like an act of...wait, what's that?

He'd stopped mid-stride, head turned to one side, staring downwards. Behind him, Satan, Barnabus, and Razielphustar had moved up behind him. The room, filled with murmurs of conversation and other noise, quieted almost to utter silence.

There. Just at the base of that step up to the dais. Hidden from view...no, Hiding from view. Amongst all of the golden droplets of light hung one jet black point, almost like a hole in space. Zel scooted down to his knees and leaned in.

The black point was...oozing inside itself, twisting and turning. Or had been, really, before time had frozen it in place. It was the one thing that didn't belong. Wasn't it?

"Scan and locate any other instances of target...thing," Zel said, fingers on the Modify Vision tab again. The Ocularis *whrrz'd!* and *shkshkshk!'d* before coming back with a simple statement that brought the biggest smile to his face:

NO OTHER INSTANCES FOUND IN RANGE. 

A single point amongst all the beauty. One. Little. Drop of bad.

Zel turned and indicated to the trio behind him. "This one. It...it has to be." He watched as Satan knelt down and gently nudged the other hanging droplets out of the way, scooting them aside. The black point was all alone now, nothing left to hide it. Beelzy made a grim, triumphant growl and looked up to his assistants. A plump, matronly-looking cat with moth antennae gave him a set of long handled tweezers. 

With the utmost care, Beelzy plucked the little blot out of the air and held it up before moving quickly. Zelampago stepped out of his way and watched, flanked by Barnabus and Razielphustar, as the lab assistants brought up what looked like an artillery cannon. Gently and with precise movements, Big Red opened up a shell that was laid next to the cannon. The lab techs began swiftly opening and reopening the shell, over and over again like a matroyshka doll, until they got down to a small six inch tall shell with a single door in it. 

The Devil paused then, gazing at the dot of vile wrongness, and muttered to himself: "The research, the answers we could get from studying you might be so vastly important, my evil little enemy. But I won't risk you just coming back to bother us. Not now, not ever."

Beelzy opened the door and placed the small drop of blackness inside. They watched as some of the surrounding anti-time atmosphere seeped in to the chamber, nestling all around the gross little monstrosity. 

Satan shut the door, then ran his finger along the seams, melding it into one solid piece again. The shell began to pulse with deep indigo runes then, as did each progressively bigger casing as the techs put it back inside the next one up, remelding the shell to one piece every single time.

When they got to the last one, Beelzy sealed it himself and rubbed his finger along the side of the shell. Words appeared there, shining in Zel's golden-empowered vision: "Kiss my ass, you old fuck."

Satan turned and nodded as the cannon was loaded inside a nearby doorway. As they all watched, the cannon began to rise up out of view. As one, all present craned their necks to the skylight. Outside, back within the stability of time, the artillery cannon rose into view. It's barrel sprang forth, extending greatly beyond even the biggest howitzers or launchers on any battleship. It aimed off towards a pure dark region of space.

"Coordinates locked in, Big Red. This puppy's not going to hit anything and will fly to the furthest parts of the Reach."

"Well done. You may fire when ready."

The tech wasted no time and slammed a fist down on the big red button that had begun to flash.

*KERTHOOOOM!* The barrel rocked back as a streak of light barrelled off and away, out of sight within seconds.

"Chamber empty. It's gone sir."

There was dead silence for but a moment, then a terrific cheer sprang forward from Barnabus and, as he was capable of doing, soon all were following his lead, howling and cheering and whooping and hollering.

Satan was just staring with a big happy grin right at Zelampago. Zelampago couldn't help but return the grin.

Even if it was sort of bashful.

***

Eventually the celebrations stopped and everyone made to get back into place. As Zel turned to walk out of the inner circle of light, Satan grabbed at his forearm.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

"W-well, I...just over there?"

"Psh. Fat chance. You've earned the right to stand here. So you'll be here, with me. That way, I can keep an eye on you in case you...y'know..." Satan pulled at the sides of his mouth, then down, creating a comical grimace filled with big pointy teeth. "...Rawr yourself again."

