Part Ten: Falling

"That was some night!" Meliodas laughed, calling through the door of the washroom. He quickly scrubbed his hands and face, rinsing out his mouth and spitting into the sink, before stepping out into the bedroom. He shivered a little with a chill when he stepped out, a little gust of cold air coming in the window.

"It was very busy," Elizabeth agreed as she pulled the bedspreads back. He stopped mid-step to pause and admire the girl as she stacked the pillows at the head of the bed and folded the sheet over the extra blanket. Even in the woolen nightgown she wore, with its high collar and long sleeves and hem that nearly reached the ground, she looked beautiful, and fresh, her cheeks shining beneath the silver hair that swept over her face. Meliodas could not help the lopsided grin as he watched her delicate hands smooth the cover, and when she looked up she returned the smile for a moment before stifling a yawn.

Meliodas laughed again. "Come on then, into bed," he ordered, walking around towards his side. The wind blew again, and again he shivered, looking over his shoulder. "It's a pretty cold night," he remarked. "Can I shut this?"

"No, please," answered Elizabeth tiredly behind him. "The tavern was so stuffy tonight, I'm glad for the fresh air."

He hesitated, suddenly unsure. If he left the window open all night, then they might catch a cold… well, not him of course, but Elizabeth could. He thought to protest, but then Meliodas had a better idea. "Well, if you want to keep the window open in the middle of winter, then you'll need to do something for me," he said.

Turning back around, he saw the princess sitting up in the bed, the blankets drawn up around her. Her brows lifted as she said, "What is that?"

"You gotta keep me warm." He yanked the blankets back and jumped into the bed, tackling her over onto her back. Elizabeth gave a shriek of laughter, her hands pressing on his shoulders, and Meliodas pressed his cold nose on her neck. "Now promise me."

He rolled them over, and Elizabeth giggled as she landed on top of him. "Sir Meliodas, please!" she shrieked, his fingers pulling up her gown and sliding along her bare leg. "Your hands are cold!"

"Be my blanket then," he smirked. Elizabeth pressed on his chest, lifting her upper body up to look down on him with a wry look. "Fine," she answered. "But no more cold hands on me, please!"

Meliodas nodded as she reached down to grasp the covers; in a minute they were completely wrapped up, their arms around each other, Elizabeth's head on his shoulder as she curled against him. She yawned again, and he closed his eyes, the movement of her mouth against his skin sending a little thrill through him.

They laid in silence for several minutes before Elizabeth shifted against him. Meliodas was feeling very drowsy himself, and he turned his face to look at her. He had put out the lights, so the room was dark, the shadows deep with only a sliver of moon outside. Another breeze blew in through the open window, and Elizabeth shivered, pressing tighter to him. "Hey, you're supposed to be keeping me warm," he joked.

She giggled, lifting her face up to gently kiss his forehead. "Don't forget that there is a delivery tomorrow. The vegetables are coming at nine in the morning."

"I'll be up, don't worry," he murmured. Sleep was pulling him down rapidly, his skin warm, soothed by the comforting weight of Elizabeth pressed against him. It was such a simple thing, this little moment of domesticity, snuggling under the covers and hearing her remind him of some chore for the next day. It wasn't something he was used to in his life, and the pure pleasure of the moment made him feel almost light. He could stay like this forever, tumbling into dreamland with his love cradled to him, her voice echoing in his ears, the cold breeze coming through the open window and making them shift closer together.

Elizabeth sat at the table, just where he had left her, and Meliodas breathed a sigh of relief. "Hawk!" he called over his shoulder. "What is wrong with you? Elizabeth is right here!"

"Hawk?" Elizabeth asked, blinking in surprise. "Hawk is here?!" She jumped up frantically, nearly knocking over her stool. "Where? Where is he?"

Meliodas frowned. "He's back here in the kitchen. He was hiding in the—" He was cut off as she hurried past him, nearly knocking into him as she stumbled into the kitchen calling, "Hawk! Hawk!"

"What's the matter?" he asked her, stepping up to put a hand on her arm as she turned back and forth, searching the room. Finally she looked down at him, her eyes shimmering. "Where did you see him? Where?"

