Elizabeth opened her eyes.
Her eyelids felt absolutely heavy, like she's been asleep for such a long time. She yawned and stretched, and it felt like all the aches on her body disappeared. She felt absolutely comfortable for some reason and sleep was taking over her once again, and when she was about to close her eyes to return to her peaceful slumber, she suddenly felt the warm rays of the sun glare its light on her eyelids.
Elizabeth was staring at the captivating blue of the sky and the sun was just behind the clouds. She stretched her hands, and she grasped the soft material that tickled her fingertips.
She was laying on soft, dewy grass, and as the cool breeze blew by, she could hear the rustle of different trees and bushes that surrounded her. Elizabeth moved to her side to further survey her surroundings, and she found herself on a slightly elevated hill, overlooking the Boar's Hat that was peacefully nestled below her.
She must have fallen asleep here, Elizabeth assumed. It was odd though, she hardly recalled going outside. But this was something she normally did when the day was beautiful and calm. She would go out and find herself a spot where she could read and watch the sunset. Hawk normally accompanied her, but the princess of Liones couldn't recall where her little pig was either.
Elizabeth lay on her back again, trying to recall the events of what happened before she found herself here. Her hand subconsciously clutched her forehead and then moved to the fringe where she hid her mismatched eye. Nothing came to her, but she reminded herself to be calm. Nothing seemed aloof about her surroundings; the Boar's Hat was just below her, there wasn't a bad cloud in sight, and Meliodas pro-
Meliodas...
Where was he? Remembering him sent a strange feeling to her chest like something wasn't right. But why would she feel that way? The Boar's Hat was parked just below her, surely he wouldn't go far. He would probably be out with the Sins or playing around with Ban.
Elizabeth wanted to sit up so she could start looking for him, but she suddenly realized how exhausted she felt. Her eyelids were heavy and she felt absolutely lethargic. Her whole body ached like she had spent hours rolling over and over the hill she lay on and probably got stabbed by a twig on the way down.
It was highly likely, considering how she felt like she had been stabbed somewhere. Elizabeth's aching body started to get the best of her, and her eyelids started to droop.
But before she could drift off into unconsciousness, she heard soft thuds on the grass that slowly approached her. They sounded like footsteps, and whether asleep or awake, Elizabeth already knew who they belonged to. Maybe it was because of the immense power she felt emanating from him, or maybe it was how she could recognize him by mere footsteps alone. Either way, Elizabeth was certain. So, she lay still and kept her eyes closed, and waited.
When he was just meters away, Elizabeth felt him pause for a few heartbeats before she felt him take a seat next to her laying form, and as he did, she heard another soft thud on the ground, like he had set something down next to him.
"I thought I might find you here," Meliodas said, and even without looking, she could hear the smile on his face.
His voice sent butterflies to her stomach just like it always had, just like how it always would. She could feel his warmth without even touching his skin, and it made Elizabeth want to return to her slumber even more. If he could only just lay down beside her...
Despite Elizabeth's struggle with her fading consciousness, she found herself speaking.
"The flowers looked lovely today" She responded.
Elizabeth didn't recall picking up any flowers, but it was something she usually did when they would stop by a town or village. She must have gathered them already and found them a place by the window in their room.
"They do. Hawk seems to love them" Meliodas chuckled as if amused.
"Where is he?" Elizabeth asked. She suddenly remembered that she had been looking for her pig just a little while ago.
"Just running around somewhere."
Strange, Elizabeth would have imagined Hawk eating scraps and finding a quiet corner to sleep in, but she guessed the other Sins might have teased him or something.
Wait, wasn't there something that she and the Sins were supposed to do? Something...important? She wanted to ask where the others were, but before she could, Meliodas spoke.
"You are completely, and utterly gorgeous lying down like that you know."
Elizabeth's eyes shot open, and butterflies rushed to her stomach so quickly she was worried she would vomit. Her heart raced a million miles away, and she looked at Meliodas with cheeks burning like embers.
Elizabeth couldn't see the expression on his face; the sun's light was against his features and his golden hair casted a shadow that made it difficult for her to see his face.