Zelampago rubbed at his arm and blushed, looking at Barnabus, who had been getting back into place next to a short and plump Elder. Zelampago seemed to remember he was the member of the Thirteen who the Zoological Park And Gardens was named for. Gaarthulom, that was his name.

"As well, I think you've earned another reward for your trials," the big red monster said, clapping his hand on Zel's shoulders, nearly buckling the wolfdemon's legs. Zel had been about to ask what that would be when Satan reached for the yellow-and-black-striped handle again and called out, "Goggles, everyone!"

Zel had just enough time to thumb the Modify button, shout, "Uh, bright flash shield!" and have his vision turn inky black before the Devil ratcheted back the lever. 

The multitude of droplets began to inch backwards, pulling back...back...back towards the gurney. Zelampago gripped the railing tightly as they suddenly picked up speed and zoomed in, slamming together all at once! 

There came a noise then, loud and indescribable.

Then silence.

Zelampago raised the Ocularis up off his face. Everyone else unblocked their vision or pulled off their goggles as well.

Laying on the gurney, softly asleep and breathing normally, was Llywyalla. The time freezing bubble was gone. The clock had restarted its steady ticking.

No one dared to move. Zel found it hard to even breathe. 

A huge hand gently found his rump and pushed him forward up the steps. "Go on. Awaken her, Zelampago," the Devil said, a hopeful smile on his face. "End your journey."

Zelampago Solaricanius ascended the steps and stopped by the table, kneeling down as he had done when he'd tucked Crystal into bed so many hours ago.

She was breathing in slowly, exhaling through her mouth. Zelampago gently settled his palm on her cheek and began to caress it. Once. Twice. Slowly and unhurriedly. Eventually, she opened her eyes in the dimmed light and beheld him.

"Zelampago?"

"Yes, Llywyalla...it's me."

"Wh...what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, precious angel..." Zel smiled at her and gulped, continued. "But that's not important right now. I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

He stared her in the eyes, hoping against all hope that this would work.

"Llywyalla, what is my name?"

"Your name? Zelampago, of course..."

Her eyes looked at him as the realization dawned on her, upon everyone. She looked at her hands, even as Zel was undoing the clasps that had held her in place. She pulled them up to her face and clenched them. She looked at him and said, "M...my name is Llywyalla. My name is Llywyalla!" She gripped his hand and desperately looked at him. "Am I dreaming? Am I?"

"No...no, love," Zelampago, his breath hitching at the unfolding miracle. "You're not dreaming.

"You just told the truth."

She latched onto him and held against him tightly. She let out a howl of urgent need, the sound that one makes upon waking from a very long and very unrelenting nightmare...only to find that it's finally over.

The room exploded into cries of exultation. Robes were flung everywhere, Barnabus and his fellow members of the Thirteen were clapping each other on the backs and shaking hands. Razielphustar had fallen backwards onto his back and was pumping his fist into the air.

The Devil was leaning against the railing, staring at the wolf and the cheetah in the middle of the room, his heart finally able to be at ease once more this day.

Llywyalla clung tightly to Zelampago, buried her face against the top of his chest and shivered, wet tears pouring down her face as she shook and shuddered. Zelampago took his wings of pure ebony and closed them around her. She looked up at him.

"It's over..."

He nodded and kissed her forehead, just as he did any of the others he had held this way. "Yes, angelheart. It's finally over."

**Chapter Eighteen**
Welcome Home

Zelampago exited the portal, dropping to the ground in front of Janet Fletch's temporary residence. 

He had managed to extricate himself as champagne and booze had started to be passed around the amphitheater. Ziggy had jangled with a warning bell that announced that Janet Fletch only had a half-hour left before her soul would dissolve. As he had fumbled to get his clothes redone, Satan had ambled up, clapped his hand on Zelampago's shoulder and smiled. "Son, yer sitting right underneath the Giving Force. Now that we've stopped drawing on it, I think it'll let you go directly there without any fuss or muss."