"Right… right over there." He gestured towards the table, but the pig had disappeared. Huffing in annoyance, Meliodas walked over to the pantry. "Didn't I tell you to keep out of there?" he said, his voice tinged with frustration; but when he opened the door to the small closet, the bar was not there either. "Where did he run off to now?"

Elizabeth gave a small sound behind him, and he turned in surprise to see her crying openly now. "He was here?" she whispered. "He was really here?"

"Yes, of course he was here, where else would he be?" Meliodas asked warily.

Shaking her head, the princess pressed her hands to her face. "It's been months and months, and he just… came back? Where did he go?" She began to hurry around the kitchen again, pulling open cabinets and drawers, calling "Hawk! Hawk! Please come out!" over and over again.

Meliodas watched her in growing confusion. Why was she reacting this way? Slowly he walked around the room behind her, wondering again what was happening. "Elizabeth?" he said tentatively.

She ignored him, however, finally running to the door that led outside. "Hawk! Hawk!" she cried, hurrying out into the night, and Meliodas bolted after her. "Elizabeth!" he shouted, running to catch her. He grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards before she could get further than a few yards away. "Elizabeth, stop! You can't go out there by yourself!"

"Where did he go? Where is he?" She was nearly sobbing now, her words jumbling as she cried. "Was he really here?" Elizabeth grabbed Meliodas by his shoulders, panting as she asked him frantically, "You are sure it was him? You are sure you saw him?"

"Get a hold of yourself!" he snapped, grabbing her hands and holding them tightly. "Why are you so upset? You've seen Hawk since you came back!"

Elizabeth jerked back a bit, looking at him with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You've seen Hawk. You've talked to him since you came back." Meliodas' brows turned down, remembering how he hadn't seen much of the boar either. "Haven't you?"

"I—I don't understand. Get back? From where?" She shook her head. "I don't know what you mean."

Meliodas froze, staring at her for a long moment. "Elizabeth," he said slowly. "You were missing. You were gone for ten months."

"What?" The princess blinked at him in surprise. "I haven't been missing." Meliodas stepped back, his breath catching with the shock. "Sir Meliodas, what are you saying?"

"Elizabeth, stop this," he answered, his tone serious and strained. "You went missing. You just came back days ago."

She stared back at him in shock, her look he was sure reflecting his own, and twisted her hands nervously together. "Sir Meliodas?" came her nervous reply. "I didn't go missing. It's Hawk who has been missing."

"No," he breathed, and she went on, "We haven't seen him since winter. Don't you remember? We've been looking everywhere for him."

"No," answered Meliodas firmly, shaking his head. "It's not Hawk that has been gone, it's you."

Elizabeth stepped backwards, drawing her hands up to her chest. "Maybe I should—I should get someone—" She looked over her shoulder towards the Boar Hat, but he was already moving, grabbing her by the elbow and nearly dragging her behind him. He pulled her back through the door of the kitchen, hearing her give a tight gasp in fear, and they moved through the empty room back into the front of the tavern. When they reached the table they had just been sitting at together, he finally released her. "Right there," he said with a shaking voice. "Right there you said you had been gone, and asked me why I stopped looking for you. Right there you said—"

His voice broke, and he looked up at Elizabeth with wide eyes. "Why don't you remember? What is wrong?"

Elizabeth's lip trembled a bit, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she looked around the room. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Elizabeth!" he shouted, his fists drawing in tightly. "Tell me you remember that!"

But she only shook her head, her eyes bright with fear, and then the sound of feet walking upstairs echoed down the steps. "Captain? You all right?" came King's voice. Then he was floating down the steps, yawning on Chastiefol, Ban and Merlin following.

"What's going on~" Ban asked sleepily.

"There's something wrong with Elizabeth," Meliodas said, but before he could explain Elizabeth cut him off. "He thinks I've been missing!" she cried, pointing a finger at him. "Sir Meliodas thinks I'm the one who has been gone, instead of Hawk! And he said he saw him in the kitchen!"

"You saw Master?" Ban practically shouted, suddenly becoming fully alert. "Where? Is he still there?" He hurried into the back without bothering to wait for an answer as Meliodas watched him go, horror creeping slowly through him.

