A/N: I do not own The Seven Deadly Sins. All of the information in this story is obtained from the anime, unless otherwise stated.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

Chapter 1: The Anniversary Festival

30 Days Post Spring Equinox

King hardly slept all night and when the warm light of dawn kissed his cheeks he awoke so quickly he nearly fell from his resting place. He'd taken to sleeping atop the highest tower where he was able to find solitude and tranquility despite the hustle and bustle of rebuilding the kingdom. Somehow, he was unable to shake the emotions from the past few days that had rattled him to his core. Thinking of Helbram brought a heavy weight to his heart and he had to wonder if it was truly over. He'd been fooled into thinking his nightmare was finished twice already and he was uncertain he could take it again. Then there was… Diane. She threw him through a loop yesterday when she'd asked if they could go to the festival together, and he'd been so flustered that he barely managed to accept her invitation.

Oh she must think I'm not interested at all, he moaned and threw his face into Chastiefol. How could I have acted so stupid?

The warm light of dawn had turned hot and sticky and he knew it must be approaching midafternoon. Soon, Diane would be seeking him out to go to the festival. King wasn't sure if he was ready to face her in this way. They hadn't truly spent any time without the Captain around since their childhood, and Diane didn't remember that anyway. As much as he was jealous of the Captain, he was always grateful for his presence. If he ever got too nervous, the Captain was always there to take her attention.

King frowned. I know she's putting on a brave face for Elizabeth… but I know she must be truly hurt about their relationship. He shook his head violently. He'd never get through the festival if all he could think about was the Captain.

"Hey, what'cha thinkin' about up there?" King nearly fainted at the sugary sweet sound of Diane's voice, and it sent his heart into such a flurry of emotion that he could barely hear her over the pounding inside his chest.

"Oh, uh," King stammered, trying to collect himself as he slowly lowered himself down to her, "nothing, I guess. Just waiting around." He smiled bashfully, hoping that Diane wouldn't think too much of it, but she just smiled back at him.

"Well c'mon then," she urged, tugging at his sleeves, "We'll miss all the good stuff if we don't head out now."

King felt light as a feather as Diane tugged him toward the festival and time seemed to stand still when he was with her. Unfortunately, it seemed to stand still for everyone else too because when they arrived the festival hadn't started yet and they had to sit on the bridge while the townspeople prepared for the festivities. Silence fell between him, and King was beginning to feel his boyish awkwardness return. If he let the silence drag on for too long, she'd certainly begin to sense it.

"So…" King paused, struggling for something to break the silence, "does it feel any different… being so small?" King immediately wanted to smack himself for calling attention to her size. He desperately wanted her to know that her size didn't matter to him at all… he'd always love her all the same.

Diane, who had been lost in thought, was suddenly pulled back to reality by King's sudden question. She stared up at King, who had been levitating just a few feet above her. He blushed at her stare, but she didn't think anything of it. Instead, she was uncertain of how to answer his sudden question. Everything seemed to feel different when she was smaller… her clothes fit differently, she could see people's expressions more clearly, and even the air felt different. That was probably the biggest difference… the air was so much different.

"… Diane?" King was beginning to shift uncomfortably from his spot in the air, waiting for a response from Diane. She had been staring into him so intently since he'd asked and he was beginning to wonder if it had been the wrong question to break the silence. But, to his relief, she broke the stare and giggled.

"Sorry, King," Diane shifted her gaze to the ground and sighed softly. "I guess I just got lost and thought." She smiled and shifted he head back toward the sky, eyes closed as she inhaled deeply. "I think…" she exhaled, "I think I like the air down here a lot better. Up there it's kind of thin and bland, but down here," she sucked in another breath, "the air is thick and sweet. It tastes like honeysuckle and fresh morning dew… it's as crisp as the fresh autumn leaves and sweet as newly picked daisies."

She looked back down at the water flowing slowly under the bridge, something somber in her gaze. "I like being this close to flowers too. I can hold them… my favorite are daisies. Somehow they remind me of something good that I just can't quite put my finger on."

If King wasn't clutching onto Chastiefol so tightly he would have fallen straight onto the ground, face first. It was a daisy that he had used all those years ago, to erase Diane's memory. Had she known? The thought made him blush so furiously that he had to turn away. Conversations like these made him wish that he had never left her all of those years ago. He would never forgive himself for breaking his promise and leaving her alone.

"That's really beautiful, Diane." He finally whispered, almost too softly for her to hear.

Music had begun to fill the air around them, pleasant and joyful, bringing memories of celebration and happiness. Diane's face lit up with excitement and she laughed so brightly that it filled King with warmth. She tugged his sleeve and pulled him towards the festival. There was something about him that she cherished so much, somehow, being so large had fostered a deep appreciation for dainty, fragile things such as King.

"Come on," she looked at him, following behind her weakly, "let's quit talking and enjoy the festival. I bet we'll never get a day like this to just enjoy ourselves ever again."

King nodded and followed along with her. Diane was absolutely entranced by the festival, and most of the things there she had never experienced, at least not up close. It wasn't long before King recognized that she did not have enough self-control and would soon overdo it. She filled herself with sweet breads, pies, and other festival treats so quickly that she had a horrendous stomach ache only an hour into the festival, not that the townspeople minded. Everyone was so grateful for the Seven Deadly Sins that not a single villager charged them for their treats, but this only encouraged Diane to eat more. It wasn't long before King decided to let her ride Chastiefol so she could enjoy the festival without having to walk.