"Yessir, I will. I need to go fix that. I think it'll come to you directly, her heart."

"Mmhm. And I'll gobble it up the second I get it. Don't you worry about it."

The wolfdemon had made to leave when he was stopped by Barnabus, Razielphustar, and Llywyalla, who was trying to wipe her eyes clean. Razielphustar had come up and hugged the hell out of Zelampago's middle. "I'm so sorry about slugging you earlier. You weren't in good view yet and with those specs on, we kind of weren't sure who you were until I'd already laid you out..."

Zelampago rubbed his nose (which didn't hurt) and nodded, leaning down to share cheek kisses with the squirrel. "It's okay, I forgive you. Just...please don't make a habit of it?"

Raziel had laughed and honked his wolf friend's big bits before moving aside. 

Llywyalla came up next and just wordlessly kissed him full on the lips. Zelampago tuned out all the catcalls and friendly jeers as her kiss took over his senses for a moment.

His memory of the pain and anguish he'd experienced in Scum of the Earth began to fade. The terror, the despair, the utter hopelessness, all of it...it all began to fade and fade...and fade until it was gone for good.

"A kiss from an angel can cure a hurting heart. You'll remember being there, but you'll not hurt from the memories anymore. No badness, no nothing. My...my gift to you for being my hero," She smiled at him and he looked down again, blushing to himself before nodding and holding her.

"Thank you, angel," he said, voice breaking softly.

"Thank YOU, Guardian. I would love to visit you again sometime."

After Llywyalla was being led away by Razielphustar to have a bit of a post-op relaxation, Barnabus came up and extended his hand to the young Hellguardian. "Spectacular work, just as I'd hoped. I'd wagered you had the potential to be the right man in the right place at the right time and you didn't let me down."

"Thank you, sir. That really means a lot." Zel had offered the Ocularis Magnifectus to the grey bulldog. Barnabus simply pushed them back towards Zel.

"I told you, they're yours now. You've earned that right and privilege." He flashed a big toothy grin at Zel. "Besides, I don't get a chance to take them out for a spin very often and I imagine you could do some good with those somewhere down the line."

Zelampago had taken Barnabus' hand, shaken it, and bowed respectfully. "You were right, sir. Thank you for believing in me."

The wolfdemon found himself suddenly in a headlock, a massive noogie being applied directly between his ears. "AH TOLDJA, CALL ME BARNABUS, FUCKDAMNIT!!" 

As the room cheered and hailed him farewell, Zelampago had stepped through the time-jump portal. 

He checked his GDA. Ziggy's clock was showing both the time and the timer remaining on Janet's clock.

T-0:0:0:28:23 (Y:D:H:M:S)

The blue Hellguardian stepped over to the door and knocked on it twice. "Janet? It's me, Zel."

"Come in."

He entered the apartment, shut the door behind him, turned and stood, momentarily transfixed. 

Janet Fletch had been busy. 

She stood before him, her body completely renewed. She looked to be in her early 30s, the prime of her life. She stood there, nude before him. Her hair was lush and full once again, hanging behind her in a straight fall of brown. The wrinkles on her body had vanished, smoothed out as age had been pulled away from her.

She had regained some of her shape, her hips out more, her belly trimmer than it was, but still with a little curve. Zelampago found his crotch begin to heat up as he stared at her breasts. She had returned them to their full shape, perky and petite in size. Her mound was plump and full once more, the veins upon her wings gone as they had been restored to their full strength.

She was beautiful. 

"Do you like it?", said the batlady, turning on the spot.

"I...I do. You look amazing," he said, glancing up as she stepped over to him, swaying her hips a little as she moved into his arms for a close hug.

"Thank you, Zel..." 

He held her like that for quite some time before asking, "Does this mean you want to stay?"

"Yes. I do. I want to see my boy again. I want to give him the chance to have his mom back. I want to spend my afterlife here with him."

