ATTENTION- I now have a Ko-fi, please consider supporting me. In return I would like to update much more often.
/bluecookiedough
I, Bluecookiedough, do not own Nanatsu No Taizai
"Are you really that sad to see me go?" Bad asked Holy Knight Jude, nonchalant despite the spear still stuck in his chest.
Meliodas sighed through his nose, his lips pressed tightly together. "Really? You just got stabbed."
Ban laughed softly.
Merlin frowned, still angry, but couldn't stop herself from being a little amused.
"It appears you haven't learned anything in your five years here, Seven Deadly Sins' Fox Sin." Jude said menacingly. "No matter how strong you think you are, you are completely powerless against Jude."
Jude pushed the spear even further through Ban's chest. Ban grunted and slumped against the wall of the prison.
The Sins gasped softly, growing even more worried. Elizabeth hid her face in Baltra's chest.
The scene changed to show Meliodas and Diane fighting. Diane was trying to squash him as he ran around her legs.
"You're small Holy Knight, but you're pretty tough!" She said.
"Yeah, and you're huge, but you're fast on your feet." He responded, jumping in the air to try and land a blow with his sword. She blocked his series of attacks and they both backed a few steps away from each other, panting.
"Each one of them seems to think that the other one is a Holy Knight!" Hawk squeaked.
Elizabeth yelled at the two Sins. "Both of you have to stop it! That's enough!"
Meliodas suddenly blinked as if coming out of a trance. Diane looked over at Elizabeth slowly. "Princess…? What are you doing here?"
"That's all it took? Really?"
"It does seem rather easy."
"Maybe Beth just has a magic voice." Meliodas said, smiling fondly from his seat. Elizabeth blushed, peeking out from where she still had her face hidden in Baltra's chest.
"We should be asking you that!" Hawk yelled at Diane. She turned to Meliodas.
"Captain? You're here? Where's the Holy Knight?" Meliodas looked around.
"Oh hey, you're right."
The young child ran up to Diane, worriedly. "Poor big lady, are you alright?"
"Aw, he's nice."
"I don't trust him." Ban said, slouching down in his seat. Merlin rolled her eyes, but laid her head on Ban's shoulder.
"He's a child."
"A weird child, why was he wandering around anyway? Did he not notice all of the bugs earlier?"
"That's a good point."
Ban smiled pointedly at Merlin, raising one eyebrow teasingly. She rolled her eyes but patted him on the shoulder.
"Yeah," Diane said, leaning down so that she was at eye level with the child. "You ok? You're still here."
The boy nodded his head, the movement jostling his crook and causing the attached bell to ring. Diane's eyes went blank as soon as the bell rang. She looked around, only seeing an empty hillside.
"Everybody's gone again." She said softly.
"Called it! It's the child!" Ban crowed, raising his hands up in victory.
"It's the bell, we don't even know if the boy knows what he's doing." Meliodas said, though he smiled good-naturedly at Ban.
"I'm just saying." Ban said.
The bell rang again and Meliodas was under the spell as well.
"That Holy Knight!"
Elizabeth ran towards the child, trying to get him out of the way of the upcoming fight. "C'mon you're in danger here." She said, trying to herd the child away from Diane.
"You're hiding everyone from me again!" Diane said, slamming her fists down on Meliodas, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Captain, I'm so sorry!" Diane said, turning to face him, looking close to tears.
"It's ok, Diane." Meliodas responded. "You're under a spell."
"Yeah, from that bell." Ban said, "A bell spell." Elizabeth giggled.
"I don't blame you at all."
The child ran to his father, Elizabeth and Hawk close behind him. "I'm so scared, I don't wanna die, please!"
"I'll protect you, I swear!" Elizabeth said, "Even if it means trading my life for yours!"
"You'd do that?" The father asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
Baltra pulled his daughter close, his face pale. The Sins looked at the screen in shock.
"Elizabeth, I hope you never have to face such a decision." Baltra said.
"It's my job as the princess to protect my citizens." Elizabeth said, her young face serious.
Meliodas looked worried, he pursed his lips. King reached up and took his hand.
"It's so touching to see a princess who actually cares. But is that truly what you would do? Or an empty promise?" Another Holy Knight stood before the group.
"That's the crazy lady from before, the one with the bugs!"
"Ooh I hate her."
"She better not do anything to hurt Elizabeth!" Diane said, frowning angrily. The other Sins nodded in agreement.