She had been completely caught off guard and she doesn't know what to make of it. Meliodas compliments her most of the time yes, but not one so blunt and straightforward. He would always do it in a joking, teasing manner, but not like that.
"Well, I guess we're both pretty gorgeous then." She found herself saying. Her tone sounded teasing, but confident and sly at the same time.
"Nah, I'm pretty sure you beat me" He chuckled. "Just a little bit"
Was she that sleepy? So much so that she couldn't control what she was saying? It was like she was drunk from sleep that she had no control over her own mind. Elizabeth tried to fight it, but it felt like it was dragging her downwards with weighted shackles.
Shouldshe even fight it? Meliodas was right here, just inches away from her grasp, surely he wouldn't go anywhere. Just a few minutes of sleep...And he would normally come back for her whenever she dozed off somewhere.
No. Elizabeth fought. She has to stay awake, she neededto stay awake. Something felt so wrong about sleeping, and she hadn't asked Meliodas what she couldn't remember.
"We're going as planned." His tone sounded grim. And the atmosphere around him went so serious, it was a completely different extreme from just moments ago.
Go where? That was exactly what she couldn't remember and now was the chance to ask. But before she could, the memory slowly returned to her.
That's right, they were supposed to head for Camelot to save the Kingdom and Arthur. But, weren't they supposed to go to Bernia for the reinforcements? Had that not gone well?
"Shouldn't we wait?" Elizabeth sat up and her body was still in pain, even more now that she tried to move. She restrained the cry of pain that tried to escape from her lips. "If we don't think this through, we cou-"
"I have. And I'm sure" Meliodas said firmly. His tone wasn't harsh nor was it a tone to shut her out. It was the exact opposite. It sounded like he was reassuring her, reassuring her of a decision he was determined to choose.
"I asked Ban to come with me" He added in a whisper. He sounded so anguished it made her heart sink. Elizabeth couldn't help but hold his face in her hands as she stared into his eyes.
"It's going to be ok." She whispered. Even though she had no idea what he was saying, she felt herself give a reassuring smile.
Why wasn't Ban going? The Dragon Sin of Wrath and The Fox Sin of Greed were best friends, and as Elizabeth understood, Ban would follow his Captain anywhere he went.
"What did he say?" She asked.
"He said no, and he went absolutely crazy" Meliodas replied. He closed his eyes and took a deep and pained sigh.
It slowly came back to her now, the probable reason why Ban didn't want to leave. Meliodas had asked him to stay in Liones because she was sick. Sick was probably not the right term, but there was just something not right about her, and she was a danger to herself and everyone else around her. So, now that they weren't going to Bernia, would that mean all of them were heading straight to Camelot now? Maybe Ban had liked the idea of staying, especially because of Elaine's condition.
But why would Ban be angry about it? Elizabeth was sure that Meliodas would more than understand Ban so he wouldn't have fought with him about it.
"I'm sorry that you had to leave him, but I think he's just thinking of Elaine's sake." She reasoned. Elizabeth sat up, wrapped her body to Meliodas' arm, and rested her head on his shoulder.
"But they would be in more danger if they stayed." He argued back. "Turning my back on them would backfire on him."
Turning his back on them? What is he talking about? Just when Elizabeth thought everything was making sense, she was confused now more than ever. She can't recall anything about Meliodas abandoning the Sins, he would never do that. Despite her frantic and rattled mind, she found herself involuntarily speak.
"Are you sure about this, Meliodas?" She found herself asking. Elizabeth had no idea why she had asked that, when she wanted to ask something else, something to clarify the situation where she had no idea what was happening. And that's when Elizabeth realized, she wasn't in control of her own body. It was the strangest feeling; it was like watching herself through a dream. She felt herself speak and move, but she wasn't really conscious or had any control of what she was doing.
"I am sure. Wherever you go, I go." Meliodas was holding her face tightly with both of his hands like he was afraid she was going to disappear. And she felt the warmth of them despite her feelings if detachment from her own body. But there was something strange, she wasn't feeling the skin of his hands, she was feeling...cloth.
But before Elizabeth could look down at his hands, she involuntarily spoke again. "No matter who our enemy is, no matter who we are fighting. I will always be with you."