As Zelampago pulled slightly away from the hugging, Ainsley Taverinthian came around the corner from the kitchen, holding a tea service tray and what looked to be small sweet breads on a plate. The cowdemon set the tray down on the nearby desk and came over to give the tall blue wolf a soft kiss on the cheek. "I came by to keep Janet company while ye were away, Zelly. Just in case ye couldn'ae make it back in time to take her heart." She leaned in as Zel gazed at the vision of beauty now within his arms. "Though, I was hoping that you would. I think ye have earned this one, dear."

The tall cow leaned back, giggling softly at the flush rising on Zelampago's face, and continued. "Besides, I needed to make sure Janet here looked her absolute best for ye." She put her arms in front of her, hands clasped low at her belt line, and went quiet.

Zelampago nodded and guided Janet over to the bed, setting her there and kneeling before her, still able to see her at eye level. "Janet Fletch, may I excise your heart for safekeeping until it is needed again at the end of days?"

"Yes, Zelampago. Please."

The wolfdemon extended his index and middle finger and gently pressed them just above the batlady's ribcage. Her noseleaf twitched with nervous excitement. "This will not hurt at all. I promise you on my honor." She simply nodded and braced herself.

It didn't take long. Zelampago pushed his claw in and started to pull down, stopping just before her bellybutton. Janet shivered and cooed, her legs tightening together as he worked. The Hellguardian reached inside her chest and found her heart. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he twisted slowly and jerked downwards, detaching it with a soft *pop!*. Janet moaned slowly as he withdrew his hand, no gore or mess covering it, and showed her the still-beating heart he'd pulled from her chest.

"The Devil will keep this for you until it's needed." He opened a small portal and shoved his arm through, feeling someone gently pluck the beating organ from his hand and then kiss his palm. Zel pulled his arm back through the portal and shut it again.

Janet was biting her lip a little, still squeezing her legs together. The wolfdemon smiled at her and began to zip her up exquisitely slowly, inch by inch. She arched and grabbed at his paw with both of her winghands. He inched it up. Slowly. Slowly. She moaned louder, crying out as he finished, a soft splash of her juices coating her thighs as she came hard.

She flumphed against him and pulled him close, pulled him to rise before undoing his jeans and sliding his pants down. His huge meat rose into view like a cannon before her. Janet bit her lip and looked up at him, asking with just a look. On cue, Zelampago could see Ainsley out of the corner of his eye quietly open a portal and vanish, leaving the pair alone together.

Without a word, Zelampago pulled himself onto the bed and loomed above the batlady. She slid her legs open and he fed himself in, his thick cock spreading her open, no pain or tearing or anything of the sort...just bliss! Janet arched back and grabbed around his shoulders, pulling him down onto her.

Their coupling seemed to last for hours as Janet rowled and squeaked with each thrust of Zelampago's cock. He felt her come multiple times, drenching his slick rod over and over again, felt the years of her loss emptying out as she rode her Hellguardian's meat. When he finally came inside her, she tipped her head back and yowled loudly, a long moaning cry of joy and happiness.

Zel held her for a very long time after that, laying in bed with her, gently petting her ears and neck. 

"Zel?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you mean it when you said you loved me?"

He smiled and rubbed his nose to her leaf. "Yes. A Hellguardian cannot help but love those he or she protects. It's what makes us determined, driven to see those we care about happy and safe."

The batlady nodded and was quiet a moment longer. "Do you think he'll want me back?"

"Janet, I can say without a shred of a doubt that he wants you back in his life. Bartleby's a tough little boy, but even he still needs his mommy."

She kissed his cheek and edged up at him. "Don't call me Janet."

"I'm sorry?"

She grinned and giggled. "That's my name, alright, but my bosses and coworkers called me that. I've always preferred to be called April; you know, like the month when all the flowers come out to bloom."

"Alright then. April it is."

She smiled deeply at him and hugged in close. 

"Thank you, Zel."

"For?"

"For being the person I needed to help me remember what was important. You're a good man and...well, I know you're probably already taken, but if you weren't, I would have snapped you up in a heartbeat by now." She snapped her winghands to illustrate.

