(A/N)

Hey everyone!

Sorry for missing posting last week; I started going to some classes at a nearby college, and I've been focused on the work for them. I'm still working on this, though! I'm gonna try to keep posting chapters every Saturday or so, but I can't guarantee a chapter every week.

I really wish that there was a way to post pictures with this story, since I've been working on some drawings of Zinnia and Zephyr - I'm even working on a drawing of an upcoming scene. If there is a way to post pictures and I just don't know, I'd really appreciate it if one of you guys would tell me how.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

From my spot at the edge of the small field, I watched intently as Ban and Harlequin sparred. Zephyr, who was bandaged much lighter than before, sat contentedly at my side, and I floated in a sitting position just a couple of inches off the ground. It was only last night that Harlequin and the others had been told about my spirit spear, and, to make it fair, Ban and Hawk had been told about it over dinner.

"Hmmm," Ban had said over his mug of ale, "looks like ya got a copycat, King."

I had quietly refuted it: "I'm not a copycat…" But there wasn't much heart in it. Truthfully, I was older than Harlequin, so if anyone was the copycat, it was him - though if that was true, then the copier was far better than the original.

Harlequin hadn't even said anything. He had still appeared to be deep in thought, like he was still trying to figure out the story behind what I had told everyone earlier.

Hawk, upon hearing of this, had also been quiet. He had looked slightly surprised, but that was it. I had actually been surprised that he hadn't been upset in some way or other, with the way he had been treating both Zephyr and I. Though when I had thought about it, he had seemed to dislike Zephyranthes in particular, of the two of us. Perhaps he liked me more, or just didn't know what to make of me. I was just glad that, out of all of the members of the group, it was the pig that had a problem with my friend and I.

The sight of Harlequin sending a swarm of blades flying around Ban pulled my attention back to the current moment.

"Hey Zephyr," I tilted my floating body towards the fox when I murmured his name, and he glanced up at me questioningly. "I like to watch people spar and all, but why was it again that you thought we should be out here? It's really early, and you know that I like to sleep late when I can." And as though to prove a point, I punctuated the statement with a yawn.

Because- The fox couldn't help but yawn in response to mine. -you should watch how Harlequin-sama fights. It might give you a better idea of how to fight with your Dyrnwyn. And since we're with this group now, He paused to sigh, as though he thought that being with the Seven Deadly Sins wasn't the best idea in the world, it would most probably be a very good idea to learn how to do that. It seems that there's a battle with these people every other day.

He was probably right, but at that moment, I noticed that the fighting had gone silent, and Harlequin's voice sounded louder in the quiet. "What's wrong, Ban? You're not acting like yourself. It's like you're purposely trying not to think about something."

But as soon as the fairy finished saying that, Ban grabbed him by the head and threw him through the trees, out of sight. Ban quickly followed him, disappearing before I could even blink.

"Hmm? What's going on?" I untangled my legs and stood, allowing my feet to lightly touch the ground.

Well, fights don't always stay in one place, do they? Zephyr also stood.

"Yeah, but I don't think that's the only reason behind what Ban-san just did. What Harlequin-sama just said was probably true, and he didn't like it. Let's follow them." Without waiting for Zephyr's response, I started walking across the grass.

You know, if Ban - the immortal guy that fought Meliodas-sama pretty evenly for a long time - is upset, it's probably not a good idea to go after him… But he came with me anyway.

Entering the trees, I tread lightly through the forest. As I made my way carefully through the undergrowth, it was pretty easy to find the direction in which the two sins went. There was a clear path through the trees where branches were snapped from their trunks and plants were torn from the ground. Shouting and the sounds of fighting were audible from up ahead, and within moments, Ban and Harlequin came into sight. Ban's fist flew right at the fairy's face.

"Ban. That's not the only thing that's off about you. It's the Captain, isn't it?"

His fist froze inches from Harlequin's face upon those words leaving his opponent's mouth. I stopped moving as well, and I motioned for Zephyr to stop. I wanted to hear their words, and I feared that, should they know I was here, I wouldn't get the chance. As silently as I could, I laid my wings back and twisted so that I was hidden behind a tree.

"I'm also mixed up inside about it," Harlequin continued. At this point I was slightly regretting going behind the tree, as I wanted to see their faces for the conversation, but I didn't dare to move. "The Captain that we saw the other day… and more than that… The ominous magical powers that were like Guila's and the others' and yet so far beyond them… And Zinnia-san, too. There were traces of that magic on her at the time, as well… What if the Captain - along with Zinnia-san - are really dem-" Harlequin's words were cut off, and I heard a slight gasp from him.

"Say another word and I'll knock out your teeth." Ban's voice was dead serious for once.

