DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NANATSU NO TAIZAI.

Date Uploaded: March 14, 2016- Monday.

Note: Advanced apologies for the OOC's.

KittehMrrow: I hope the answer below will satisfy you *sheepish smile*. And thank you for your review! Surprised that you reviewed quite fast but I decided to postponed my upload until today.

Zeeka: You're very welcome! I hope you continue to enjoy the story! And yeah I've watched it, I guess it's kinda similar, huh? I wasn't planning to make it that way, but *shrugs* I guess it seems that it ended up like that *laughs*.

For those who are wondering why the heck Elaine is here, it's because I made a promise that I will try to include ALL characters in this story, if I can. I don't know what happened in the manga, if she's alive or what, I only know what happened in the anime. And since I began this fic saying it's AFTER they defeated Hendricksen, it means that I'm supposed to collaborate with what happened to the anime.. which goes back to the question; Why the heck is Elaine here? I have to explanation for you guys, I hope it counts as valid. First, I made a promise. Second, for some miracle Elaine is alive and well. Happy? *chuckles nervously* I hope so. Anyway, Elaine will share her side of the story. So don't worry *smiles*.

Read on!

PRECIOUS REST DAYS; CHAPTER EIGHT
- ELAINE

Elaine. King's younger sister. As everyone know, she is the Guardian Saint of the Fountain of Youth and of course, this leads to her love story with Ban. Ban wants to drink from the fountain so that he can be immortal, Elaine blows him up, several times or more, she ends up being intrigued by Ban's 'oddness' and apparently fall in love with him and Ban the same.

She's similar to Elizabeth concerning her kind and caring side. Also, she's willing to forgive King for abandoning her and the kingdom for hundreds of years. The thing about King and Elaine is that they are both embarrassed easily, making them easy prey when joshing around. Especially Ban.

(I just added the whole loves to eat stuff. It's just, since as I've seen in the anime OVA, she doesn't know much of the outside world. So I thought that maybe she'd be fond of the new things she'll come upon.)

Veronica calls on Elizabeth, Jericho, Hawk, Gowther and Griamore about her success in finding the perfect alibi of Guila's past whereabouts. The five were surprised that she was actually able to find one. Veronica irked Jericho by directing this success to her, giving her a message that she's better at this than her. Jericho took the bait, immediately steaming in anger.

"A- Awesome Veronica!" Elizabeth complimented.

"She just got lucky." Jericho said coldly.

"Well then, let's meet this witness." Hawk said after jumping in front.

There was a spark in Veronica's eyes as she saw Jericho's expression. She was trying hard not to succumb to defeat. Veronica smirked and led them to the restaurant where she had left Elaine. The rest followed.

Gowther, being observant with things, noticed the tension between the two women. He felt the need to actually interfere and do something unnecessary, just as he always does but he turned to Elizabeth first, seeing that she's also troubled by the rising rivalry between Veronica and Jericho. It was best to lay off.

"Everyone, meet Elaine!" Veronica introduced as she stretched an arm towards Elaine.

"Hello." Elaine smiled at them. Her sweet, innocent smile almost charming Gowther and Griamore.

"Hi. I'm Gowther." said Gowther. Elizabeth was surprised that he got there so fast. Kneeling down and holding Elaine's hand.

"And I'm Griamore." Griamore followed. It was Veronica's turn to be surprised. Wondering when did Griamore and Gowther get there.

"H- Hey Gowther! What do you think you're doing?!" Elizabeth scolded. A thundering background was heard from outside the restaurant.

"I'm greeting this lovely female before me." Gowther replied.

"G- Greeting? There's no need to be formal!"

"Too formal." Hawk mumbled.

"A- And Griamore!" Veronica added, jealous of Elaine a bit.

"I have no malicious intentions. I simply want to introduce myself." Griamore defended politely. They heard loud thuds nearby, but they were too focused on the situation at hand to give it attention.

"Since when did Gowther rub off on you?!" Elizabeth blurted.

