A/N: I lost a bet with Lickitysplit and this story is my payment for our wager. I said rather foolishly that Estarossa would wear that horrid mustard coat of his in season two of the anime and it's now clear he's going to wear a tasteful navy thing instead, leaving poor Zeldris as the worst dressed brother. Nakaba sensei why? He does not deserve that!

I am glad to have lost however as I'm rather happy with this idea and I might not have written it otherwise. Thanks Lickitysplit for letting me spew random thoughts at you which helped to formulate this idea.

The Field Of Corn

"You poor thing! Did you get in a fight with your elder brother again?"

Suppressing groans of agony as every muscle and sinew in his body protested, Estarossa forced himself to open his eyes. He pushed himself up carefully onto his elbows, the better to stare lasciviously at the owner of the soft voice whose power was crackling like sparks all through the air. Wisps of golden corn brushed his cheek as he looked at Elizabeth, all discomfort forgotten as he took in the enticing, bountiful chest which she had almost thoughtfully positioned above him. Unaware of his inner turmoil, Elizabeth knelt close by his side, her glowing eyes open and trusting and he felt his breathing grow heavy with desire as he took deep breaths of her scent, the aroma of orange blossom as sweet as her smile.

The urge to pull the girl under him, crushing her magnificent wings into the ground as he pushed her hands above her head and slowly immersed himself in her was completely overwhelming, and Estarossa felt his fingers twitch with his impatience. How long had he been waiting to have her now? Months at least; every encounter more tantalising than the last. With great effort, his hearts thrumming with fevered anticipation, he forced himself to look up into the goddess' face. It would do him no good if she got wind of his intentions now, not when he was so close. Just a few meetings more and the girl would be his. He had to be patient, bide his time, wait until her trust was a little more firm and her guard truly let down. When she opened herself to him fully, then he would be able to whisk her away. It was risky of course, she was the enemy and a powerful one at that, but he had found a place to keep her where their families would never find them, even if they searched for centuries. The gilded cage he had built for his sublime bird of paradise.

But not yet. She was not ready and he needed to maintain the deception. "Yes.. he... he can be mean sometimes," Estarossa said brokenly, allowing a wince of pain to flash across his features as he forcefully pushed his power away. He needed her to believe he was vulnerable and his words were not exactly a lie. Elizabeth did not need to know that his fights with Meliodas would most accurately be called thorough training sessions. Ever since he had been badly hurt in an ambush, his brother had taken on his training himself, dismissing the instructor who had been hired for the purpose. With some reluctance, their father had given way to the elder's demands in the face of his hot determination. Meliodas had been an extremely effective tutor, and Estarossa's power had surged to new heights under his efforts. He had recently even mastered Full Counter, adapting the move to suit his own designs: he always had preferred brawls to magecraft. And this increase in power would mean the girl in front of him would be completely at his mercy when the time came.

"Here, let me help you," Elizabeth said softly, as she reached out her hand, pressing her heated palm into his chest. Instantly, he felt a liquid warmth run through his veins, smoothing over him, caressing his pain away. Unable to stop himself, Estarossa let forth a sigh of ecstasy and he grabbed Elizabeth's hand, holding it in place. Nothing felt as good as this.

Feeling her fingers trembling against him slightly, beginning to claw at his white shirt, Estarossa made himself drop his hand to his side and look at Elizabeth, the picture of innocence on his boyish face. He grinned inwardly as her expression of concern faded to a gentle smile, and for once he was glad of his childish appearance.

His diminutive stature had been incredibly useful; Elizabeth was so lost in her own ideas of who he was that she had no notion at all of his plans. Still, it was irritating that he looked so exactly like his elder brother. Zeldris, having had the luck to be born with a head of thick black hair, carefully styled his locks to alter his appearance. It made him look like a hedgehog of course, but it was a price worth paying for the self-respect. He had tried it too, but his pale yellow hair would not play ball. No matter what he did, two strands stubbornly stuck up from the top. Still, the solution was in hand. Before too long he would have fixed this particular problem.

Smile beginning to falter, Elizabeth looked down at him and Estarossa realised some of what he was thinking must have shown on his face. As quick as a flash, he disabled his powers, the swirling mark on the left side of his forehead fading to skin. His dark eyes vanished, replaced with a piercing blue and Elizabeth sighed as she shuffled imperceptibly closer and gazed at him as if hypnotised. This trick always worked.

Lying down beside him, pushing down the tall stalks of corn with her perfect body, Elizabeth looked up at the azure sky, her arm nearly touching his as she lay. His powers switched off, Estarossa felt a very real peace flutter over him as he watched the fluffy white clouds slowly drifting above, his eyes drawn to the shape of a turtle as it swam through the sky.

"What's it like up there?" he asked suddenly, his question surprising himself. He'd never even considered the celestial realm or had any desire to know more about it. There was a reason he never deactivated his powers, it did cause some problems.