The Holy Knight raised her arms in the air and a swarm of beetles flew from the trees around her, buzzing loudly.
"I don't believe it!" Hawk squealed in pain as one of the beetles pinched his snout.
Elizabeth gasped and pulled Hawk into her own arms, his small round body covering her entire lap.
"It's ok, Elizabeth. I'm a strong piggy." He said, smiling at her.
"Storm Rondo! Now my little beetles their flesh is yours to pierce with your sharp wings and horns!"
The child started running, yelling in fear. "No I'm scared, don't let it get me."
"That kid's whining is really annoying me, you die first!" The Holy Knight swung her whip and directed the tornado of beetles to surround the child, who cried out in pain.
Elizabeth gasped in horror.
"Let me see," The Holy Knight said mockingly to Elizabeth, "Even if I have to trade my life for yours? Was that the phrase? For all your brave platitudes you never believed you'd actually have to follow through with it, did you?"
"Oh that's sick…" Hawk said, before noticing Elizabeth walking away from his side, heading toward the tornado of beetles. "No, Elizabeth!"
The audience gasped, and Elizabeth looked up at her father in confusion. Why wouldn't she uphold her promise?
"What, really?" The Holy Knight said, surprised that Elizabeth seemed to be actually upholding her promise.
Elizabeth began walking into the swarm. "I promised."
The beetles began to draw blood, cutting up her arms and legs as well as tearing her clothes. "I gave my word to you."
The child cowered in the eye of the tornado, whimpering in pain. "Even if you die along the way...I would do it." Elizabeth said, reaching out a hand toward the boy, unflinching against the constant barrage of beetles. "Even if I were left all alone, I would still protect the kingdom and all its people from the Holy Knights."
She knelt down on the ground, taking the child into her arms, sheltering him.
"Elizabeth, no." Hawk whispered.
"You are very brave, Elizabeth." Merlin said quietly, the other Sins were too upset at the sight of a hurt Elizabeth to comment, but they agreed.
"That wasn't brave, that was reckless." Baltra said, his face wrinkled with worry. "You should know better than to just run into danger like that."
Elizabeth frowned back at him, sitting up out of his embrace. "But I made a promise. It's my job as the princess-"
Baltra interrupted, "Your job as the princess is to stay out of danger, not to run off and get yourself hurt."
Elizabeth slid off his lap to stand in front of him, setting Hawk down on the floor and crossing her arms. "My job is to do my duty to my people." She said carefully, as though it was something she'd been told many times. "Even if that means I get hurt."
Baltra looked as though he had more to say, but Elizabeth turned away from him before he could. She walked over to Diane and pulled herself up to sit on the armrest of the chair next to Meliodas.
The Holy Knight waved her whip again and the beetles dispersed.
"Are you ok?" Hawk yelled at Elizabeth. She knelt on the ground on all fours, unable to hold herself up due to her injuries.
"I'm fine." She said feebly, then turned to address the child. "You're ok? You're not hurt are you?"
The child looked at her, his gaze serious and without any trace of the fear that had been there before. "So, you would risk your life to save a poor boy like this one? That's quite commendable of you."
The bell rang in his crook as he grew to a size many times larger, towering over Elizabeth and revealing his true form as a Holy Knight. "However, reality can be rather cruel!"
The audience gasped in shock. Elizabeth looked up at Meliodas, he was staring at her and if she didn't know that he was such a brave warrior she would think he was afraid.
"That Holy Knight was the boy?! We're the victims of illusions?" Hawk rubbed his eye with his ear in shock.
Elizabeth stared up at the figure towering over her, "You did this. You're responsible for everything. Their behavior!"
He laughed cruelly, "The Seven Deadly Sins are nothing more than little playthings to me."
Elizabeth tugged weakly at his pants, "Turn them both back to normal, now!"
He lifted her to her feet by her hair, sneering at her. She gasped in pain and he rammed his knee into her stomach, letting the momentum throw her to the ground at his feet.
"Elizabeth!"
Meliodas pulled Elizabeth into his arms, burying his face in her hair. She patted him on the arm, "It's ok, Sir Meliodas."
"Thanks, Beth." He said, his small smile wavering.
Baltra leaned over, his elbows on his knees, his hands over his mouth. He felt sick at the sight of his youngest daughter's pain.
Hawk ran toward the Knight at full speed. "You Bastard!"
The Knight hit Hawk at full strength with his staff, causing Hawk to collapse next to Elizabeth.