"It's nice to meet you Gowther." Elaine said with a friendly and innocent smile. Then she turns to Griamore, giving him the same smile. "You too Griamore."

The earth growled, somehow it felt like there was a volcano that erupted nearby.

The two men blushed deeply. Elizabeth's eye twitched as she saw this. And without warning, she smacks Gowther at the back of his head, enough to make him say 'Ow'. Veronica was surprised Griamore acted that way, it was the first time she's seen it. Her reflex action tells her to hit Griamore as well.

"I thought you love Guila!" Elizabeth chided him.

Gowther's in love with Guila?

"I- I do." Gowther answered, his hand massaging the back of his head.

"Then what's the whole deal earlier? It's like you quickly forgot about her!"

"If she's dead, at least I have other options. Or an alternative." Gowther replied. Another growling sound occurred, Loud thuds from outside was echoing.

I- Is this guy serious?

"Love doesn't need alternative or any logical reasoning!"

"Well to be honest, I feel the lust for her." Windows shattered after a loud roar was heard.

E- EH?! L- L- Lust?

Jericho snickered and Elizabeth choked. She could've guessed. She could've thought about it. It was Gowther she's talking to. So there's always bound to be some sort of 'simple' answer from him.

"Men." Veronica muttered.

Before anything else could happen, the door slammed open, revealing an angry Ban. Melodias and the others were behind Ban, having an expression of exhaustion as if they've been trying to stop Ban from entering earlier.

"Ban?" Elaine said as soon as she sees him.

Is he really here? Is this for real?

"GOWTHER YOU JACKASS! I'M GONNA RIP YOU OPEN!" Ban yelled at him but Gowther remained unfazed.

"H- Hold on Ban!" King didn't want Elaine to see any sort of violence. Especially if it involves them.

King-niisan?

"Do you love her, Ban?" Gowther asked, not having a clue of others' feelings at all. Ban snarled at him, pissed off of Gowther's inability to see through such situations.

Ban...

"G- Gowther!" Elizabeth scolds yet again.

"It's a simple question, is it not?" he turned to Elizabeth. "Is there a better way to ask him that?" when Elizabeth didn't say a word, he turned to Elaine. "Do you love Ban?"

"Huh?" Too filled with her thoughts, it took time to catch up to Gowther's question.

"Do you love Ban?" he repeated.

Do I love Ban? It's.. It's not a hard question is it? Do I really..?

"You don't have the right to ask her questions!" Ban shouts again. Gilthunder and Diane held him back by pulling his arms. King was in front of him, pushing on his chest.

"Just calm down!" King ordered him.

Elaine wasn't sure whether or not to answer Gowther, despite that the situation is very obvious. She looked into his eyes, seeing that he was confused somehow. Behind his apathetic expression, he was confused. She wondered what kind of person he was.

So this guy.. does he really love Guila?

Or he just have the lust for her?

The blonde girl got up from her seat and walked towards Gowther. Hawk, Griamore, Veronica, Jericho and Elizabeth watched her walk. They weren't sure how to react on the current situation. Things are going to get out of hand if she does something that will blow Ban's brains out.

"I do. I love Ban." She told Gowther.

With those words she released from her sweet soft lips, Ban had stopped his struggling, his anger disappearing in a flash. Gilthunder, Diane and King were relieved he stopped but Ban was frozen as he stared at Elaine, his mouth agape.

"I love Ban." she repeated, her voice almost a whisper.

"How can you say when it's love or when it's lust?" Gowther asked.

"Well.. he's the only man I see. I like it how he's sweet to me, I liked how he annoyed me when he was persistently climbing up the tree to drink from the fountain, I like it when he's around.. I don't feel like I'm the only person in the world to bear the burden of protecting the fountain from men with malicious intentions. I like talking to him, whatever discussion he brought up, it would always make me happy."

King felt guilty in his heart. He was surprised to see Elaine alive and now that he sees her, he felt happy to be able to reunite with her. But he's left her for so long.. everything she's been through.. he wasn't even there to bear the burden with her..

