What's up everyone? Tati here, bringing you all my 25th story on the site! Whoop whoop! Yay! Cake and celebatory pie for everyone! Hope you enjoy my 2nd Nanatsu no Taizai fic! It's a future fic, based after the anime (as the manga is still ongoing).
Demons
Everyone has their demons, hidden away from the light of day. Never to be seen by others, to be forgotten by those hiding them away. But there was a certain group who couldn't forget their demons. Their sins were far too great to let themselves be forgotten.
For the leader of this particular group, it was always a living nightmare. Though, he never let anyone notice his daily and nightly torments, he could never push it to the back of his mind. Despite his smiles throughout the day and the optimism he puts out in every dire situation they end up in, he can't hide the fact that what happened in Danafor was his fault or that he was responsible for Liz's death.
But, instead of wallowing himself away in pity, he continued to live. What she told him to do in their final moments together. He lived and protected his friends under his care, the kingdom that took him in after the sin he committed, and the one who made him feel alive and made him forget about his sins. Even if it wasn't for a long time.
The scent of blood surrounded Meliodas and took over his senses. Fires erupted around him as he watched citizens of the capital run away. He spun his head, looking for anyone he knew. In the distance, he heard a voice. Her voice.
"Meliodas-sama!"
"Dammit!" the captain yelled, running towards the end of town.
Pushing through the endless amount of people, he only had one thing on his mind: Please…PLEASE let her be safe! He shut his eyes tightly, hoping that it would stop tear from pricking his emerald orbs. Goddess clan…If you could listen to a simple and single plea of one so unholy and sinful as I, keep the princess safe!
He began calling out to her, trying to find her in the mess that was chaos in the city. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Where are you?!"
"Meliodas-sama!"
He skidded to a halt, running closer to the direction of her voice. "Elizabeth!"
He saw rubble all around him, buildings collapsing on themselves and chunks of walls falling to the ground. But that didn't take Meliodas' sight off of the silver-haired woman leaning against a broken column of stone. His emerald eyes widened, to the point where it seemed that they were bulging out of their sockets.
He wanted to turn away. See no evil, hear no evil type thing. But how could he turn away from her in this state? The third-crowned princess of Lioness was caked in her blood. It stained her royal clothes and her silky silver hair was drenched in sweat and blood. He could smell the disgusting scent of her sweet lily scent mingling with the strong metallic smell of blood.
"El-Elizabeth…" Meliodas whispered, slowly skidding his heels on the cracked cobblestone ground. He felt time slowing down around him, hoping that what he thought he was seeing, his princess, his love, wasn't bleeding.
A near-dull blue eye looked up, locking her glance with the blonde man. Her eye began tearing up as she slowly raised her shaky arm. "Meli-odas…sama."
Meliodas shook himself out of his numbing mind, kneeling down beside her and grabbing her extended arm. With his other arm pulling her off the column of stone and closer to him, Meliodas pushed the back of her hand to his cheek, feeling the adding warmth coming from her.
"Elizabeth…" His voice was shaking, whether it was from anger to whoever had done this or fear of losing her, Meliodas didn't know. But all he wanted at the moment was for her to live.
"I'm…I'm glad you found me…" the princess coughed out. "I…didn't know…wh-what I would d-do if I didn't see you before-"
"Don't talk like that!" Meliodas yelled. He was angry, angry at her for thinking that she wouldn't…wouldn't make it. "I'll get you out of here! I'll keep you safe till then and get Merlin to see you and-"
Now he was thinking irrationally. He knew that nature spirits, like Elizabeth herself, could only harness the nature's powers over healing. Merlin, a Holy Knight and magician, couldn't possibly use her skill to heal.
Elizabeth laughed softly, "You know she can't. Neither can King, or Diane. And Ban can't pass his ability to me, Meliodas-sama."
"You can't die Elizabeth!" Meliodas' eyes hid behind the fringe of his blonde hair, matted down by sweat. "I'll do anything, but please…Don't leave me."