"Hawk!"
Ban scooped Hawk up into his arms, "C'mere little Hawk."
Gowthor put his hand softly on Hawks head, patting him gently.
"As we speak the two Sins are engaged in battle and will be dead within moments."
Elizabeth struggled to her feet, wavering in place. "Turn them both...back to normal!" She said fiercely, her conviction unwavering.
Meliodas closed his eyes again, not wanting to see Elizabeth get hurt. If only he wasn't under a spell, he could help her.
The Holy Knight seemed to glare at her behind his mask. He swung his staff at her, hitting her across the face and sending her flying.
Baltra had started silently weeping.
Hawk yelled out, "Oh no, please, Elizabeth!"
Hawk looked close to tears as he huddled down in Ban's arms. King looked at him sadly.
"Wait a minute, Ruin." The Lady Knight stepped in from where she had been watching from the side. "Isn't killing the princess a bad idea."
He frowned, "Of course, I am well aware of that. Princess Elizabeth, out of respect for your bravery I will tell you something. The source of the hypnotic suggestion that I placed on them resides here on my staff-" He lifted it up only to find it empty. "Its gone!"
Elizabeth smiled from where she was laid out on the ground. She laughed weakly before spitting the small bell from her mouth. It jingled softly as it landed in the dirt.
"That's our Elizabeth!" King said, his optimism falling short in the face of what was on the screen. He closed his eyes, hiding his face in Gowthor's neck.
Gowthor ran his fingers through King's hair, trying to comfort him. He looked up at Meliodas for help but found him just as helpless as he held Elizabeth.
"You little bitch! That's what you were after the whole time! How dare you!" He ran at her, poised to attack. "Now you must pay for your insolence!" He threw a punch, only to find his hand stopped mere inches from her face.
Meliodas stood at her side, one hand clenched around Ruin's armoured forearm, holding it in place. "Not a chance. You're the one who's gonna pay now." Meliodas said, his grip tightening, forcing Ruin to raise his arm away from Elizabeth's face.
The audience seemed to deflate in relief. Baltra collapsed backwards, going limp.
"Oh thank the goddesses."
Gowthor started speaking softly to King, trying to comfort him. "Elizabeth will be perfectly alright, the Captain has arrived. He will make sure those Holy Knights are taken care of."
"The spell's been broken?"
Meliodas kneeled down in the dirt at Elizabeth's side, gently grasping her hand in his. "Elizabeth, you were so brave, now I see how far you'll go."
"We all see. You are truly worthy of your title, Princess Elizabeth."
"Ignoring me!" Ruin said angrily from the side, "he who strikes first, wins!" Ruin lept at Meliodas with a battle cry, hitting him with his staff, sending them both flying away from Elizabeth. He slammed Meliodas into the ground, creating a crater around where he was lying.
"Captain!"
The Sins looked over to Meliodas to see him comforting Elizabeth, he sent them a smile.
Meliodas wasn't too bothered by what was happening to him on the screen. As long as he was able to protect those he cared about, he didn't care if he got hurt in the process.
"Meliodas!" Hawk yelled.
Ruin laughed, picking up Meliodas from the ground with one large hand on his face.
Merlin and Ban tightened their hold on each other as King and Gowthor moved closer to them. Meliodas laid a hand on Diane's arm to try and comfort her.
"Pathetic, the kingdom actually felt threatened by this insignificant child?"
Meliodas opened his eyes, piercing Ruin with his gaze. With a single punch he sent Ruin flying far off, past Hawk and Elizabeth, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
"Oh no, Ruin!" The lady Knight yelled, before gasping in fear as she noticed Diane standing right behind her.
"Ooh, she better run. Diane doesn't mess around!" Ban laughed, glad that his teammates had gained the upper hand.
Ruin was flung so far he crashed into the walls of Baste Prison. The guards gasped and stepped back in surprise.
"What was that?"
"I think that was a man flying in."
Ruin stood up from the ground and found Meliodas right in front of him. Meliodas gave Ruin and uppercut sending him once more flying back into the wall of the prison, widening the hole he had made previously. Ruin stood up with his hands on his knees.
"Alright, this is more like it. Wouldn't you agree, Dragon Sin Meliodas?"
The guards looked even more shocked, "What? Is that guy the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins?"
Meliodas laughed slightly, "They're always surprised."
"Probably cause you're so short, Captain."
