Blinding Light
Chapter 4: Confrontation
Disclaimer: I do not own The Seven Deadly Sins or any of the characters involved except Guardian L. Light, Guardian S. Shine, Corruptor F. Fear, and Defiler R. Reaper
The group arrived back at the Boar Hat and slumped inside. Meliodas locked the back door and went about preparing a meal.
"Whenever you're ready, we're good to move out," He said to no one.
Suddenly, the whole structure shook. Elizabeth and Light sat up on their stools.
"What is it? An earthquake?" Light asked, looking around.
"Not quite," Meliodas said as he started pouring drinks, his hands keeping the mugs steady despite the shaking around them.
Shine glanced out the window and smiled to herself, "You really are full of surprises Sir Meliodas," she said.
Light and Elizabeth looked at her, then followed her gaze to the window. Their jaws dropped before they both rushed to the window to get a better look.
They were in the air, dozens of feet off the ground. The countryside far below moving past them in a constant blur.
"What the?" Light began.
"That's the special trick of the Boar's Hat tavern," Meliodas walked out from behind the bar and laid the four mugs on the table, despite the movement of the building they remained in place.
"How are we traveling?" Elizabeth asked.
"That'd be my mom," Hawk spoke up now.
"Your mom?" Light asked.
"Yeah, she's waaay bigger than me, so big she can carry the entire bar on her back. When we stop to set up shop for a while she burrows underground to rest, but when it's time to move on she carries us to the next spot," Hawk explained, a sense of pride creeping into his voice as he spoke.
"So… we're riding on the back of a giant pig?" Light asked.
"Pretty much, but enough about that. I have a few questions for you two," Meliodas jumped back into the conversation.
"Depending on what those are, we may not be able to answer. I'm sure you understand the need for secrecy and discreetness?" Shine replied.
Meliodas nodded, "I get that you can't tell me everything, but I happened to overhear your conversation on the way back. You said your mission was to help me with stuff related to you guys. But you said nothing has come up yet. So, are you looking for someone or something?" He asked.
Light looked to Shine who tilted her head as she considered Meliodas' question.
"In a sense, more like someone is looking for us," Shine explained.
"You see, a few months ago we received a report of a sighting for one our highest level threats in this world. Light and I were dispatched to verify the report, and if possible capture or eliminate this threat."
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.
"A rotten piece of scum named Fear. He controls darkness and shadows with his magic, and he uses it to instill fear in the worlds he visits, then he feeds on it to grow more powerful," Light told her.
"We also believe he has an… associate with him. We are unsure of the relationship at this time, but we believe he may have an apprentice. Which is a first for his kind… and very troubling," Shine elaborated.
"His kind?" Meliodas asked.
"Apologies, I forget you are not yet accustomed to us Guardians and our history. We Guardians are sworn to protect the Worlds from corrupting influences. In essence, history is meant to occur on a more or less straight line, and our job is to ensure that no outside forces interfere with that progression. Fear's presence here does exactly that if he is here at all. We call these individuals 'Corruptors'. Corruptors are, for the most part, equal to a Guardian in almost every way. However, the worrying news is that we've never heard of a Corruptor taking on an apprentice, or even associating with someone other than another Corruptor, and even then that was in rare cases. The Corruptors seem to be mostly individuals rather than a collective group."
Shine sighed as she finished her tale and took a long draft of the drink in front of her.
"So you're here to look for this Fear guy and see if he's hanging around, and in the meantime help me with whatever I need?" Meliodas asked.
"Within reason, we're not going to fight your battles for you or anything like that," Light explained as Shine continued to drink.
"I wouldn't ask you to do anything like that, but my offer of working here in my bar is still on the table," Meliodas gave a mischievous grin as she said that.
"As if! Do you know who-"
Light stopped as the group turned to the door, a knocking sound echoed to them.
"Who in the world could that be?" Meliodas asked as he approached the door.
Light and Shine's eyes widened at the same time as they felt the presence on the other side of the door.
"Sir Meliodas! Don't-" Shine began, but was cut off as Meliodas opened the door.
Standing in the doorway was Reaper, a black-bladed long sword held out to his side. In a flash, he swung the blade at Meliodas who ducked it easily.
"Stay out of my way you Worldly trash, I'm here for the Guardians!" Reaper shouted as he leaped over Meliodas' kneeling form.
Light charge him, her staff raised to block a slash from him.
"Well, that's bold of him," Shine said as she watched Light and Reaper trade blows.
"Aren't you going to help her?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, this is a rare opportunity to study a Corruptor's apprentice at work. His powers are almost identical to Fear's, yet they are weaker. This confirms the theory that he had indeed taken an apprentice. Now, to see how far along in his 'training' he is," Shine explained.