Elizabeth felt a tear escape from her eye, and Meliodas leaned forward to kiss her. But as she felt his lips just inches away from her, a loud rumble erupted from the clouds.
And everything happened in mere seconds, and it was too much for Elizabeth's mind to comprehend.
The sky rumbled a deafening sound, and dark figures appeared from the heavens. Upon their arrival, an ominous feeling of power was hurtling towards them at an incomprehensible speed. But before it could land on them, Meliodas had already reacted.
"Full Counter." And the high-pitched sound of metal that sliced the air met the unknown ominous power.
Everything that happened after was a blur for Elizabeth. In the mere seconds that Meliodas had reflected the attack, she realized that she had been flung meters away from the hill they sat on, and Meliodas had used his body to shield her from the attack.
The ominous dark energy was reflected at its source, and the sound was twice as deafening, like thunder had been struck just beside her, and her ears started to ring. Elizabeth tried to yawn as she held her ears, attempting to remove the pressure from the sound. In the next second, Elizabeth realized her ears were refusing to function properly, and she didn't have time to react to it.
From her distance, she saw Meliodas scream something at her, but she was still staggering, trying to ground herself to the situation. It was a feeling that would drive anyone mad; being able to feel every sensation your body is experiencing, but not being able to control it with every will you've got.
In the next second, dark figures with bat-like wings appeared behind him. Elizabeth tried to scream, but she couldn't feel if her body had executed what she told it to do. Meliodas had his back to the dark figure, his hands were already stretched out to reach her.
It felt like time had been suspended in mid-air, and all Elizabeth could see was how inches away the dark figures were to Meliodas, and she could feel that her heart was also suspended in time, not knowing what to do next.
The instant she felt the thump of her heat, she felt the warmth of the sun emanate from some unknown source, and a blinding glow engulfed everything in sight.
She was blinded by the light and her vision went dark. And her eyes opened to the dull concrete grey of a stone ceiling.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Meliodas voice bellowed through the halls.
The moment he had set foot on the grounds of Liones, his first goal was to look for Elizabeth. Normally the Sins would know that when the mission was over, they can do whatever they wanted unless instructed otherwise, but for some reason, Gowther and Esacnor had wanted to come with him. And when he saw a knight who happened to pass by them, he immediately asked the whereabouts of the princess, just to make his search quicker.
"Sh-she would be in your quarters, Sir Meliodas" The knight had stuttered, his eyes darting from left to right, unsure of what to respond.
From the corner of his eye, Gowther and Escanor had eyed each other and moved closer to him the moment the knight had hesitated.
Something was obviously not right, and he had a strong feeling that people were being cautious around him, unsure of the information they were going to give. So, he wasted no time, and darted to his quarters, leaving the two Sins and the knight behind before they could react.
And just as he had foreseen, in the mere seconds that he ran and almost destroyed the castle halls with the momentum of his speed, Merlin and Ban were standing guard by the door of his room.
"We can't let you in unless we're sure your calm," Merlin said sternly and moved defensively in between him and the wooden door behind the mage.
Ban was already in a defensive stance, Gowther and a trembling Escanor, who had caught up just moments behind him, shadowed the other two and left him completely boxed in. Merlin had no doubt sent an invisible message for only the two to receive when they arrived here in Liones, and followed instructions to subdue him.
"Merlin" Meliodas drew a shaky breath, trying to control the anger that's vibrating within every inch of him. "If you don't stop this non-sense right now, I'm forcing my way in."
"We'll knock you out before you do"
"Just try, Merlin. I won't let you knock me out like last time." Meliodas threatened.
The rest of the Sins, except Gowther, were looking at each other with cautious and confused faces, completely oblivious to their conversation. Even so, they had stayed and read the dangerous situation and were ready to do everything they could do, even the nighttime Escanor who was shaking viciously behind him.
"If you act out, you're going to get the Princess caught in the crossfire along with everybody else" Merlin warned.
