"Are you insane?!"
"I assure you, I am not."
"We've been told over and over again not to mess with time, and you want to break that rule?!"
"He's already broken it. Besides, both Grandmother and Mother said that we can break that rule only in emergencies."
"Your mother had a baby specifically for revenge on two people she was annoyed by. I don't think she's the person to listen to in this situation!"
"No, there's nobody for us to listen to. There's only the four of us left and we need to fix things. Don't you want us all to be happy?"
"I… I still don't think this is a good idea…"
"I'm insisting that we bring along the other two."
"Of course you are." As if on cue, the two girls were joined by another girl and a boy.
"Are we ready?"
"Ready."
The girl who had proposed the time-travel extended her fingers.
"Goddesses, hear my prayer. We stand before you and request that you allow us to travel back and correct what must be corrected. Allow us to fix the future for the sake of those who survive here, and for the sake of those who have been taken."
"Names?"
"Eris, Rider of the White Horse of Conquest." The boy took her place.
"Oliver, Rider of the Red Horse of War." One of the other girls stepped forward.
"Ivy, Rider of the Black Horse of Famine." The last girl made her way up front.
"Alexandra, Rider of the Pale Horse of Death."
A golden, swirling vortex appeared in front of the four. Eris nodded to her companions and they dove through, one by one. She herself was the last to go, turning to look at the smoldering ruins of what had once been Britannia, before sighing.
"We'll correct what went wrong, Mother, Grandmother. I promise. And to the spirits of those who have been forced from this world, that promise goes to you as well."
She stepped through and the portal vanished.
It was a normal day at The Boar Hat. Meliodas was busily preparing for the rush that would be sure to come once the workday drew to a close. His eyes landed on Elizabeth, who was humming while she cleaned tables. That familiar feeling of wanting to grab her washed over him, but it was compounded with his feelings of complete and total love and devotion. To avoid the awkwardness that was beginning to set in, he crouched behind the counter to organize the booze.
"This place is such a dump," he heard a male voice say. "I can't believe this is where the Seven Deadly Sins spend their time."
"I think it's quaint," a female voice replied. Meliodas popped his head up to see four travelers—three female, one male.
"Hiya!" he greeted the four, smiling. "You looking for something?"
"The Seven Deadly Sins," stated one of the girls. She had long, amber-colored hair and violet eyes. She reminded him of someone…
"Well, I'm Meliodas, the captain. And you are?"
"I'm Eris, and these are my companions." She gestured to the three with her. "Where are the others?"
"Ban is out somewhere, and King and Diane went for a walk. Merlin's in Camelot, no clue where Gowther is, and Escanor is picking up more drinks." His eyes landed on the smallest of the four—a girl with golden hair and blue-green eyes. She didn't seem to be much older than twelve. She was also staring at him with a look of… sadness? Mourning?
"Is something wrong?" Elizabeth inquired of the girl.
"N-no! Nothing!" the girl insisted.
"I'm Elizabeth. What's your name?"
"Alexandra, but everyone calls me Alex."
"How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Well, Alex, I can promise you that Meliodas will do everything he can to help you."
"That's good to hear." Alex's smile seemed pained. The last girl—who had reddish-brown hair and golden brown eyes—seemed uneasy.
"Eris, I'm going outside," she stated, rubbing the bracelet that was on her arm.
"Go ahead. Take Oliver with you." Eris waved her away. The girl went outside, pulling Oliver along.
"Who was that?" Meliodas asked Eris.
"Ivy. I guess you could say she's our second-in-command. Now, as for why we need you…"
Ivy let out a sigh as she leaned against The Boar Hat. Oliver rolled his eyes at her dramatic behavior.
"Honestly, Ives, you could've just said you needed some air."
"You know I don't feel comfortable indoors."
"Yeah, well, I hate being around people in general. With you, it's because you're huge without the damn bracelet."
"I feel more comfortable outside because I feel closer to my family. You know that."
"I feel closer to my mom outdoors. And on windy days."
"Do you think they're watching us from beyond?"
"I'm sure they are. You won't be able to talk to them at the Necropolis now. They're alive in this time period."
"I know… I still think it was a mistake to come back here."
"Yo, who the hell are you?"
The two looked up to see an all-too-familiar face. Oliver stiffened.
Ban the Undead.
"I'm Ivy, and this is my cousin, Oliver," Ivy told the thief. She shifted uncomfortably.
"Well, if you're here for food and drinks, the Captain will hook you up inside."
"Ives needed some air," Oliver spoke up.
"Guess I get it." His eyes landed on Ivy's bracelet. "Nice bracelet. Where'd you get it?"
"It was a gift from my friend Eris. She's inside with another friend of ours, Alex."
"Fantastic. Customers mean I have to cook." The Fox Sin headed inside and Ivy breathed a sigh of relief. Oliver smacked the back of his cousin's head.
"Could you be a bit more welcoming?"
"He's the only one of the Sins left in the future. And he ditched us to find a way to die! Why aren't you mad at him?!"