The big blue wolf laughed long with her, holding her close and giving her plenty of smooches. She cuddled in and nosed at him again.

"So. Bartleby...when can I see him?"

Zelampago pondered about this for a moment...and then a very good idea came into his head.

"If you'd be willing to wait a day or two, I think we can give him a proper surprise."

April liked the sound of that.

***

Gram was watching the 9 o'clock evening news on her couch, two tuckered out little bundles of fluff pooled on her lap. Lexi and Crystal had naturally spent the day outside, scampering about and getting into loads of trouble. After a hot bath with plenty of soapy suds, they'd had hamburgers for dinner and the kiddos had passed right out.

Her doorway opened and shut from behind the stairwell. Gram craned her neck to see who it was but relaxed when the big blue wolf eased himself around the corner and tippytoed up, putting a finger in front of his mouth. "Shhhh..."

Gram nodded and reclined back as Zel settled himself down and began to rub along the vixen girl's back and rump, gently urging her back to semi-awakeness.

"Crystal...rise and shine, sleepyhead."

"Hm..hmnrmrfph?" came the mumbly response. The little blue eyes peeled open a bit and she smiled a dreamy smile as she stretched. "Yaaayyy...my dream came true. Wuffy's here with me."

"Mmhm. We're gonna go home now, okay, cutiegoo?"

She noddled and reached over to give the just-waking-up Lexi a hug and a big wet kiss. Lexi erf'd cutely and cuddled in next to Gram's side. As Zel picked her up and gently slung her over one shoulder, he looked down at Gram.

"I can't thank you enough. You've done me a great service."

"None of that," she said, waving a paw in his general direction. "You had something to do and I have all the time in the world." 

Well, you do now, anyhow, he thought. He patted Crystal's butt and gazed down at Gram. 

"Do you think maybe you could do me one last favor? It's for something extremely special."

***

They had portaled home together in an instant. Zelampago had to admit, he missed it. He'd been through so much lately that the simple pleasure of walking through his own door had almost completely slipped his mind.

Inside his house, Ainsley Taverinthian awaited him.

She took Crystal and led Zelampago to the bedroom. Without a word or even the barest giggle, she stripped him and his ward, all the way down to nude. The cowdemon turned and undid her soft linen dress, letting it fall to the ground as well, turning to reveal her plump curves and soft heaviness.

They cuddled in that night, the small vixen gently pressed between a loving wolf and a gentle cow.

The only words anyone said were from Crystal, who had mumbled them as they snuggled in and as he was nearly asleep. The words that always pulled at his heart and made it full of joy and love:

"*My* Hero..."

**Epilogue**
Release Day

The party had been in full swing. News about Llywyalla's newfound ability to once again speak the truth had rocketed around their little circle of friends. While Zel didn't want to take much credit for it and would always beg off, saying he'd just been the one appointed to wake her up, it never stopped people from wanting to congratulate him.

So eventually, the big blue wolf had thrown his hands in the air, yelled, "Fuck it!" and announced a party so they could all do it *then* if they wanted to. Gram had immediately interceded on his behalf and had demanded the rights to throwing a bash *her* way. 

It wasn't an especially big party, but a goodly number of Zelampago's Hellguardian friends had stopped by, including the now much more present in his life Ainsley. The guest of honor, in Zel's mind, was Llywyalla and she had shown up to a great rousing cheer and a joke that actually made sense now that she could tell it properly. The kids had been invited too and since anyone who was cool knew that Hellguardians rocked, the entire class had shown up and promptly gotten into a young tag war. Naturally, the Hellguardians couldn't resist and what had started off quiet turned into quite the noisy little pileup. The playfully stern Mrs. Schaddenfreude had walked in amongst the pile and started administering shockings, poling the pile with an e-stim cattle prod, all while smiling gleefully.

Gram, who had been cooking up a storm since sunrise, took it all in stride and merely slipped back in the kitchen for more of her barbecue ribs and homemade potato salad. Big Red had shown up too and after beseeching Gram to the point of near groveling, had taken over duties at the humongous grill. He's plastered an apron on himself that was simple: "SUCK MY DICK." Gram took that in stride too.