Elizabeth smiled widely as she tilted towards him, turning on her side to examine him more closely. "It's wonderful!" she gushed, eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Everything is so bright. In the day, the trees sparkle silver and they glow like the moon at night. Ambrosia and fruit grow everywhere so it smells like honey and no one ever goes hungry and the fireflies shine all the colours of the rainbow. It's a sight to behold."

Estarossa considered this. It sounded appalling, a veritable assault on the senses. Heaven was evidently not all it was cracked up to be.

"What is your realm like?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes still turned towards him. "Is it as dark as my clan say?"

"Dark?" Estarossa raised his eyebrows, also turning towards Elizabeth, twirling a stalk of grain in his free hand as he lay on his right arm. "What are you talking about? We don't live in purgatory. Now that place is... let's just say you don't want to go there. But the demon realm itself is like Britannia, only warmer, so everything grows a bit faster. It's a very fertile land."

"I see, I wish I could see it," Elizabeth said wistfully and Estarossa pricked up his ears. She was evidently close to where he needed her to be. The thought made his power surge, and his eyes turned coal black as he felt his magic returning. He needed to leave before he gave himself away.

Rising quickly, Estarossa looked out to the horizon, his back to Elizabeth as black feathers cascaded down his arms, fluttering gently in the light breeze. "It's time, I have to get back. I'll see you tomorrow, and I'll have a surprise for you," he promised as he raised his arms for flight. Before Elizabeth could protest, he pushed down on the balls of his feet and propelled himself into the air, flying away from the field of golden corn and back to his home.

The sun shone bright, relentlessly pounding the land with its radiant heat, scorching the parched, cracked earth. Usually, Estarossa lay in the field or against a tree as he waited for Elizabeth, but not today. Today he wanted her to see him in his new glory.

The previous evening had been one of brutal pain, a haze of alcohol barely muting the agony of his transformation. Knowing that the bird he would snare had burning powers of her own, Estarossa had determined that he would need to overwhelm her physically. He could do that of course despite his small stature but a little more bulk would only help his cause.

Estarossa shuddered as he remembered the process he had put himself through, not daring to use too much whiskey to mute the feel of his body ripping and tearing as he used his powers to mold himself anew lest he make a mistake in his stupor and wind up looking like a deformed monster. He had always wondered if his power to create demons could be used to change those of his race and he was very pleased to have so successfully completed his experiment. He now looked like a God, towering over most of his brethren with a serious set of muscles to match his new height. He had been particularly happy with the change to his face. He looked so rugged and handsome with the silver hair and goatee he had grown, the colouring deliberately chosen to help Elizabeth feel more at ease. He looked completely different and she would need some familiarity to help her get used to his new appearance.

Impatiently, Estarossa tapped his foot on the hard ground as he waited for Elizabeth to arrive. Why, today of all days when his plans were so close, was she keeping him waiting?

Minutes ticked by and Estarossa was on the point of tearing up the corn, scattering the crop across the land in his rage when he felt a small crackle of a familiar power, the light of it reaching out to barely touch him. He understood. She was here, watching, too cautious to approach. He would have to convince her to come to him.

Slowly, carefully, Estarossa stretched out his power to lightly caress the energy he could feel, nothing more than a gentle handshake to put Elizabeth at her ease. As their powers slid together and over one another, Estarossa felt his body throb almost painfully in anticipation. He needed her. Now. But he forced himself to go slow, to coax and cajole rather than overwhelm. Slowly, his power licked against hers, gently stroking, pulling her forward. And finally, after what felt like many hours, Elizabeth flew down, her white wings quivering slightly as she landed in front of him.

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly as she stared at his chiseled face. "What did you do?" She looked up at him, almost having to strain her neck to make eye contact as she nervously played with the dark blue scarf which hung round her neck.

"Do you like it, Elizabeth?" Estarossa purred as he slowly moved a large hand to cup her face, the silken strands of her hair tickling against the backs of his fingers. For all her nervousness, he had caught the look of fascination in the goddess' eyes and the spark of lust as she had taken in his bare chest. The power of the perfect physique he thought as he failed to hold back a smirk, and he congratulated himself for ditching the shirt he habitually wore under his navy jacket. His brothers evidently knew what they were doing with this particular look.

"I… yes, but… what is this?" Elizabeth asked tentatively, her eyes unmistakably raking over his form. The tall stalks of corn came up to his waist, concealing his extremely toned thighs and he could actually see Elizabeth trying to get a look at his lower half. This knowledge caused a rush of excitement to flood his senses, and it took every last ounce of his self restraint not to plunge the hand still gently stroking her cheek into her long tresses and pull her roughly towards him. The mark of his forehead pulsed angrily with the effort, becoming more jagged at the edges as his hearts beat ever more wildly.