"What?! What do you think of me? And why won't you let me in? I have every right to see and knowwhat's happening to Elizabeth." He snarled. Despite his impatience and anxiousness to see Elizabeth, the situation sent an ache through Meliodas' chest. Merlin had gathered the Sins and ordered them to knock him out if he ever went berserk. What's worse, was that the Boar Sin of Gluttony was assuming the worst from him, as if he would be so clouded to let Elizabeth get hurt. Just like a wild beast who needed to be tamed. But how could he not? This was Elizabethand he allowed himself to be separated from her for so many days with her powers acting up.
"An idiot who could lose control of his emotions" The mage answered. "And yes, you do have every right, but you have to calm down first. I felt your power surge the moment you got here"
"Maybe if you had taught the people around here a better answer, and if you had asked these two to act a little conspicuous, I wouldn't have assumed the worst" Meliodas retorted.
"You would assume the worst, regardless"
Meliodas grunted "Enough of this. I am fully in control of my emotions, I promised that. I made sure of that" He replied with gritted teeth.
Merlin stared him down for a few seconds and then sighed "Fine. I was just taking extra precaution." The mage gave a meaningful look at the Dragon Sin of Wrath, and her tone indicated that there were more things she wanted to say, but she glanced at the other Sins who were still present, and decided not to divulge them.
"Precaution for what? What the hell happened?!" Meliodas yelled.
Ban, who was nearest the door, sighed and took a step forward. "Look Cap'n. The princess is fine. We just thought that it would be best if we warned ya' first"
"Warned me of what?!" Meliodas deepened his frown. He was getting tired of this non-sense, if anything happened to Elizabeth, he's not going to care anymore who was standing in his way.
"It's a lot to take in, partner." Then Ban looked at the other Sins and then Merlin. "But it would be best to show you."
"Keep your mind rational. Don't blame Ban for this." Merlin added.
If anything, he was blaming everyone else other than Ban of whatever is happening, but Meliodas didn't respond, he just glared at everyone and waited, as patiently as he could, for someone to open the wooden door in front of him.
Merlin had a look about her before Ban opened the door, and Meliodas knew it all too well.
"Here we are again." Her face silently said.
And when Ban opened the door. He knew exactly why.
His room of once dull grey cobblestoned walls was now aglow with breathtaking assortments of greeneries and wildflowers. The furniture was wrapped around in vines caked with thick moss as if the foliage had grown there for years. The wildflowers that flourished between the cracks of the cobblestone walls were blossoming as if they had been graced by the sun or moon, whichever ones they needed. And one rare carnation in particular, that happens to be born from a rare quart found in the cobblestone floors of flowing rivers, and takes its nutrients from the rays of a full moon, caught Meliodas' eye in an instant as it bloomed by the corner of the room.
Elizabeth had healed the very earth that surrounded her. Man-made walls that would never bare new life had been invigorated, and the crack between the walls indicated that she had reached out to the soil from the gardens below them, and it blossomed all the way here, to the source of new life.
This has never happened before, never like this. Meliodas balled his hands into fists as he attempted to collect his warring thoughts.
"When did this happen?" He asked in a low whisper.
"Just this morning" Ban answered.
"So, Elizabeth felt unwell just this morning?"
"No. She acted up yesterday afternoon" Somebody answered, and it didn't register in Meliodas' mind anymore who it belonged to, because he already foresaw the answer, but hearing it wasn't the same.
If he had been a day earlier, if he hadn't gone to the mission at all, this wouldn't have happened. Why? Why?! Why had he let himself be pers-
"Leave us" Merlin ordered the Sins, and snapped him back from his thoughts. "Thank you for your help. But the Captain and I need to talk."
He heard the Sins' unsure footsteps walk toward the hallway, and the wooden door closed softly behind them.
Despite his searing rage and unbearable guilt, he felt relieved the others had left. They were getting too close into his personal business, too close for his own comfort. Although they had no choice since Ban had cared for Elizabeth in his absence, and Merlin had to order the others to subdue him for 'precautionary' measure, it was getting irritably close.
He took a deep and frustrated sigh and looked at Elizabeth, laying on his bed.
She looked peaceful, like she had been tired from a long day's work and had finally gotten a nap she so well deserved. And seeing her like that, her face for so many days apart, calmed him down slightly.