Meliodas stalked forward and gave Ruin a punch to the stomach, shattering his armor into pieces.
"Impossible...how could you have crushed my armor with a single blow? Well done indeed...is that what you expected me to say you fool?! This is nothing more than a thin outer shell. My flesh is my true armor, many times harder than steel! Now what-"
His boasting was cut off suddenly as Meliodas punched him in the stomach again, causing blood to spurt out from the holes in the mask.
Baltra was staring in shock, Meliodas' power level was almost incomprehensible.
Meliodas spoke solemnly, "I had no choice, because you hurt somebody who is precious to me." He stepped back, allowing Ruin to fall to his knees, and then to the ground. "And that, well that sin was yours."
Meliodas and Elizabeth shared a smile. Baltra was just glad that Elizabeth had managed to find someone who would take care of her.
"A Holy Knight, with one blow! Woah, it's really true. He must be one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Run!"
The scene shifted back to Ban and Jude in the prison hallway. "Would you like to know how it is you people were able to catch me five years ago?" Ban said, his posture nonchalant, though pain was evident in his voice. "Way back in those days, I was in the market for some pain. I wanted to wallow in suffering because I thought that might have made me feel I was alive."
Merlin and King each took one of Ban's hands, squeezing them. Gowthor rested his head on Ban's shoulder.
He reached up to grasp the spear that was sticking out of his chest. "But, I'm over that now. Your pain has become boring."
Jude stepped back in fear.
"If the Captain's alive that means all sorts of fun things are about to start happening. So there's no reason for me to continue hanging out in this boring dump of yours." Ban stepped closer to Jude holding the spearpoint to his armored chest.
"Wait, are you...going to try to overthrow the kingdom like you did ten years ago?"
"Overthrow the kingdom...I remember something about that."
"Try it again, I dare you." Jude said, though his voice shook with fear. "Every Holy Knight in the land would leap at the opportunity to engage in an all out war against you Sins!"
Ban pushed the spear through his chest and blood spurted from Jude's mouth.
"Sounds pretty nice." Ban laughed.
"Ban, you're crazy." Meliodas laughed fondly.
Ban just grinned at him.
The scene shifted back to the outskirts of the prison. Diane lifted her foot off of the crushed body of the lady Holy Knight, casually wiping the dust from her hands.
Hawk stood next to Elizabeth's prone form, "I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. If only I was strong like my mom."
Merlin placed a comforting hand on Hawk's head. "Do not fret little Hawk, you will grow."
Daine stepped closer, "She's pretty messed up. We've gotta get her back to town."
"Hold on, please." Elizabeth said quietly, opening her eyes slightly. "I want you to take me along with you. I wanna be there with you, Sir Meliodas, and Sir Ban."
"You can't do that! Not like this!" Hawk said, bouncing in place worriedly.
Elizabeth smiled, "You know...I made...a promise. That I would never stop fighting to protect the kingdom and it's people."
Diane frowned, "that can't happen now, sorry to say."
"Why not, Lady Diane?"
"It's Baste Prison. And the enemy is lined up there waiting for us now. You won't be able to do anything in the shape you're in."
"I suppose not. I admit, I don't have any great power. I can't go sword to sword with a Holy Knight, or handle myself well in battle. But even so, I've made up my mind to at least be there wit Sir Meliodas and you all. Because I must keep my promise."
Diane's stern facade seemed to soften as she looked down at Elizabeth, "you're not gonna cry?"
"No."
The Sins looked at Elizabeth with respect. Baltra frowned, he thought she should be taken to a doctor right away, but said nothing.
"Then I think my backpack is the best idea." Diane said as she swung it onto the ground, undoing the zipper. "But it'll be bumpy, and it might affect your injuries in a bad way. You sure about this?"
"I am." Elizabeth smiled.
Hawk turned around when he noticed the man who had pretended to be the boy's father attempting to sneak off. "Hey you!" He ran and got in front of the man. "You're a soldier from Baste Prison, right?!"
"No! That Holy Knight forced me to come here!"
"But you know where they're holding the Sin and the doctor's daughter! You better tell me before I have to get rough!"
"You tell him, Hawk!" Ban laughed.
The man stepped back in fear, "wait, those Holy Knights mean business! If I tell you want you have no idea what they could do-"
Diane stepped up behind him, holding the body of the Holy Knight in one hand. "Here's a question for you, would you rather have this done to you at the hands of the Holy Knights, or by us?"
