"Soulquest"
by Chris Claremont & Ron Frenz
Two years have passed since the last issue and Belasco has become Illyana's new teacher. She works on a spell to transform a little creature into a beast. She succeeds, but it attacks her. Cat appears and eats it. This frightens Illyana, and Belasco taunts her over her carelessness with the beast and sends her to her room. Cat shows her fangs, and Illyana runs up the stairs in fright, afraid of what Cat will do to her if she's caught. Cat chases her onto her bed, and Illyana screams for Belasco to help, but Cat calls her name - the first word she said since Belasco enthralled her. She can't stand seeing Cat in such a pitiful state, so she curses her and knocks her out of her room with a beam of energy.
Illyana rises to creates an acorn in an effort to make it grow into a tree like Storm had done, but it explodes into darkness and she passes out. When she wakes, she finds Storm in her room, much to her delight, but she soon realizes it is only Storm's astral projection. She wishes Storm to help Cat, and Storm agrees to do what must be done, and says she will be there soon. Illyana tells Storm she has been plotting to destroy Belasco, but Storm forbids it. Illyana explains Belasco's influence over her is growing and is afraid to do more evil things. She begs Storm to help her try and defeat him, but Storm refuses, and says she will help in her own way when the time is right. Her astral form then disappears.
Illyana is upset over the lack of help, and tries to think of a way to escape when a stepping disc appears on the ceiling. She wonders how it got there, as Belasco keep them far away from his citadel, but wishes it would come down to her level when to her surprise - it does. She realizes it was her doing, and not through magic, but some other power. Afraid that Belasco will catch her, she panics when the portal appears under her bed, taking her from the citadel and into the tunnels of Limbo. It suddenly comes to her that summoning stepping discs is her mutant power. But before she can practice, a car comes from nowhere and crashes into her bed. The occupants are the New Mutants, Rahne, Dani, Sam, and Roberto, and they seem to recognize her, but notice she's too young. They disappear and leave Illyana wondering who they were and how they knew her (more of this in New Mutants #14). She makes another stepping disc that takes her to Belasco's library. Storm appears to stop her from reading his grimoire and sends her through a stepping disc Illyana had not summoned. She finds herself on a gallery overlooking Belasco's throne. She checks to see if the coast it clear, and witnesses a fight between a younger Storm and Belasco in which Belasco seems outmatched. Storm apparently kills him when she soon takes on his demonic appearance. Belasco rises and explains he cannot be defeated in Limbo, but her apparent slaying of a helpless foe had corrupted her irrevocably and she is now bound to him body and soul. Illyana denies it, and disappears in another stepping disc when S'ym appears to take her back to Belasco. But she knocks him into a portal, unsure of where and when she sent him. She then notices the castle walls had been breached, and knows it's Storm's doing.
She realizes Storm is no match for Belasco, and runs in to where the two are fighting in an effort to teleport both Storm and herself into Storm's garden where they'll be safe. But Cat slashes Storm's back, taking her out. She and Illyana get into a fight, and Illyana ultimately snaps her neck, killing her. Illyana runs to Storm, but Belasco opens her medallion and explains they will now make her third bloodstone. And when they are through, they will kill Storm and bring about her eternal damnation.