And in his moment of clarity, he finally spoke to Merlin. "Thanks"
Although he was fucking pissed at her for acting like he was some type of wild animal, having the Sins linger any further probably added fuel to his anger. He had been itching to ask Merlin how this fucking happened and what they will do next without giving too much away.
"I know what you're thinking" Merlin began. "That if we hadn't left at all, we could have prevented this"
"How else would I think?! This wouldn't have happened if-"
"That's the thing" The mage interrupted. "It was necessary that we were gone."
"Necessary!? Why?" Meliodas demanded. How could it be necessary, when they were the only ones who would know what to do?
"Because you don't know the full story yet" Merlin said irritably. "So calm down and listen"
Meliodas took a deep breath and relaxed his tense shoulders. He was getting really impatient, but he figured Merlin wouldn't start talking if he wouldn't calm down at all. "Fine, I'll calm down."
Merlin crossed her arms and sighed. "Honestly, both of you are such a handful."
"Just get on it with it, Merlin" He snapped.
"Elaine told me" The mage began "that when Sis-sis was acting up, she was hearing voices, like someone had been calling out to her."
Voices? That's never happened before. Meliodas stayed silent, waiting for the mage to continue.
"And I asked Bartra, what he exactly saw in his vision" The Boar Sin of Gluttony had a thoughtful look as she spoke. "Because while we fought at Bernia, I had seen no reason why Ineeded to be there."
"And?" He urged.
"He saw that if we hadn't gone to Bernia, we would never continue our journey to Camelot"
"Yeah, that's what he said. That's what he kept insisting. That's why we fucking wen-"
"That's because that's what he had interpreted it as." Merlin interrupted. "He thought that if we didn't get the reinforcements, we would lose. But when I asked him specifically what he saw if we didn't, he just said he never saw us going to Camelot. Not, 'we wouldn't succeed'"
"What are you trying to say?" Meliodas' palms were sweating because he felt like he knew exactly what the mage was saying.
"If we had been here at that exact moment, when Sis-sis' powers were acting up and hearing voices" Merlin continued with a low voice. "If she had seen the both of us, specifically. It-"
"It would trigger her memories"
Yes. Here they were again. Walking on eggshells, trying not to trigger any memory, trying not to say the wrong thing and show the wrong objects or places, because they were almost nearing the end. It would always be around this time, around this age, where she would usually remember.
His face and name alone were the biggest triggers of all. But he had never found himself to stay away, and he had tried, but he would always fail.
He approached Elizabeth and sat at the edge of the bed. "Will she remember when she wakes up?"
"No. The moment has passed. And we have Bartra to thank for that." Merlin answered.
"How are you so sure?" Meliodas couldn't wrap his mind around what the mage was talking about. Elizabeth's memories just slowly comes back, sometimes because she was triggered by something or it was just time. But is it really possible moments like those can just pass by?
"It's her powers. They are awakening the wrong way and it's finding its way out through different means." The Boar Sin of Gluttony paced as she thought deeply. "But if we can control it, it would just normally flow out and finally relieve the stress from within her body."
Merlin paused and did an irritable 'tsk', "But I'm still so unsure. This occurrence is so rare it's hard to know for certain."
"What do we now?"
"We have to do something about her powers. So, we can prevent moments like thatfrom happening again, especially now when we're getting so close."
Yes, here they were again. Racing against time and trying to beat the odds that never favored them for the past 3,000 years.
Just as promised, an early update. If you could call that early lmao. I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing and somehow answered some of questions. I don't know much about plants and gardening, but if somebody was confused about the whole carnation being born by quartz thing, I totally just made that up lol. I just found like a head cannon on Tumblr about Elizabeth and flowers and I thought it would really be cool if she subconsciously grew some rare flowers since she might have a garden as Goddess Eli.
I don't know how long I can update the next chapter, since I'm also planning to create other stories as well, but still NNT. Probably a oneshot or another long Fic, who knows. I have so many listed down I just really couldn't find the time. But I'll try to get it up as soon as I can.
Thanks again everyone for the love on this Fic!