"Captain?" Merlin asked. "Is this true?"

He whirled around, looking between the two Sins who were eyeing him closely. "Yeah, Elizabeth, she—" He shook his head, his eyes narrowing at them. "Tell her she is wrong."

Merlin and King glanced at one another. "Captain," King said, "Elizabeth hasn't been missing."

"What is this?" he growled, interrupted as Ban stormed back in the room. "Master's not in there." He stood next to Meliodas and looked down at him. "Where did you see him? Where did he go?"

"He was—he was in there—" He started to feel lightheaded, and Ban reached out to steady him. "It's not Hawk, it's Elizabeth, she needs—she was missing—"

"Careful~" said Ban, and Meliodas reached out a hand to press against the table. "I'm fine," he insisted. "I'm fine, it's her, Elizabeth is the one—she needs help—"

"Help him upstairs," Merlin said, and Meliodas felt a tug on his arm. He tried to snatch it back, but then there were cool hands on his shoulders, and a soothing feeling beginning to fill him. "Elizabeth?" he said, and then the next thing he knew, he was being pressed against a soft mattress, a blanket being pulled over him.

Someone spoke about opening the window and getting fresh air. Meliodas tried to protest, and to his relief, Elizabeth said, "Please keep it locked. Sir Meliodas likes it that way." He closed his eyes and focused on breathing in and out as one of her hands pressed on his forehead.

There was more discussion, but he found it difficult to focus on one voice. They seemed to blend together: Merlin's smooth tone, Ban's deeper voice contrasting with King's, and Elizabeth's sweet one over them all. He could have sworn he heard Gowther's, and Diane's, and others he didn't recognize, and he squeezed his eyes shut tighter, wishing everyone would be quiet so he could just think.

Elizabeth was still there when he came fully awake. The room was blessedly quiet, the only sound a muted bird outside of the window. He blinked in the sunlight streaming into the room, and when he turned his head towards the warmth, he was happy to see the princess sitting in a chair next to the bed.

She was dozing a bit, slumped to the side, her elbow propped up on the arm of the chair with her head resting in the palm of her hand. Her expression was peaceful, so unlike the anxiety on her face the night before, and he took the opportunity to just enjoy looking at her beautiful face. A moment like this was enough to remind him of how difficult the past months had been, and why he was pushing to keep up the search. There was nothing that was going to keep him from her.

But he didn't have to worry about that anymore. There was Elizabeth, sitting just an arm's reach away. Yet Meliodas did not want to break the spell of this moment, and so stayed silent and unmoving, smiling at the dark lashes on her cheeks and the way her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She must have taken care of him last night, after he had—

What had happened?

Meliodas frowned for a moment. Elizabeth had insisted that she was never missing, and the Sins… they seemed to agree with her. But Meliodas remembered her being gone. He knew he was right. The fear and pain and loneliness of it all was still too fresh for it to be a mistake. It was real, it had all been real. So why were they all insisting that it wasn't?

He flipped through the possibilities as he watched her sleep. His immediate assumption was that this was some kind of spell, something that altered all their memories. But that didn't explain why Hawk and suddenly appeared and then disappeared again; and if everyone was affected by this spell, it would be nearly impossible to prove unless he could convince someone else to believe him.

Of course, it could be that they were doing this on purpose. Something felt off about this idea too, however. He knew that the Holy Knights had been acting oddly: that the king and the others had wanted to give up the search much earlier than he had expected, and that they seemed at best indifferent and at worst careless regarding Elizabeth's continued safety. But all of them involved, the other Sins? Elizabeth? It wasn't possible.

Elizabeth began to stir, sitting up suddenly as she blinked away sleep, and Meliodas chuckled. As he watched her lift her arms and arch her back in a stretch, he realized this was the second time he had fallen asleep under her watch. It was probably the first real sleep he had gotten in months, in fact; even since her return he had been finding it difficult to relax and stay still long enough to sleep soundly. It was like he needed to soak up every moment with her, and there was no time for anything else.

She yawned and looked over at him, offering a small smile. "Good morning," she said quietly, standing a bit stiffly and moving to sit on the end of the bed.

Meliodas smiled back at her, reaching behind his head to link his fingers together. "Did you sleep in that chair all night?"