He smiled at her nervously.
Later at Baste Prison, Meliodas stood looking up at the high walls. "Are you sure he's in this tower?"
Diane stood next to him, her backpack open to show Elizabeth, resting. "Well let's just say he didn't strike me as the kind of soldier who'd be willing to lie to my cute little face."
"Well who would?" Meliodas smiled at her. Then he looked down at Elizabeth, "You'll be ok. I promise."
Baltra thought about promises, they made life difficult.
As they walked into the prison Diane remarked, "so weird, this whole place looks totally deserted!"
"I guess my knocking that Holy Knight airborne put 'em off a bit."
"Talk about wimps." Hawk said, as he trotted alongside the two.
From the outside a guard remarked, "It looks like they've gone inside. What do we do now, Sir Golgius?"
"I must admit that I am impressed, but the great strength that they've shown will soon come to an end with an agonizing death!" He raised his hand, showing a small ball between his fingers.
"Sir, is that a spell bead?!"
Merlin raised an eyebrow, "A spell bead? Those are pretty rare. It makes me wonder where he got it."
"Well, he's clearly pretty serious about trapping us."
"Not that a simple spell bead could do much good against any of us, especially the Captain." Diane laughed.
Golgius smashed it on the ground and a blue cloud of smoke quickly rose and covered the entire prison, shimmering.
"What is that?"
"A magic quarantine barrier. An indestructible eternal sealing spell. So powerful they couldn't break it with ten Tyrant Dragons!" Golgius laughed. "The Sins will wither away to nothing inside this eternally locked cage."
King smirked, "Doubt it."
Back inside the prison, the group had found the Doctor's daughter, locked in a cell. "This is her, without a doubt. The doctor's daughter." Hawk said.
"Then let's get her out. Got room in your backpack for another one?" Meliodas called to Diane.
"Yup."
Diane ripped the cell door from the wall with one hand.
Later the doctor's daughter lay curled up next to Elizabeth.
"Actually it looks pretty cozy in there. You carry around a lot of blankets, Diane?" King asked.
"For someone who flies around on a giant pillow, you ask a lot of questions." Diane said teasingly.
King stuck his tongue out at her.
"You sure she's ok?"
"Yeah." Diane said as she did the straps on the bag. "I think she's gonna be just fine."
They turned as they heard footsteps behind them. A man walked out of the shadows.
"Ban?"
"Hey, Captain."
The two Sins stared at each other, unblinking. Their faces were serious.
Hawk looked between them in confusion. "They both seem upset, what's going on? I've got a bad feeling about this." He backed up to stand next to Diane, who was reclining on the hallway floor.
"You're right. I think you wanna get behind me and hide there." Diane said, nonchalantly. Hawk squeaked.
The Sins laughed, knowing what was coming. Ban and Meliodas had a habit of greeting each other that was...uncommon among others.
Suddenly Meliodas threw his arms in the air, exclaiming joyously, "Ban!"
"Captain!" Ban raised his arms in joy as well. They ran to each other, shouting and laughing.
Ban suddenly swung out at Meliodas, sending him flying through the hallway wall. "Captain!" Ban stood and waved his arms, jumping around. "My turn, me next!"
Meliodas got to his feet, lunging and hitting Ban in the stomach, sending Ban flying through walls on the other side of the hallway.
"Do I even wanna know?" Hawk said, despairingly.
Merlin smirked, "it's just those two being fools."
Ban and Meliodas gasped in mock-hurt.
"Just roll with it." Diane sighed. She rested her chin on one hand.
Meliodas and Ban laughed loudly as the prison shook around them, dust falling from the ceiling.
"So great! I thought you might'a gotten soft on me." Ban said.
"You still got it." Meliodas laughed, brushing some dust off his sleeve. The two grasped hands and dropped down to the floor.
"Ready?"
"Go!"
They started to arm wrestle. A shockwave exploded out from them, shaking the prison walls around them.
Hawk looked around in fear. "What's happening?"
Baltra glanced around in shock, "are they always like this?"
"Yup."
"Those two have been like this as long as I've known them." Diane said, completely relaxed.
"They've been like what?" Hawk asked, still panicking.
"Just typical boys, so immature."
Merlin laughed, "indeed."
Ban turned to her in fake hurt, "Well, now your true feelings are revealed!" He turned to a laughing Diane. "Don't think I forgot about you either, Diane."