"I fancied a change. The important thing is whether it pleases you or not," Estarossa said, allowing a seductive edge to enter his tone. She was so close now. His physical beauty had taken her so by surprise she was practically his for the taking.

"Estarossa, I…" Before Elizabeth could continue the earth around them was suddenly covered in darkness, the air heavy with the smell of acrid burning and uncomfortable heat as a fierce roar boomed over the land. Without pause, Estarossa pushed Elizabeth down to the base of a tree, forcing her roughly as far as possible into a small hole in the dirt at its base.

"Dragon. I'll deal with it!" Estarossa yelled above the animal's deafening shriek. Black wings quickly slid out of his shoulder blades and Estarossa launched himself into the air, determined to place himself between the dragon and its prey. The beast had no doubt been after the sheep in the neighbouring field, but its kind preferred goddess meat and, as he had expected, the monster had turned in the air to follow Elizabeth's scent, bright green nostrils flaring with its desire.

"Stay back!" Estarossa warned as the long, thin beast twisted and writhed in front of him, shooting fierce orange flames from its mouth, its huge eyes glowing with a yellow fire of fury. This was not going to be easy. The dragon was at the prime of its life and very experienced. Estarossa had taken out these animals on his own of course, but he usually aimed for younger specimens, which were tastier as well as being less tricky to deal with.

"Rebellion," Estarossa muttered and a curved sword instantly materialised in the air. Grasping the hilt and shooting black flames over the blade, Estarossa surged forward, aiming for the dragon's eyes. The beast hissed, whipping its barbed tail round to parry Estarossa's attack, the demon falling back sharply to dodge the vicious purple spikes. The dragon roared, filling the air with the putrid smell of sulphur, the vile odour nearly enough to make the demon wretch.

"Is that all you've got, you pathetic worm?" Estarossa screamed as he hovered in the air, hand on hip as he stared at the beast. The animal reared up, scratching at the air with its claws, bearing its glistening fangs as it sucked in a deep breath, filling its lungs with air as it prepared to strike. With a growl, the beast breathed out so as to cover its opponent in flames and Estarossa braced himself, shielding himself with his darkness to deflect the attack. But nothing happened. Only a small puff of steam came forth from the depths of the beast's gaping maw and, as the dragon cowered, Estarossa shouted in triumph. His commandment had thoroughly settled the creature: the animal must despise him.

Dark eyes sparkling with delight and a smirk on his lips, Estarossa sailed over to the dragon. This was going to be easy! The lust for the kill filled him, his hearts beating wildly with excitement as he raised his sword. "Now die!" he yelled as he closed on his captive, who shrank back pitifully with a frightened whimper as he approached.

"No! Stop! Leave it alone!" Elizabeth cried as she flew in front of Estarossa, shielding the dragon with her light. Both demon and animal shrank back from the glare as Elizabeth shone, forcing Estarossa to squint to see the expression on her face. "Please, Estarossa, don't hurt it," she begged, her pleading eyes fixed on him, her full lips slightly parted in her concern.

With a snarl, Estarossa forced his sword back into its hiding place, the metal disappearing with a quick puff. Astonished, the dragon wasted no time at all. It beat its leathery wings with determination as it sped back to its home, not looking behind as it flew into the distance.

"You… you listened to me," Elizabeth said breathlessly, her face softening with her sweet smile as she flew towards Estarossa, who noticed for the first time that his forehead and back were beaded with sweat. But the goddess did not seem to mind the heady musk. Before he knew what was happening the demon felt soft lips on his own and fingers slowly working into his hair, massaging his scalp as Elizabeth deepened their kiss. As they floated down from the sky back into the corn, Estarossa let the girl push him into the ground until she was lying on top of him, every inch of her body pressed close to him as, unable to hold back any longer, he forced his tongue into her mouth groaning at the sweet taste of her. He had been dreaming of this for months and yet the reality was more delectable than he had ever imagined.

He need wait no longer. With one fluid movement, Estarossa pulled Elizabeth under him, forcing himself between her legs and grinding slowing against the heat of her body. At this, the lady hesitated and started to pull back, but it was too late for her now. No more need for pretence or subterfuge. He could overpower her, spirit her away, keep her a prisoner, a slave for his pleasure. The thought caused his very essence to throb and he rubbed himself against her, enjoying the look of terror which spread across her face more than anything he had seen there before.

"Estarossa!" the cold voice said menacingly, and the demon cursed hotly under his breath. Slowly, unwillingly he sat back on his haunches, not even looking over his shoulder to regard the owner of the familiar voice. He should have anticipated that Meliodas would get in the way.