"I hate leaving your side," she answered. Gently she brushed his bangs off of his forehead, tucking a few pieces behind his ear. "In all this time, your hair hasn't really changed at all, you know," she remarked.

He looked up with a grin. "I guess not. But I like it anyway."

"Maybe I'll give you a trim one of these days," she laughed, her eyes running over his look of horror. "All right, all right, no trim," she answered.

Fondness was plain on her face as she looked him over. Meliodas didn't want to interrupt this sweet moment, but the questions he had been holding in were beginning to demand his attention. "Elizabeth," he said quietly, "we need to talk about last night. We need to figure out what happened."

"I tried my best to heal you," she responded. "Now that I've had some sleep, I'll keep working."

Meliodas sighed. "I don't need any healing. I'm fine."

"I have five done; just two more," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him. Just then, the sound of the bell over the front door sounded, and Elizabeth looked up. She stood with another glance down at him. "I'll be right back," she said before breezing out of the room.

He relaxed for another minute or two, his eyes sliding closed. When Elizabeth didn't return right away, he pulled the covers away and sat up, stretching out his shoulders and rubbing a hand through his hair. Then he lifted his eyes, gasping out loud in shock when he looked at the window.

It was night.

"What?" he cried, jumping up and hurrying over. Quickly he unhooked the lock, swinging the window open, and leaned out. The sky was dark, covered in stars; below him, the lights from inside the tavern bled outside onto the grass that surrounded the tavern. He could hear voices drifting upwards from what sounded like a full service downstairs.

Shaking his head, Meliodas pulled himself back inside. How could it be night already? Did he sleep the entire day away? He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to think. It was morning just minutes ago, he knew it was. Just like he knew he had seen Hawk the night before. Just like he knew Elizabeth had been missing for ten months.

Spinning around, Meliodas grabbed his shirt and pulled it on, stopping to slip on his boots, before walking with long strides to the door. He flung it open, the sounds from downstairs instantly louder. The lamps in the hallway were lit, but other than that the upstairs was still and quiet.

Everything had been wrong since Elizabeth came back: everyone was acting strangely, he was lashing out, even time seemed to be off somehow. There were answers somewhere, there had to be, so Meliodas descended the stairs to the main room to find Elizabeth.

The tavern was full, just as he suspected, every table and stool taken, people standing in every available corner. The noise was rowdy, just on this side of wild, the kind of night that he would normally love working. But now it was agitating, the lights too bright, the voices too loud. He weaved his way through the room, heading for the bar. No one was there, and he made a noise in frustration. Where was everyone?

"Elizabeth?" he called out, trying to see around the throng for her. She must be waitressing, but where? Who was pouring the drinks? Ban wasn't at his cook station either, so Meliodas forced his way back through the people towards the kitchen. When he finally reached the door, he nearly stumbled through as he pushed it open.

She stood at the back door, hanging wide open, staring out into the night, the breeze that blew in lifting her hair from her shoulders. "Elizabeth!" Meliodas said sharply, but she did not answer. Instead, she lifted a hand outwards, and then slowly stepped forward and into the night.

"Stop!" he cried. There was nothing there, nothing that he could see, but the feeling that this was wrong was as clear as crystal. He ran forward, reaching behind his back for his sword, cursing when he found it was not there. A moment later he was outside, the night very dark except for the square of light coming from the door behind him.

"Elizabeth! Stop!" Meliodas scanned the blackness until he spotted her, walking away from the tavern. He took off in a flash, but his feet felt heavy, and as much as he tried he could not move fast enough. "Elizabeth!" he screamed. "Elizabeth!"

She halted, her back facing him, and then she looked up in the sky. He followed her gaze, and immediately he sensed there was something there, something coming, a black shape in the sky moving faster than any animal he knew. His skin prickled in a familiar way, and Meliodas remembered the black shape that had slid along the castle wall and into her bedroom. "No! No!" he yelled. "Elizabeth, come back here! Get away from there!"

The shadow was descending now, the wind picking up speed, and Meliodas raised his arms to shield his eyes. "Elizabeth, please!" he pleaded, his voice breaking. He tried and tried to walk forward, but the force of the wind held him back no matter how much he dug his heels in and pressed his strength forward.