Meliodas felt the princess' other arm wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. Letting go of her hand, the captain pulled her onto his lap, burying his face into the crook of her neck. One hand was on her waist while the other was stroking her silver locks.
"I'm sorry Meliodas-sama. I couldn't be of any use to you in the end."
The blonde man shook his head. "You always were, you were there for me in ways the others couldn't. You…Elizabeth, you made me forget about the sins I've committed so many years before. You've helped me, in so many ways, you can't begin to imagine."
Elizabeth smiled that small, adorable smile of hers, for what might be the last time. "I'm glad Meliodas-sama…that I was useful to you in some way."
Meliodas laughed heartlessly. "Of course. Elizabeth, I-"
"I'm sorry Meliodas-sama…But, I'm going ahead of you." Elizabeth paused to cough blood away from Meliodas. She turned only to have Meliodas wipe the remaining blood from her lips, stroking her lower lip. "Take of everyone. And remember…"
She looked up, her eye dulling steadily. Her thumb rubbed his cheek before stopping on his lip.
"I love you."
Using the rest of her strength, Elizabeth propped herself up, holding her weight on Meliodas' neck. Their lips connected, and the blonde gripped her waist a little tighter, holding her close to him. When the two separated, Meliodas' face was buried in her neck again.
"Oi, oi, Elizabeth…What are you talking about? We're going back to the bar and we'll be fine. Hell, after everything is fixed, I'll m-"
He paused. In his arms wasn't Elizabeth of Lioness anymore. It was the dead corpse of the woman who managed to keep him sane. His reason for living, was dead. Irony, it hurts.
"Elizabeth…" He waited for an answer he knew wouldn't come. "Oi, Elizabeth! Wake up." He gently shook the silver-haired woman. "Please…Elizabeth, wake up! Elizabeth!"
The strong, near impenetrable captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, Dragon's Sin of Wrath Meliodas, was torn to shreds at the death of the third princess of Lioness Elizabeth.
"ELIZABETH!"
Green eyes opened with the feeling of desperation and anxiety behind it. A blonde man immediately sat up in the bed he laid, looking around to confirm his surroundings. A luxurious room, furniture placed neatly and decoratively around. Paintings of various places he has been to were placed alongside paintings of his friends within the Holy Knights and the Seven Deadly Sins.
To the side of the room was a wall full of large windows that a pair of balcony doors were centred on. Outside, the bright moon shone into the room, shadows appearing on the floor. Stars were peering out in the night through the few clouds present in the sky.
He heard shuffling beside him on the bed. Looking over, the bulge in the blankets shifted until a blue eye met with Meliodas' green ones. Silver hair was sprawled out on the pillows next to him.
"Meliodas…sama?" she asked.
He let out a breathy laugh, "How many times I've told you to stop with the sama Elizabeth?"
"I can't help it, it doesn't sound right to me without it," she said, sitting up next to him. "Is there something wrong?"
"It's nothing," he said, waving it off. "Just go back to sleep, you know you need-"
"Meliodas."
He breathed out deeply, Elizabeth did call him by just his name sometimes. But only when she was serious. Looking over to her, he saw that the young woman was worried.
"You don't have to hide anything from me. You know that, right?"
He smiled sadly, leaning onto her shoulder nodding. Her arms made their way around him, one on his back with her hand on his shoulder and the other making his head lie in the crook of her shoulder while stroking his blonde locks.
"You know I couldn't protect Danafor…Our old kingdom."
"That wasn't your fault. You-"
"I lost control of myself didn't I?" He didn't wait for her response. "I couldn't protect everyone within the entire kingdom from myself." He buried his face deeper into the strands of silver that held the scent of wildflowers. "I…I've always gotten nightmares of that day. But, when I met you, I forget about the pain. Even if it's for a little while, Elizabeth, you helped me so much.