"But what if he's stronger than Light?" Elizabeth asked.
"He's not," Meliodas added as he came back from the door, he had walked casually around the two combatants, seemingly unaware that there was a deathmatch breaking out in his bar.
Light blocked another stroke from Reaper, but as he pulled his blade back for another swing, Light dropped to the ground, one leg pushing her staff along in a scything motion that took out Reaper's legs, as he fell Light leaped to her feet and put a foot firmly on his chest, she stabbed her staff into Reaper's wrist holding his blade, causing him to loosen his grip and drop it.
"Well, that's that," She said.
"Indeed it is," A voice said from the door.
They all looked up to see Fear standing in the doorway, leaning against the trim.
"Fear," Shine said surprisingly civilly.
"Shine," Fear replied with equal civility.
"What are you doing here?" Shine asked him.
"The usual; gaining power, robbing Worldlings of their senses, pushing whatever agenda happens to catch my interest," he explained casually as he pushed off the trim and stepped further into the bar.
"You know I can't let you continue here," She warned him.
"I'm aware, I was going to be leaving soon anyway. But Reaper here-" Fear nudged his pinned apprentice with his foot, "Though he should prove himself to me by trying to kill Light,"
"And you let him?"
"More like he ran away from home before I could tell him what a stupid idea that was," Fear explained.
"You know, you're being surprisingly nice to one another for people who hate each other," Meliodas interrupted the conversation as he crossed his arms.
"Hate's a strong word Sir Meliodas, we have a… professional distaste for one another. Nothing personal I assure you," Fear told him.
"Well, if you're leaving, then please get out of my bar. I don't like the aura you're giving off," Meliodas told him.
Fear gave him a bow, "Of course Sir Meliodas if you'll simply allow me to take my apprentice from your custody, he and I shall be on our way."
Meliodas looked to Shine who turned to meet his gaze, she nodded and then looked to Light.
"Release him Light."
"What? But, Master-"
"I said release him Light, that's an order," Shine said the last part firmly, subtlely telling her apprentice to not argue.
Light looked down at Reaper before sighing and stepping off him and back to the rest of the group.
"Come along Reaper, I've saved your hide today, you'll owe me," Fear told him in a half-stern tone.
"Yes, Master, sorry Master," Reaper told him as he stood up and retrieved his blade.
Fear held up a hand behind him, opening a portal of black energy.
"Step through Reaper, I have a few things to discuss with Shine and her apprentice," Fear ordered him.
"Yes Master," Reaper replied as he stepped through the portal.
Once he was gone he turned to Shine.
"For the sake of our former relationship, I ask you please be careful with these new worlds Shine. Chaos is on the move again."
Shine sighed, "If you know he's up to no good why do you continue to fight for him?" She asked.
"I'm not-" Fear began
"You are! You're still using your powers to instill fear in people and gain power from it, stop this nonsense, come back to us," Shine interrupted him.
Fear sighed and was silent for a minute, "You know I can't," He said. "I'm too far gone, the least I can do is continue to feed you information when I can. Just, be careful Shine," Fear looked up at her then turned and left through the portal.
After it closed the others all turned to Shine who looked as if she was about to cry.
"Master… are you ok?" Light asked.
Shine puffed up her chest with a deep breath and closed her eyes, after a few seconds she regained her composure and opened them again.
"Yes. I am. It seems our mission is done here Light, we have much to report to the Council. Sir Meliodas, I'm sorry to cut our visit short, but we need to be going," Shine said as she stood up from the barstool.
"Not a problem with me, you two are welcome back here anytime," Meliodas told them.
"Thank you for your hospitality sir," Shine said as she gave him a curtsey.
Light nodded and extended a fist towards Meliodas. "Next time we come back here, you owe me a sparring match. I wanna see how strong you really are,"
Meliodas smiled as he bumped her fist with his own "You got it, just don't expect much alright? I'm a lot stronger than I look."
Light smiled back as Shine opened a portal of white light, "Come Light, we're leaving," She said.
Light waved goodbye to Elizabeth and the two stepped through the portal. They exited into what appeared as a small suite of rooms. As the portal closed the two relaxed and sunk into two identical chairs sitting opposite one another. However, Light still had one question on her mind.
"Master, before he left; Fear said something that's got me confused 'for the sake of our former relationship'… what was that about?"
Shine sighed, "It's a long story, but Fear is a Guardian… or well, he was. I'll tell you more later, for now, I need to rest. It has been a long day. Please go make our report to the Council, Light. I'll be along in a few hours to confirm it," She said with a hand wave.
Light nodded and stood up, stepping out of the suite and closing the door behind her. After a few minutes, Shine started sobbing, burying her head in her hands.
"You damn fool," She said aloud through the crying, "You damn, stubborn fool!"