She stuck her tongue out at him, still laughing.
Ban and Meliodas were still arm wrestling, seemingly evenly matched.
"720 times." Ban said. "If I recall correctly, and I do, I've beat you 361 of 'em."
"Ohohoh really now?" Ban said, leaning forward to grin at Meliodas.
"You must'a lost your mind!" Meliodas said. "I've beat you 361 times."
"Well, which is it?" Merlin said, raising an eyebrow as she glanced between Meliodas and Ban.
"How should I know?" Meliodas said, though he grinned at her.
The floor of the prison collapsed, sending everyone falling. Meliodas and Ban still gripped each other's hand. Diane looked at them with a smile, "The Captain is so cute when he gets all worked up like that."
Diane blushed as everyone turned to look at her. "What?" She said defensively.
"Nothin," Meliodas said, a strange look in his eye. "You think I'm cute?"
"Everyone thinks your cute." Ban said, teasingly. "Right, Gowthor?"
Gowthor blinked, his eyes widening in surprise at being addressed, his grip on King's waist tightening. He made eye contact with King and noticed the hurt in King's eyes. "If you insist." He said quietly.
King stared into Gowthor's eyes, blushing at the concern he saw there. He smiled at Gowthor fondly. "Yeah...cute." He said, only half listening to the conversation.
Meliodas tilted his head as he studied his Sins. He was glad that they were all getting closer to each other, though he wasn't sure he appreciated the events that had led to it, and he still hadn't figured out who was behind bringing them all to this theatre. He was glad that his Sins were supporting and caring for each other.
"Well, thanks. You guys are pretty cute too."
"Yeah, we know." Diane said, smiling at him. They laughed.
Hawk got down to sit under the table again, "Well we all know I'm adorable." he said.
Elizabeth giggled and slid out of Meliodas' lap to join him. "Yes, you are very cute and nice, Hawk." she said.
He snuggled up to her. "You're so nice, Elizabeth."
"I don't think this is the time for that!" Hawk yelled as he fell.
Outside the Holy Knights gasped as the prison collapsed and the barrier was broken.
Baltra watched in shock, the Sins had broken an impenetrable barrier without even trying. They hadn't even known it was there. He was suddenly very glad that Meliodas and his Sins worked for him, instead of against him.
"The Sins, just how much power do they actually control?" Jericho said, horror and awe dawning on her face.
"Run away!"
The knights left, screaming in fear.
The audience burst into laughter.
Back in town, the Doctor's daughter was reuniting with her father. She hugged him as he lay in bed, seemingly fully recovered from his injury.
"Father, I was so scared."
"Wait...wasn't he like, dead?" King said, staring at the screen in confusion.
"I have no idea."
"Great, thanks."
"My sweet little girl, I'm so glad you're ok." The doctor said, holding her close.
Hawk and Meliodas walked into the room, looking at the doctor in surprise.
"What? You're back from the dead?!" Hawk exclaimed.
"Look at this," the doctor sat up, showing a fully healed scar running the length of his chest.
"Woah, that healed fast."
"Yes," Merlin said, "I wonder what caused that to happen, he was at death's door."
"Wow," Hawk said softly, "It's just like what happened with Meliodas' wound."
"Is that true?" the doctor asked, putting on his shirt. "Though I'm a doctor, I'm ashamed to say I have no idea how I'm still alive right now."
"Bottom line is you are alive. I'd say just take the win." Meliodas shrugged. "Well, we oughta be going. Besides, there's no telling how many more Holy Knights will be coming to town when they hear the news."
"Meliodas, will you let me do something to say thank you? Even if it's something as simple as a meal."
"Ooh, he could heal Elizabeth."
"Yeah, as long as he doesn't try to poison her."
"Yes, as long as that doesn't happen." Merlin said, laughing softly.
"Well maybe I'll take you up on that." Meliodas said, smiling.
"Leave out the poison this time." Hawk said dryly. Meliodas nudged him.
Later Elizabeth lay sleeping in a bed, her injuries all patched up.
"How's Elizabeth doing, Diane?" Meliodas asked.
"She's resting comfortably." Diane said. She was kneeling outside Elizabeth's window.
"That's good."
"But why is she sleeping in your room, Meliodas?" Hawk asked.
Baltra leaned forward at Hawks words, worried despite having seen no evidence on Meliodas taking advantage of his daughter.
"I thought Elizabeth's room was up on the third floor."