"I…I had a dream-a nightmare actually. Where the reason to why I continue to live, disappeared from me. You died Elizabeth, and I couldn't do anything to stop it."
"Meliodas-sama…"
"I'm sorry." He pulled away from the woman's grasp. "I'm getting worked up for nothing, and making you worry."
"Meliodas-sama, I know I can't erase your sin." The blonde looked over to the silver-haired beauty who looked at the moon. "It's something that, if I could, I would make disappear. But I'll do everything that I can to make sure that it doesn't take over your mind."
"But what if I can't protect you Elizabeth?" Meliodas swung his feet over the side of the bed, hunching over while placing his face into his hands. "If I lose you…I-I don't know what I'll do."
"I'll be fine Meliodas-sama."
"But, what if-"
He stopped when the feeling of Elizabeth leaning on his back interrupted him. She nuzzled her head into the back of his shoulder. Her silver locks fell on his shoulder near his neck.
"I know you, Meliodas. You will do anything in your power to keep me safe. Besides," Elizabeth sat her chin on his shoulder, looking at him before placing a small kiss on his lower jaw, "the other Sins will make sure that we're safe."
Meliodas smiled, grabbing her left hand and stroking the smooth, cool metal wrapped around her fourth finger.
"How could I forget those idiots? They always barge in on us, taking all your attention away from me." Meliodas huffed out. "Diane always show you clothes, King giving you toys, Gowther studying baby books, and Ban feeding you at any given moment."
Elizabeth giggled, "You can't blame them. They're excited."
Meliodas smiled, turning around and looking at his wife in full. A loose nightgown was on her body, slightly loose but tight enough to show her somewhat-showing belly. Placing a hand on her stomach, the blonde placed his head on her chest.
"I know, I am too."
They stayed like that in comfortable silence. Their breathing the only sounds in the room.
"Meliodas-sama."
At the sound of his name coming from his wife, the blonde man looked up into a single blue eye. Raising one hand to stay on her cheek, Meliodas stroked her face with his thumb.
"Yes, My Princess?"
"I won't let you face your demons alone. If you let your past take away your future, you'll lose yourself to it," Elizabeth said. "I don't want you to lose your will to live with-"
"With you next to me, I won't. After all, I have to look after the two of you."
"Just, promise me."
"Anything."
"When you're feeling stressed because of your past, please let me know. Let me in Meliodas-sama, so I can help."
"As you wish, My Princess," Meliodas said, bring her hand to his lips before placing a small kiss. "Now, with all that mushy stuff outta the way, let's go to bed!"
Elizabeth laughed before nodding, "Yes Meliodas-sama."
He sighed, "Seriously Elizabeth, stop it with the sama."
"What? You don't like me calling you Lord?"
The blonde scratched his cheek in a flustered manner. "I didn't say that."
"Then I won't stop."
He looked to the woman he loved and smiled. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. "Whatever you like, Love."
"Thank you Meliodas-sama."
The two slipped under the covers once again, Meliodas throwing an arm around Elizabeth while he made an arm pillow for her with his other. Elizabeth cuddled closely to her husband, close enough to feel his breath behind her ear.
"Goodnight Meliodas-sama."
"Goodnight Love. I love you."
"And I love you Dear."
Holding her closer to him, Meliodas placed a kiss on her forehead once her breathing steadied and soon followed her to sleep.
Meliodas had his demons. They would always be there, but that wouldn't mean he would let them take over him. Elizabeth was there to make sure that didn't happen, that he would be alright when their child came along. And, if the rest of their days together with the other Sins were like recently, lively and full of joy, Meliodas was sure the past would turn to a simple memory. His sin wouldn't go away, that's for certain. But if Elizabeth was still there with him, that didn't matter.
He'd face his demons hundreds, if not, thousands of times just to keep her safe.
End
Hope you enjoyed it. If ya did, let me know via reviews and PMs. Thanks for reading and see ya till the next story, Tati