"Don't you touch her!" he screamed wildly as the shadow touched the ground. Meliodas squinted, trying to make out a shape, a face, something, but it was impossible. "Elizabeth, get away from there!"

She turned then, glancing over her shoulder. "Meliodas," she said, "you should go back to sleep."

"What are you doing?" he wailed. "What is happening?"

"I have to go," she answered sadly, but he cried, "No, you don't! Whatever this is, you don't have to do this!"

Elizabeth turned her head more, finally meeting his eyes with hers. "I had to leave to give you something to do. I couldn't let you find your way. But then you gave up looking for me."

He shook his head, panic making him shake, the fear pulsing in his head. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stop looking. I didn't want to! Elizabeth please, please stay!"

"When I came back, I thought you would be happy," she said sadly; as if he was not pleading with her, as if his heart was not breaking. "I thought you would be content."

"I am happy," he shouted. "Elizabeth, why are you doing this!? If you're angry with me, think of your father! Your sisters!"

"Will you look for me again?" she asked.

The shadow began to move, slowly covering her, and a scream tore from the demon. "Stop! Stop!" With every ounce of his power, he flung himself forward, and incredibly he was moving, his hands reaching out to grab hold of her as he raced forward. "Elizabeth, take my hand!"

She turned to face him then, the shadow nearly covering her. "Will you look for me again?" she asked, one last time, and then she was covered in the darkness. Meliodas roared, jumping from the ground to catch her in his arms; but in a blink she was gone, and his hands swiped through air.

A sob went through him, and Meliodas curled in on himself, wincing and bracing himself to slam into the ground. But instead, he fell, the darkness rushing around him and roaring in his ears. Every hair on his body and every inch of his skin seemed to be pulled with the blast of it, and all he could do was tense and wait for the inevitable impact.

When it hit, it was not as painful as he had imagined; but when he opened his eyes, all he saw was the pitch blackness. He wondered absurdly if he had gone blind; then, even more ridiculous, wondered if it was a nightmare and if he had fallen out of bed. Yet as he blinked, a dim light came into view, far off. Climbing up on hands and knees, he shook off the terror he had just experienced and looked upwards.

He was in a cave, a massive cave, the ceiling seeming miles above. Jagged rocks formed stalactites and stalagmites everywhere, and he could hear his harsh breathing echoing back at him in the silent chamber. His head pounded, his eyes feeling as though they would break from the pressure closing in on him. Wearily he pushed himself up to stand on unsteady legs.

Meliodas turned towards the light source, still unable to see in the grayness. But immediately he felt the presence of something familiar, its energy massive and focused on him. A splash of cold went down his spine, and he worked at keeping himself from giving into the fear demanding his attention. As he approached the energy, Meliodas felt his demon powers spark to life, pulsing just beneath his skin, crackling like fire. He pulled his shoulders back, ready to face whatever it was, when a voice boomed out, "Welcome to Purgatory."

A/N: As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your comments: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But whether you do or not, just know that I appreciate every person that has taken the time to read and continue with this story.

Only one more chapter left, and I hope I haven't failed you.

QueenGreen23: You could say that... and you could not.

BettyBest2: You might not have been guessing, but perhaps now you'll see what I mean. And you've now come to your moment, I hope it was to your expectation.

Vhosek: I do love honest moments between Meliodas and Elizabeth, don't you? It's a shame there aren't more of them in canon.

aviselan: My goodness, do you need help? :D Thank you so much for the kind words. The wait is nearly over.

LoveIsNotAChoice: I knew as I was writing Hawk would play some kind of important role. After all, after Elizabeth, he's the closest to Meliodas.

Nhus321: As a writer I am flattered that you were able to make such a connection to that scene. It is frustrating to try to explain your heart to someone who already has a set idea and can't get past it long enough to listen.

Llama: I'm glad you made the connection between Hawk and Elizabeth's dialogue, that was there intentionally. Yes, Meliodas' trials continue, but the conclusion is coming.

mon coeur: I am pleased to hear the story has you in such a whirlwind. I do hope you were able to pull yourself back onto firmer ground with this chapter...?