"He has his moments. He has his failures.. but I love both sides of him. Whether he's smiling or he's angry.. because it's what makes him Ban." Eliane finished and looks up at Gowther. She had expressed so much as she stated what she likes and loves about Ban but Gowther remained as he is.

Does this satisfy your question.. Gowther?

"Do you know if Ban loves you back?" Gowther continued to ask.

Melodias and the others kept silent. Gowther's never asked much questions before. And surely he's very attentive today. Elaine decided to keep talking. After all, her love for Ban is nothing she's ashamed of.

"At first I didn't know.. and.. I didn't really put much thought into it. But if you look at him in the eyes, you'll see through his mask what he truly feels." she shrugs.

"Through his eyes?" he wondered and knelt down to stare into Elaine's golden eyes, seeing the sincerity and innocence in her.

A few more seconds and Gowther stood up. Everyone was quiet. No one spoke or whispered. They just stared at the scene before them. Gowther didn't say another word and just walked out of the restaurant, staggering a bit as he did.

Elizabeth was worried what got into Gowther's head after that.

"Gow-" she wanted to walk after him, talk to him, clear things up, but Veronica pulled her back and shook her head.

"Leave him." Veronica told her sister. "He needs to discover things for himself."

Elizabeth nodded in compliance to her sister and stared back into the broken door where Gowther had gone. Melodias suddenly yawned and stretched his arms, feeling a bit sleepy for some reason. Elizabeth eyed him, Gilthunder, Diane, Ban and King. Something fishy was going on.

"Melodias! What are you guys doing here?" Hawk asked.

"It was a coincidence you guys are here too!" Melodias said and laughed.

"How terrible, captain." Diane mumbled.

"You're so obvious Melodias!" Hawk snarled and jumped on Melodias to tackle him.

"We can talk about that later, for now, we need to continue solving for the case!" Veronica reminded them.

"The case can wait." Jericho told her. Then she cocks her head towards Ban and Elaine who have finally reunited. Veronica squinted at them, then to Jericho. Giving her a this-isn't-over look.

"So you guys are solving for the case too?" Elizabeth asked Diane. Melodias and Hawk were tackling each other in the background.

"Not really. He just wanted to keep an eye on you. He's worried about you." Diane replied.

"Melodias was worried?"

"Yeah. I tried to stop him. But," Diane shrugged. They both know how Melodias can be. "this happened. So about that case, how's it going?"

"Not that good. Our only lead for now is Elaine's testimony of Guila's location when they last saw each other."

"I see."

"I'm really worried. I have a bad feeling about this."

"What do you mean?" Diane noticed the worried look in the princess' face. Something was bothering her.

"Nothing. It's just a thought." Elizabeth said, smiling again. She wanted to cover up her worried face with a smile. But she knew Diane already noticed that.

Meanwhile, Ban and Elaine were having the best reunion they had. Or probably the first. King wanted to just butt in and join them. He's missed his sister as much as Ban misses her. But he couldn't bring himself to talk to her.

Elaine noticed and approached him.

"King.." she called to him and he looks up at her.

"Elaine.. I.. I'm sorry." He had more to say. He had more apologies that he needed to say- wanted to tell her. But Elaine cuts her off with a hug. A warm and gentle embrace from her was soothing.

"I forgive you." she whispered to him.

"Elaine.." he cried and returned her embrace. Ban watched them with awe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they've gathered, they asked Elaine everything that happened to her. From the beginning.

"F- From the beginning?!" she asked, not sure if she's heard it right.

"Yeah. From the BEGINNING." Veronica and Jericho confirmed.

"W- Well.. I was actually looking for Ban. I was told that he works for Boar's Hat. And Boar's Hat is a moving location!" Elaine cried, making them laugh. "Then I ended up lost in this village. That's where I met her. Guila."

FLASHBACK:

Elaine was lost and hungry. But still, Ban was her priority. She wanted to see him again, be with him again.. he was the first name that came to mind. Not King's. But Ban's.