As the evening wore on, Zelampago drifted over to where Beelzy was shooting the breeze with Barnabus (who had demanded to come along and had sworn all of the littles to double-unlimited-pinky-swear to not tell a soul about his double nature). Xander crossed his fingers and had been dropkicked over the fence. His cry of "WORTH IT!" as he crash landed into a convenient pile of brambles on the other side had gotten a laugh out of the entire crowd.

"Say, Big Red?" Zel approached, holding his drink close as Beelzy picked up another pitcher of good booze and drained half of it straight from the rim.

"*BARRUP!* Wassup, pup?" 

"You wouldn't mind telling me how you were able to slip away from your office for two weeks without the backlog being gummed up?"

"Oh that?" barked the ruler of Hell. "That was actually kind of simple. True, I paid for it later on, but the idea was genius, if I do say so myself. May I see that?" The big demon pointed at Zelampago's GDA holster. Zelampago wordlessly pulled out Ziggy and offered it to Big Red, who was wiping his hands clean on a nearby towel.

The Lord of Hell took Zel's GDA  and pulled up the Boss Door app. After knocking on it three times, then seven, then two more, the door had opened to show what looked like a sweat shop. Row upon row upon row of workers in prison-style jumpsuits toiled away, each to their own desk and each with a small mountain of papers.

"Dickheads! Volunteers brought up on a day trip. I made them all the offer of "Do some incredibly grueling work now and you'll be doing *me* a favor." Sat back and waited to see how many of them made that choice without any sort of guaranteed reward." He gestured at the line of toiling fursons. "True, they'll have to work like the dickens for it, but still! Worked like a charm! Certainly earns them a few brownie points in my book."

That made sense. Some people would go through the shit of even data entry if it made things easier in the long run. A thought occured to Zel suddenly and he turned to Barnabus, drinking what looked to be a martini, the olives having been replaced by testicles of some kind. "So, Barnabus..."

"Mmyes, lad?" The big bulldog was in full bulging biceps mode, yet he'd felt the fun of talking as he normally did would 'cause some shenanigans'. 

Zelampago looked at him and shook his head slightly. "Why didn't you just tell me? It would've saved everyone a lot of heartache and toil."

Barnabus looked back at him and barked a huge laugh out. "Just like Beelzy over here: simple!" He squeezed on Zel's shoulder fondly. "Where would the journey be in that? Just take the specs, go down, and ba-boom, job's done?

"No, dear lad, if I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand more times: I saw potential in you. You could go the distance and find out for yourself. Yes, I knew the risks that you might...go through the bottom, but even then, I had faith. Faith in you. Faith that you needed to see all of this," the dog waved an arm around, indicating the party at large. "All of this...be right and proper. No matter the cost.

"You needed to show *yourself* that you had fortitude, determination...and the heart to persevere." Zel smiled and blushed a bit, looking downwards. "And you did a crackerjack job, methinks! Though..." he said, setting his drink aside and looking back at the wolfdemon with regret, "I still want to apologize for causing you to be punched in the nose by Razielphustar. That sucked for you both and I'm terribly sorry it turned out that way."

Zelampago clapped the big bulldog's shoulder and smiled at him, nodding once. "You're forgiven, Barnabus. And thanks for believing in me, even when I couldn't."

The bulldog owner of the biggest arcade and batshitcrazy fun center just gave a sly wink and tipped his martini back. "Someone had to or you'd be moping around all dithering day!"

As Zel had laughed and turned to go, he found his arm grabbed again. He turned to look, seeing Big Red's eyes completely focus in.

"Zelampago, I know this is rather impromptu, but with Barnabus here as well as Razielphustar, I'd like to read this to you." The Devil handed his nearly depleted pitcher off to Razielphustar, who had been standing by to receive it, and fished around inside of his apron, pulling out a scroll. Barnabus grinned at Zelampago's confused face and simply indicated that Zel should listen.