However, this was only a temporary fix because despite her stomach ache Diane still insisted on trying every ale at the festival, and soon she had binged so much that she blacked out from the alcohol in her system. King sighed at the sleeping girl, a half-full glass of ale still in her hand, her cheeks reddened from the alcohol. She always did know how to go out with a bang.

He decided that it would be best to try and let her get some rest, the only trouble was finding a place. The Boar Hat wouldn't be suitable, since Ban had returned for the evening to celebrate with the Sins. It had also become much busier since the townsfolk and discovered that it was run by the one and only Meliodas, and his beau, the druidic Princess of Leones, Elizabeth. He carefully guided Diane and Chastiefol towards a grassy hill at the edge of a forest on the border of the kingdom, which would have to do until things settled down a bit. At least from this distance he would be able to appreciate the brilliant sun as it set into night and the stars when they emerged from their daytime slumber.

As the sounds of the festival faded into silence and King was left with only his thoughts he struggled to maintain his sense of peace. He was beginning to dislike his quiet time alone, as fear about Helbram was only growing in magnitude. How could he have been so foolish to have turned a blind eye to his friend's continual suffering? Forced to relive his pain resurrection after resurrection… he shook his head violently. Tears had begun to form in his eyes and he knew that putting himself through this negativity would only foster more hate for himself and humans. In the end, things weren't so bad either. The Seven Deadly Sins were nearly reunited again… and being with Diane made things seem bearable.

He sensed movement at his side and looked over to see Diane sleepily looking up at him. She placed her hand on his knee, "King, can I tell you a secret?" she drunkenly whispered, the redness in her cheeks returning. Stunned, King nodded slightly.

"I want…" her lids drooped and she yawned, "I want to call you Harlequin." King felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of his lungs and pushed back into the atmosphere. He could only stare at her as she drifted back to sleep. Does she remember?

"It makes me feel… like I am not alone," she said quietly, fading back into deep sleep, her hand still resting gently against his knee. King's face filled with heat as he blushed. He allowed himself to let his hand rest on top of hers, carefully holding it against his knee. Butterflies flooded his stomach and he still couldn't catch his breath. Once he was certain she was asleep, he leaned in close. She carried the musty smell of moss and earth and he cherished it. "You can call me whatever you like, Diane."

He gently brushed the hair out of her face and smiled at the gentleness of her sleeping expression. She was absolutely enchanting. He wondered how he'd ever been able to leave her so long ago. He carefully kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand. "Whatever you like, Diane. I'm just happy that somewhere, somehow, some part of you remembers me." He kissed her again and stood up gently, carefully to avoid rousing her from her slumber.

Something had been bothering him for a great while now; there had been a slight rustling of the leaves in the forest and it was beginning to actually worry him. At first he had thought that it had been Ban trying to prank him, but that seemed unreasonable now. Ban would have revealed himself immediately if he had seen him caring for Diane, ridiculing him relentlessly.

King searched the forest with his eyes, looking for the source of the rustling. He couldn't see anything for a long time, and then three sets of red dots slowly appeared, and not long after three hellhounds emerged from the brush along the forest. King shook with fear, struggling to understand. They'd slain both of the demons found in the kingdom, how were demons found this far out of the kingdom?

The hounds drew closer, foaming with rage at the mouth, biting at the air, and snarling vigorously. He turned to see Diane, still slumbering peacefully upon Chastiefol. The demons wouldn't be an issue if he had Chastiefol, but he wouldn't risk waking her. The hounds followed is gaze and began stepping towards Diane, mouths snapping and gnashing.

"You filthy hounds," King yelled at them, diverting their attention, "I'll never let you hurt Diane!" He shouted and charged for them, eager to get them as far as possible from the girl.

However, the hounds quickly gained the upper hand as King's physical strength escaped him. He threw punches but few of them made contact and the ones that did seemed to do nothing to the demons. His defense was completely useless as they tore away at his clothes and skin. Their teeth drove into his skull and he felt his white-hot blood run down his face and hair. Then, in a flash, it was all over. The hounds were thrown from his body as fast as lightning and Diane's face peered over him.

"You idiot!" She yelled, "Why didn't you use your Chastiefol?" Rage began to run like fire through her veins as she saw King, injured and helpless, but King smiled up at her.

Her rage seemed to vanish as she stared at King's weak smile. "I wanted to protect you," he coughed, straining himself. "I didn't want you to wake up scared. I wanted you to sleep," and this time King smiled so bashfully that Diane's face grew hot and she had to look away. When she could finally meet his gaze again, King had passed out.

Diane stood up and looked at the injured hounds. She readied her fists and prepared to finish them off, but she did it with ease. She was happy to know that despite her now small size, she retained most of her strength. When she had defeated the hounds she looked back at King.

He tried to protect me. He didn't want me to feel any fear… but I was the one who protected him. How is it that he makes me feel so small and so big at the same time?

She watched as the hounds' bodies fell away into the darkness, disappearing in the way that demon corpses do. She didn't know how she would reveal the news to the other Sins, but it was growing clear that their reprieve from duty was going to be shorter than they had originally anticipated. She sat close to King and attempted to staunch the bleeding with a spare piece of cloth.

"Oh King," she sighed, carefully lifting him unto Chastiefol. "What a stupid boy." She leaned in close and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She lifted him with as much care as she could and gingerly carried him back to the Boar Hat.

I hope the Captain and Elizabeth aren't too upset. It looks like things won't calm down for us quite yet.

"I'm not letting you check out, you will beat this starting now, and you will always be around. I'm there to monitor your breathing, I will watch you while you're sleeping. I will keep you safe and sound." – Guernica, Brand New

- EphemeralSummers :)