And while she was walking around, her eyes had darted in many different directions, seeing new things and new environment. Everything was not the same from where she came from. Humans. She needed to adjust with humans.

"I- I'm sorry!" she apologized after bumping into an elder. The elder smiled at her and gave her a piece of his bread before leaving. "T- Thank you!"

She later heard an announcement about the Seven Deadly Sins' victory against Hendricksen. And that there will be a reconstruction of the kingdom. The Holy Knights are given a break and so will the heroes.

Seven Deadly Sins. She knew Ban was part of it. She needed to find them immediately. Surely they'd be from the castle. She followed the path from where several Holy Knights had exited but does not spot Ban anywhere.

"Looking for someone?" a girl asks her from behind.

Elaine was startled and jumped backwards. She gulped and examined the girl, seeing that she seemed harmless. She wears a dress and she had no weapon. Harmless indeed.

"I- uh- yes." she replied.

"I can help you if you want." she offered and Elaine nodded without doubt. She's seen Guila before. Back at the Capital of the Dead. But she looked different now from she was before.

While the two were walking, Guila noticed how much Elaine was lagging behind and that she was drooling over the smell of freshly baked bread and other delicacies.

"Hungry?" she asked. Elaine shook her head but her stomach growled. She's probably craving for it. Guila smiled at her and led her to a restaurant. Elaine was able to order anything she wanted, leaving the bills in Guila's tab as Guila had offered.

When Guila was about to bid goodbye, Elaine looks up at her.

"W- Wait. Where are you going?" she asked, not noticing the crumbs on the sides of her lips.

"I have someplace to go. I'll be back." she smiled and exited the restaurant.

END

"And she never came back." Elaine said sadly.

"B- But we've traced her steps and we ended up in a restaurant where she and Gilthunder ate!" Veronica wanted to correct.

"There can't be two Guila's at the same morning!" Jericho rejected.

"Anything else you remember, Elaine?" Elizabeth asked but Elaine shook her head. And so they turned to Gilthunder.

"Maybe the Guila with you was an imposter." Ban wanted to point out.

"No it's not." Gowther contests. "I stalked Guila that morning. And I'm absolute that it's her."

"And you did not see her with Elaine?" King asked.

"I saw her when she spoke to Gilthunder at the bakery." he replied.

"Then we went to eat together." Gilthunder confirmed. "I guess she was about to come back to Elaine after that meal."

"And how far was the restaurant you guys were in to Elaine's location?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Well uhm.. it's quite far." he said, unsure.

"At least we've limited the area that we have to search." Jericho said, pumping his fists together.

"So Guila disappeared on her way back to Elaine. She must've seen someone else and got sidetracked again." Diane thought aloud.

"Whoever it is. We'll find out. Right, Gowther?" Melodias said, turning to Gowther who nodded.

"About that.. I may have a guess where she is." Ban said.

"And since when was this guess in your head?" Jericho inquired, irritated. Ban smirked, enjoying when he pisses Jericho off.

"That's what I was suppose to tell you guys but I saw Elaine. I forgot about it." He chuckled. "There's a cave in the forest north of here."

"Where did you get that idea?" King questioned. Wondering if Ban was making it up.

"Melodias punched me into the skies. I think you know what happens next." he told King.

NANATSUNOTAIZAI=NANATSUNOTAIZAI=NANATSUNOTAIZAI=NANATSUNOTAIZAI=NANATSUNOTAIZAI=NANATSUNOTAIZAI=NANATSUNOTAIZAI=

Hope you enjoyed!

*laughs* So yeah, I've turned the anime into Detective Conan somehow. How are you guys liking the 'murder case'? I hope you're enjoying the story just as I enjoyed writing it. And yeah, we're a loooong way 'til the end of this story. It ends somewhere around chapters 21 or 22. So we're gonna have a long adventure together. I hope to see you guys 'til the end!

Thank you!