"I can't be. He wants to be with her. Do you blame him?"
"Yes, when the rest of our friends and family are all dead! We need an adult's guidance!"
"Ugh. You're no fun…"
The cousins glared at each other, remembering those they'd lost.
"Ivy! Ollie! There's food!" called Alex from the door. She had a brighter expression than she'd had for a long time.
"You're not going to turn down food, are you, Ives?" Ollie chuckled.
"Fine. Only because it's Ban's cooking and we haven't had it in ages."
They were about to head inside when they heard thunderous footsteps. Ivy looked up to see a familiar giantess with a familiar fairy-man flying around her shoulders. She stiffened, feeling a pain in her heart at seeing them alive again. Oliver vanished through the front door.
"Oh, hi!" Diane greeted her. "Welcome to The Boar Hat!"
"T-thank you," Ivy stammered. King tilted his head as he looked at her. "What's wrong?"
"You look familiar… do we know you?"
"I've never met the two of you before today. How could you know me?"
"Something about your face… it's really bugging me that I can't place it."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I've never met any of the Seven Deadly Sins before today."
"IVY!" Alex called. "Hurry before the pig eats everything!"
"I'd better go inside and eat. Alex is always worried about my appetite. You'd think I was the youngest based on her actions! It was nice to meet you!"
Ivy ran inside and found food waiting. She dug in with the rest of her comrades, grateful to be tasting good food again.
In war, there's no time for luxuries like good food. You have to take what you can get.
"Thank you for the meal, Sir Meliodas, Sir Ban," Eris told the two Holy Knights. "We'd best be going now."
"Hold on. You said you needed our help, right?" Meliodas interrupted the teenager. "What do you need our help with?"
"We are from a kingdom far to the North. Everything was peaceful there until about a year ago. That's when a usurper killed the king and took control. He has an army of Holy Knights under his command, all willing to die at a moment's notice."
"Not to mention he's extremely powerful," added Ivy worriedly, her face falling. "My parents were two extremely powerful Holy Knights who stood against him, and he killed them both, along with my brother and sisters. He tortured and killed my mother and siblings before my father's eyes to break his spirit… make him easier to kill. My father gave his life to ensure I escaped, but I watched him die."
"Did he kill the rest of your parents as well?" Elizabeth asked, her voice full of sorrow and sympathy.
"My father," Eris confirmed. "And my adoptive mother. I don't give a damn about my birth one."
"My mother," Oliver mumbled.
"My parents and my brother," Alex whispered. "The only family the four of us have left is each other."
"You poor things!"
"What do you need us for?" Ban groaned.
"Because he's set his sights on Liones and Camelot next," Eris replied, clenching her fists. "We can't let him succeed. He'll turn it into a wasteland."
"What is the name of this supposed usurper?" Merlin inquired.
"Mordred. He was the product of a woman's desire for revenge on her enemies, but she abandoned those plans once he was born in favor of being his mother."
"You seem to know this 'Mordred' rather well," Gowther commented. "Is there a connection besides what you've told us?"
"He's her brother," Oliver explained. Eris elbowed her companion hard in the ribs.
"That bastard is not my brother. We may share a father, but that is the only connection between us." Eris had a serious expression that was all too familiar to the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"So, are you four Holy Knights?" Escanor questioned timidly.
"We are. Until recently, we served our king as his personal guards." Ban let out another snort, as if he doubted four kids under the age of eighteen could be in such high positions as Holy Knights.
"They have very high power levels," Merlin interjected. "I daresay they match ours. I can't wait to see what they can do."
"Then that settles it. They'll be coming with us!" Meliodas declared. "This calls for a celebration!"
Later that night, as Diane slept outside the tavern, the four visitors slipped past the giant and into the woods, where they could talk without being overheard. Alex leaned against a tree and sank to the ground, tears in her eyes.
"Mama and Papa… it's good to see them again."
"Same here," sighed Ivy, patting her friend on the back. "I wish I could see Rose and Dolores and Helbram again, though…"
"My father was supposed to be good friends with the Sins," Eris grumbled. "Cath said so. Lying little beast."
"Isn't your father the king of Camelot?" Oliver pointed out. "He's got a kingdom to rule. He can't spend his time hanging out at a tavern in another land."
"I wanted to see him again."
"Hey, how do you think I feel? My mother hasn't been brought back yet and my dad's an ass!"
"And it seems like Mama and Papa are still under their curses," Alex mused, taking a stick and doodling in the dirt. "Papa seems more disconnected, and Mama is… clueless."
"They won't break the curses for another year or so," Ivy assured the youngest. "But it'll happen, and then you'll be born a few years later. We all will."
"Can you believe this is only twenty years in the past?" Eris sighed. "It's so much more lively and colorful."
"And our lives will be, too, once we succeed," Alex told Eris. "Mordred will be stopped. He won't be able to hurt us or our families again."
Trying something out. Let me know if you like it.
So long and thanks for all the fish!