"That's enough!" Meliodas snarled and Estarossa felt himself being forcibly pulled away from Elizabeth, whose eyes were now squeezed shut, the wetness of tears falling down her cheeks. "Go home. Now! I will deal with you later," his brother spat angrily as he pushed Estarossa further away from the girl. Knowing he would not have another chance to take her, not after showing his true colours so plainly, Estarossa began to protest but Meliodas twisted his arm painfully behind his back, his face pressed close to his ear. "Unless you wish father to find out about this you will go home now," Meliodas threatened and Estarossa knew he was beaten. With a look of pure loathing, he summoned his wings and flew back to the demon realm, cursing his brother and everything he stood for, while doing everything he could to suppress his bubbling emotions. It would do him no good to fall prey to his own commandment after all.

Meliodas regarded the girl lying on the dry ground, surrounded by golden corn and silver hair. Her eyes were still closed, but her breathing had started to follow an even pace, her chest rising and falling as she swallowed the soft summer air.

"Please get up," Meliodas said softly, surprising himself with his gentle tone. He was a warrior, a soldier, a ruthless, trained killer. Since when did he ever say please to the enemy? But as he looked down at the girl he realised he could not cause her harm, not after the danger she had just faced at his own brother's hands.

"I'm sorry," he said before he could stop himself and at that Elizabeth's eyes shot open and Meliodas caught his breath as he took in their beauty. Deep blue and shining silver, like the surface of the ocean, and all at once he understood what had captivated his brother. Without realising what he was doing, he disabled his powers, his bright green eyes sparkling as he knelt down on one knee next to the goddess. He suddenly cared very much that she was suffering and wanted to do whatever he could to ease her pain.

"I… I'm fine," the girl whispered. "I need to get home," and before Meliodas could stop her, wings stretched and quivering, the goddess took off into the sky. As she flew further towards the horizon, Meliodas watched her retreating form. This was bad. He had of course recognised the woman, who could not know the daughter of the Supreme Deity herself? If her clan found out what she had been subjected to, this would mean Holy War between their two races.

Cursing Estarossa and his brazen recklessness, Meliodas flew towards the demon realm at top speed, landing abruptly and pushing Chandler roughly out of the way as his instructor ran up to greet him.

"Where is Gowther? I need him now!" Meliodas demanded as he continued to stride quickly towards his father's castle, crushing green grass underfoot.

"In the library, master," Chandler said breathlessly as he trotted to keep up. "But young sir, why…"

"That is none of your concern," Meliodas said harshly as he continued to walk at pace through the giant gold palace gates. "Leave me now! I need to talk to Gowther alone."

"As you wish, master," Chandler said reluctantly as he stepped aside and Meliodas continued to power through the red carpeted corridors towards the library, servants scurrying out of his way as he charged. Before too long he had reached Gowther's sanctum, and the doors banged against the wall as he pushed them open roughly. The doll looked up from his place on the couch as he entered, placing the book he was reading carefully on his lap as he caught Meliodas' harassed expression.

"Gowther, you need to erase some memories. At once," Meliodas commanded as he stared at the doll. "The goddess Elizabeth and Estarossa. Hurry, there can be no delay. They must have no recollection of ever meeting each other."

Without a word, Gowther stared into the distance, his eyes wide with intense concentration and his thin lips pressed together. Meliodas felt a soft wind rush through the air and knew that Gowther's spell was working. He felt his shoulders relax and his hands unclench as Gowther's focus came back, his eyes fixed questioningly on his own through his glasses.

"I understand your concern, and your action was right," the doll said tonelessly as he picked up the book from his lap. "I read their minds before I took their memories. He has been stalking her for months."

Meliodas groaned as his worst suspicions were confirmed. Why had be not kept a closer watch on his brother?

Brows furrowed in frustration, Meliodas spat out, "I knew something was up when he skipped out on training today. Did you see what he looked like? What a joke!"

"It has been hard growing up in your shadow. That was part of his motivation," Gowther explained as he opened the book he was holding, running a finger carefully over the page. "It is now the only one he will think of anyway. I was in time, they told no one, but you need to know my magic is not binding, particularly for the goddess. She was too far away. I have done what I can but their latent memories will always remain. She will never truly be free of him."

Meliodas swallowed thickly. "Then I'll watch him, and her, like a hawk. I won't let her remember. I won't let anything else harm her," he said forcefully, his hands clenching into fists again as he spoke. Gowther looked up at him sharply, the light bouncing off his glasses to obscure his expression before he bowed his head in apparent acquiescence as he returned to his book. Meliodas was on the point of making the doll explain his impertinence but a nagging worry stopped him in his tracks. Perhaps he did not want to answer the question.

Shooting Gowther a last look of suspicion, Meliodas turned on his heel and strode out of the room, stretching his powers out to find Estarossa. His brother would not remember the reason, but discipline was due and Meliodas was going to make sure he received it.

A/N: My story 'Growing Pains' posted on this site has a bit of a headcanon about how Estarossa might have changed his appearance. It's one of my earlier efforts so the writing is a little clumsy but it gives the general idea.