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3 weeks in the future…

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It was raining outside The Boar Hat. Meliodas had just accepted that he had no other option but to get his old powers back. But tension was rising in the group, particularly from King. He could even sense that Elizabeth was concerned also. But it had to be done, for the fate of Britannia, his friends, and Elizabeth.

Under the cloudy sky, Meliodas perched himself outside under the shade of The Boar Hat's roof, looking out to the field of the magical mountain they based atop of. He knew everything was about to get more and more dangerous. But he would do anything to avoid that one fate.

Suddenly, Meliodas noticed a figure in the distance, he could hear the low throbbing of a heart, it's struggle to keep beating. Someone was wounded outside The Boar Hat. Not knowing who it was, sensing no threat, he decided not to warn the others and investigate himself.

Meliodas began sprinting over, feeling the heartbeat fading further just as he made his decision to see who it was for himself. The mud splattered under his boots, the rain dripping down his face, it clouded his vision so he projected energy from himself to beam the rain away from him. He didn't sense any magical power from the stranger, so he knew they weren't a threat. But the fact that there was absolutely no power at all coming from the person, was suspicious. You'd expect to find traces of some power even on a corpse. Yet the fighting heart beat ahead of him indicated nothing at all.

Meliodas felt a strong energy the closer he came to the person, such energy he had felt before. Not magical, not powerful, but a deep connection, like fate.

As he grew closer he could see the figure lying in the muddy grass and dirt, their back facing Meliodas, curled in a half ball. As if the person didn't have the energy or a care left to protect themselves by curling up completely. As Meliodas drew near, he allowed himself to assess from a few meters away. First noticing bare feet covered in mud, with small stones digging in the skin, blood mixing in with the rain and dirt. It was a girl. Her dress torn to fragments, barely covering her body. The straps completely gone baring her sharp shoulders. Her body shivering, visibly trembling before him. Meliodas knew, this was a terrible ordeal.

Meliodas immediately ran over, dropped to his knees to inspect the girl, taking off his vest and shirt to prepare to cover her. Not yet seeing her face from behind, and reassuring her that he wasn't a threat and that he was going to help her. That's what Elizabeth would do. He placed his clothes over her, and immediately noticing the blood instantly seep through his clothes after covering her.

Meliodas didn't feel cold like most, but it must have been freezing as she was shaking like she was covered in ice. It was that moment Meliodas wrapped his arms around the girl, picking her up. After he was sure she was covered, protecting her modesty, that's when he noticed in shock… 'Elizabeth?' he thought to himself.

Green locks of hair fell over his arms as he held her neck. Her eyes closed and stuttering as the rain drummed her eye lids. She looked exactly like Elizabeth. But he knew for certain his Elizabeth was inside The Boar Hat. But yet there she was. Her soft face covered in bruises, her cheeks gaunt, eyes darkened like she hadn't slept or eaten in weeks. Grazes on her face trickled with blood from the broken skin, wounds contaminated with stones and dirt. He could only imagine the wounds and damage on the rest of her body.

Meliodas let out a small sound in shock. For the Elizabeth in his arms who he couldn't explain the existence of, and for the clear abuse she had endured. His heart sank, and he felt a rage beginning to coil inside him. But he swallowed and contained himself.

"Let's get you inside".

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.

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Meliodas forced the door of The Boar Hat open with his energy, slamming it to the wall, little care if it broke. He was met with the sins, drinks in their hand, stunned as their celebrations were met with a storm entering the inside of such a festive room.

"I'm going upstairs" Meliodas stated immediately, in a hard rasping and firm tone.

————-

"I'm coming" replied Merlin, beginning to follow.

"So am—" Elizabeth began to say, before Merlin sharply interrupted.

"No" Merlin swiftly turned, raising her hand out and stopping Elizabeth in her tracks. "Let's not crowd the room" Merlin took in a deep breath for what she knew was to come, but for now she wanted everyone to remain uninformed, for as long as she could. "everyone go back to your festivities, Meliodas and I will take it from here" she stated.

Merlin took a quick look at the sins around her, thankfully mostly everyone was half drunk already. It seemed Ban and King had hardly noticed the situation. But Diane was disappointed to be left out of the drama, letting out a noise to make her discontent clear.

Elizabeth stood with her hands pressed together in soft firsts to her chest, her eyes full of concern.

"Stay downstairs" Merlin repeated.

Entering the room upstairs, she found Meliodas in a chair leaning over the girl he had covered and put in bed. Meliodas' body showing signs of deep concern.

Merlin looked up to see the dark green hair spread over the pillow, wet, tangled, matted with twigs, dirt, creating knots of their own. Blood seeping already through the fresh linen.

"Is she going to die?" Asked Meliodas. He kept full focused on the girl. Merlin saw the girl as soon as they entered from outside. She had her suspicions of such events occurring, but there was no way to be certain it would ever happen, or if her efforts researching would prove to be true.

"I won't know until I look at her wounds, but the fact that she has absolutely no magical power does not help the situation" replied Merlin, in a calm stoic voice.

"Elizabeth and the others can't know, not until I know for certain who she is" Meliodas said, in a slight warning tone.

"I'm afraid I may already have the answer" replied Merlin, preparing herself.

Meliodas turned his sights from the green haired girl, finally "you what?" Meliodas accused.

Merlin pointed her hand at the door, forcing it shut, and began casting a spell. Purple beams projected from her hands.

"I just created a privacy spell to ensure no one can hear us. I'm afraid there was more to your curse than you were aware of, though I'm not exactly sure where it came from, whether it was the the Goddess Deity, or the Demon King. And I could not have known for certain—" Merlin explained before being interrupted by a frantic Meliodas.

"Who is she!?" His voice deepening further.

"I believe…" Merlin started "she is a doppelgänger".

Meliodas' face changed instantly from a threatening and dark, to loose and stunned. He let out a noise of awe, Merlin sensed his heart softening. Meliodas turned again to the girl. Merlin encircled the bed to keep a close eye on Meliodas' reaction, ensuring that he remained calm, preparing to intervene if necessary. But to her surprised, he was handling it well. Meliodas took a step back to examine the truth before him.

"How is this possible?" Meliodas asked calmly, before continuing "no, wait. You must heal her" Meliodas grabbed the chair and placed it in the corner of the room, giving space for Merlin to work. And she immediately proceeded without a word.