"B… but, aren't you thinking the same thing, Ban?" Harlequin sounded slightly confused and worried.

"NEVER! The Cap'n could never be like that monster!" But Ban's voice grew minorly uncertain. "I could never… believe that…"

"That monster…? What are you talking about?" Harlequin's voice was still slightly strained. I was really wishing that I could see what was going on.

"There's no way I'd believe it!" The way that Ban's voice echoed changed, as though he had changed what direction he was facing. Perhaps he was facing towards me now, as his angry shouts were clearer than before. I was glad for the first time that I was behind the tree, and I held my breath. "The Cap'n told me to come with him! To a guy like me who's lived his entire life like a shunned piece of garbage! In this world, the only whimsical oddballs like that are Elaine and the Cap'n! And anyway," his voice quieted, "no matter how wretched his opponents were, Cap'n never killed them. There's no way a tolerant guy like him would be a demon... Damn it."

"Ban…"

A thin tingle of dread swept through me. So, Ban doesn't deny the idea of me being a demon… I guess that we haven't interacted enough for him to know enough about me to refute it, anyway. It would've been nice though… I hope that Harlequin doesn't hate me because of his suspicions, even if he is half-right.

"Hey, what was that shouting just now?" Diane's curious voice broke into the guys' conversation, as well as my thoughts. "The day's barely begun and you're fighting again?"

"Diane… Elizabeth-sama." Harlequin's words confirmed who all had appeared.

"Huh? The Captain's not with you?" Diane's voice came again.

After deciding that I wouldn't hear any more of Ban and Harlequin's exchange, I waited for just another moment so that it didn't look like I just happened to appear at the same exact moment as the other girls. Once I had deemed it to have been long enough, I motioned to Zephyr, who pricked his ears from among the ferns he had laid down in. I nodded toward the clearing and he stood to follow.

"Hey, so this is where you guys went." I allowed my wings to open before stepping into the open and feigning a light smile. They all glanced towards me. "I'd wondered what had happened when you guys disappeared. Who won?"

Now that I had the chance to get a good look at the clearing ahead of me, I found that it was nestled up against a series of large boulders. It was from between two of these boulders that Diane and Elizabeth had approached.

Ban only held that serious look on his face for a moment before a grin broke through. "Me, of course!"

"H-hey!" I couldn't help but chuckle at Harlequin's flustered tone as he also dropped the seriousness. "No one-"

Suddenly there was an ear-shattering crack sound, and one of the boulders that ringed the area split down the center. I cringed against the noise, but none of the others did - they just looked to the broken stone. Uncovering my ears, I stepped up so that I stood alongside the others, Zephyr trotting at my heels. Within the crack, I could just make out the figure of a familiar blonde.

"Meliodas-sama…" Elizabeth murmured, which was overlaid slightly by Harlequin's "Captain…?"

Meliodas' words echoed strangely off the stone around him. "I promise… for the one who always fought alongside me… that this war that had been repeating for three thousand years will be settled this time, once and for all!"

'The one who has always fought alongside me'? I couldn't help but wonder. Who's he referring to? My curious gaze slipped towards Elizabeth, who was looking to Meliodas with hope. Could it be…?

I did find it kind of odd that no one said anything to this, but perhaps it was normal. Perhaps Meliodas sometimes just said things that none of the others quite understood the meaning of. Or, perhaps he was talking about something entirely different than what I thought, and I was the only one that didn't know what his words meant. Either way, no one questioned Meliodas' words.

You sure you're okay? Zephyr's tone was one of concern. What we heard back there wasn't good. Neither of them think highly of demons - Ban in particular - and now they suspect-

"I'm fine." I plopped onto my bed, Dyrnwyn wrapped tightly in my arms. "I knew this was coming. It always does." I pressed my face into the cloak, smothering the need to add any other words.

You don't seem 'fine'. He sounded annoyed, but I could feel him hop up on the bed beside me and press against my side. Just remember, if you ever need to talk… He trailed off, but I knew well enough what he was saying.

"Thanks, Zephyr." I was certain that my eyes were red when I pulled my face from the cloak. "I'll keep that in mind. I've always been able to count on you - you've always been here for me." I gave him a small smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

But silence permeated the room. He was facing away from me when he finally responded. Yeah, I've always been with you, haven't I? And yet... Was that a bit of sorrow in his voice? If I didn't know better, I might even have thought that he sounded slightly bitter. But before I could ask why, it was gone. Perhaps I had imagined it. Come on, we should probably head downstairs. The day has begun, and they'll soon start to wonder why we haven't returned. He hopped down to the floor and made his way toward the door, his fluffy tail swishing to and fro behind him.

The spot where he had been pressed into my side suddenly felt cold, and I shivered before getting up to follow the fox shade.