"*ahhhemmmmememem...*

"For services showing above and beyond the call and creed of your rank, for going well further than needed, and for sheer dedication and titanium balls to right the wrongs around you, I do hereby bestow upon you, Zelampago Solaricanius, the rank and title of Arch-Hellguardian."

As Satan had been reading, a hush fell over the crowd until that last two words. Ainsley had run up and hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek as the assembled furs started up a cheer for the blue wolfdemon. Crystal was bouncing up and down happily, Lexi bouncing right along with her. Llywyalla, who had sidled up next to him, gave his other cheek a kiss and held his hand.

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think I deserve it."

The crowd hushed again as Big Red simply cocked an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Why not?"

Zelampago pressed forward. "Sir, I just...I just did what I felt was right. Nothing more. I did my job as a Hellguardian and, well, I got myself into a lot of trouble. I foisted my queue off onto Ainsley, I left my beloved ward in the care of another for days on end...and I nearly lost track of a case. 

"I don't think I'm ready for it. Not until I can be certain I've got the job down right."

There came a long silence as Beelzy came over and put his hand on Zelampago's shoulder, turning him around and facing him towards the crowd.

"And that, dear boy, is exactly why you deserve it. You're humble, without hubris, and fully dedicated to doing the right thing instead of reaping the rewards. Not only that, but you showed real strength of character in knowing what to prioritize, when something was important enough to break the rules over. You have proven yourself to have the determination of a warrior, a mind built for good thinking...and the hutzpah of a hero. You DO deserve this Zelampago...and if you're still in doubt..."

The big red machine turned to the crowd, "All in favor?"

"AAAYE!"

"All opposed?"

Dead silence.

"Damn right. Motion passes. Yer an Arch-Hellguardian. Deal widdit."

As the great crowd cheered once more, Raziel sidled up alongside him and gave his butt a pinch. "Don't worry, amigo, your caseload won't go bonkers. You're still you and you are still learning."

"Thanks...but I think I'd rather let this night end with someone else being happy." He looked knowingly off to where the kids were eating. Lexi had hugged her Gram close and Xander was smack-dab between the Oakley parents, nuzzling and erfing up at them. Bartleby was sharing the last bench with Crystal, who was positively vibrating with happiness for her wuffy.

Razielphustar nodded. "Shall I run interference?"

Zel nodded. "Just for a bit."

"I think I can squeeze Big Poppa away from the grill for a few moments. He'd want to see this." They split then, Razzy heading off for the grill, Zelampago passing the kids and their little group and going to a tall oak tree at the back of the stretched out yard.

"Are you ready?"

"I think so...Do I look okay?"

He reached in behind the tree where a woman was standing. "You look radiant. Just like I said back then."

She nodded and waited as Zelampago turned and stepped over to the table where Crystal and her friends were scarfing down fresh, yummy ribs, just prepared by Beelzebub. The little goovixen leapt up when she'd seen him coming and had plastered his face with sticky smooches. The Oakleys and Gram alike had given him a shake of the hand and a pat on the back. Razielphustar was rubbing the small bat's shoulders while the Devil had ambled on over and was complimenting Gram on her excellent rib recipe.

Zelampago Solaricanius breathed in. Breathed out.

"Bartleby?"

The young batling perked his ears as he looked behind him where Zel had gotten to one knee. He rotated on the bench and quirked his head a little, licking off his fingertips one by one. "Yeah, Zel? What's going on?" He looked up as Raziel moved out of the way and to one side, holding his top hat in his hands.

The table quieted as he began speaking.

"Bartleby, there's something I haven't been telling you or anyone else aside from Crystal. I was busy this week, yes, and I was partly responsible for helping Llywyalla regain her speech...but I had one other task as well."

Bartleby just looked at him, unsure of what this was about. Zel continued.

"It was a task that Raziel had demanded that he do...but because he was busy with Llywyalla as well, the case shunted itself to me, the furson Raz trusted the most to do it right. I received the person, helped them get comfortable here, and helped them find their reason for existing here."

He took the boy's hand and led him away from the table a step or two. "Just right here...there. Turn around for me? Excellent! Now stay there for a bit." The big wolf walked over to the tree and took the hand of the furson in waiting behind it, who had portaled in at his signal just before he'd gone to find Raziel and Beelzebub. 

Zelampago led her to about fifteen feet away from Bartleby and had her stand there. She looked like she was about to fly apart with need, almost buzzing in the light green knee-length dress she was wearing. Bartleby's ears had pricked up and swung about as he tried to figure out what was going on. Gram and Mrs. Oakley both gasped and bit back little murfs of happiness. Lexi just gasped and clapped her paws over her face. Xander's jaw literally hit the table.

Zelampago got down on his knees before the young batling and smiled at him. "Their reason for staying, Bartleby, was you. So. I'd like you to welcome someone to the Naughty level." He turned the boy around, covering the youngster's eyes as he did and pulled them away once Bartleby had rotated to face her.

"Your mother, April Fletch."

Bartleby stared at her. She...she was just as he remembered her. Tall, pretty, slightly curvy even. She was...oh...she was...his face started to crumble into wordless joy.

April, biting back a sob, just sank to her knees and opened her arms. "C'mere, bitty bat."

"MOOOOM!" Bartleby let out a howling scream as he launched himself at her, slamming his arms around her as she did him.

"Oh baby...oh my sweet Bartleby. Momma's home now."

Zelampago stood up and backed out of the way, even as Xander's dad took out his big flashy camera and snapped pictures, the girls at the table sharing amongst them a box of mysteriously-procured tissues.

Zelampago pulled out his GDA as the two bats held onto each other, no longer alone in this world. He brought up the file. 

***File Update***
SUBJECT: APRIL JANET FLETCH
STATUS: IN PERMANENT RESIDENCE, NAUGHTY LEVEL
LOCATION: ADDAMS' BACKYARD
SOUL STATUS: LIVING HEART WILLINGLY GIVEN
RELATIVES: BARTLEBY, SON
***File Closed***

Zelampago Solaricanius slid Ziggy away and stood with his friends, his little goo-vixen sliding her small paw up into his, the lovely cowdemon slipping her arm into his and laying her cheek against the wolf's.

April held onto her son as he sobbed and bawled and let out all of his deeply hidden loneliness into her breast. She rocked him back and forth, the hole in her heart vanished for good.

"Momma's home forever now...Forever and Always."

***Arc Four: Patched - End***

**The End**
**for now**

Author's Note:

As I sit here early in the morning, having completed this to my standards, I'm left hungry for more. I've more to write, more to say, more to speak about these characters, the wonderful new truths that they found and where they go from here. Alas, I don't think I have it in me to do a direct sequel to this story, but rest assured, if I can write more (and if Alex says it's okay), there will be more of the story for you to read. 

With that, let's do some wrap-up thanks:
Alex Reynard - This is your universe, yet this makes the second story you've gifted with the title of 'canonical'. I feel honored by that and deeply touched that you consider my skills to be worth that. I'd never have done this without your encouragement.
Alfador Fox - I love you always and forevermore, foxy. Thank you so much for proofing this along with Alex and proving yet again your analytical skills are something to be in awe of. I cannot live my life without you and am blessed that you wish to spend it with me.
Jasu - You're an awesome friend and a stellar roommate. You've been an incredible source of good vibes and positive will that galvanized me into getting this whole thing edited, proofed, and finalized. Now go to sleep, damnit!
Kanada, Robby, Relee, and Landon - What, you thought I'd forget you guys? You're the ones who got to hear this story firsthand and you had a MAJOR part in its creation, especially with the third arc. Your ideas and feedback helped make this story come alive at places and it truly *amused* me to know you enjoyed it. 

Miracle of The Giving Force
Started: June, 2013
Drafts (Arcs 1-4): May 30th, 2014
Editing Completed: Aug 27th, 2014
Final Completion: Aug 29th, 2014