"Yeah, about that. Ban completely took over her bed. He said he laid claim to her room, and that now it's his."
The Sins burst out laughing. "Nice Ban, real classy."
"No one ever accused me of being classy." Ban said, but he was laughing as well.
"What's Elizabeth supposed to do for a bed then?" Hawk asked.
"Well she could just share with me, we can get another bed to put in there."
"That's true," Hawk said. "Those are the only rooms so it's not much of a choice."
Up in Meliodas' room Elizabeth had woken up. "What happened?"
"Don't worry," Diane said to her through the window. "We found the two of them and brought them back to the town in one piece. Everybody else is ok too."
"Oh, thank goodness. What a relief." Elizabeth said, her eyes beginning to water.
Elizabeth folded her arms, scrunching up her nose and glaring at the screen. "I cry way too much."
"Nonsense, it shows that you care."
"Yeah, Elizabeth! We can always count on you to be nice to all of us." Hawk said, crawling up on her lap. She smiled down at him.
"Now you're crying, huh." Diane said, but her voice was soft and kind.
"Yeah, I guess I am." Elizabeth replied softly, wiping away a tear.
Later, Ban and Meliodas sat by Elizabeth's bed. "Alright, Elizabeth, time for me to officially introduce you. This is Ban, he's the Fox Sin of Greed."
"Hey, don't bother gettin' up."
Meliodas turned to him in surprise, "Woah, where'd you get that suit?"
"I can't very well parade around naked in front of a princess." Ban said.
"I'm sure that's not what he meant." King said, rolling his eyes.
Ban smiled softly at him. "Well if you're sure."
King rolled his eyes, but squeezed Ban's hand.
"How did you buy clothes without any money?" Meliodas asked.
"I kinda stumbled across them, it was a total fluke!"
Ban was shown walking around town in just his prison uniform pants, then he spotted a guy wearing a fancy red jacket with matching pants walking in the other direction.
"Oh, so you stole them." Diane said teasingly.
Ban laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender.
Back at the bar Ban had turned to Diane. "So Diane, haven't seen you in a while."
She turned her head away from him, "I'd have been perfectly happy to go a hundred years without seeing you again."
"Ouch." Ban muttered, for a second hurt flashed across his face before he covered it up.
"Wow." Meliodas said, glancing between the two. "Something happen between you guys that I don't know about?"
"No." Diane said definitively. "And for the record, I don't think I could go a week without seeing you." She said to Ban. "Or any of you really."
Ban smiled back at her, tension fading from his shoulders as he relaxed back into the couch.
"I'm Elizabeth. Please forgive me for not rising to greet you."
"Well Your Highness, no worries at all. We're not big on ceremonies." He bowed to her. "So let's just be friends, the four of us."
"You mean the five of us." Hawk said from behind him.
"Who said that?" He said, straightening up.
"I did."
Ban lept back, his eyes wide with surprise. "There's a talking pig here!"
The audience was laughing, "You didn't see him before?"
"I was sleeping? I guess?" Ban laughed.
"Hold on, that's it. You're King right?"
"What?!" King hit Ban on the arm, "Why would I be a pig?"
Ban kept laughing, raising his arm to fend off Kings attacks, "I don't know!"
"You were cursed and turned into a pig!"
"Guess again." Diane said.
"I heard that King's dead. At least that's the rumor."
The humor disappeared from the room, leaving the audience in tense silence. The Sins inching closer to King. Meliodas moved from the armrest of Diane's chair to the armrest of the couch next to King, grabbing the hand that wasn't holding Ban's.
"I warn you now, I'm no ordinary pig." Hawk said to Ban. "I'm Sir Hawk, Captain of the Order of Scraps Disposal!"
"Wow!" Ban said in genuine amazement. "I've never heard of that order before!"
The Doctor and his daughter entered, bringing plates of food that they piled on a table. "Are you finished with the introductions? Come you need to eat up, before your dinner gets cold."
Hawk gasped turning around.
"I'm there!"
"Hey, don't start without us, Captain!"
"All scraps are property of the Order of Scraps Disposal!"
The doctor's daughter brought a plate of food over to Elizabeth and Diane. "And here's yours, you two. Does it bother you to stand here by yourself?" She asked Diane.
"Oh no, I'm just happy for a chance to be able to eat with everybody for a change." Diane said.
"Does it...bother you a lot?" Ban asked, looking guilty for not having thought about it earlier.
"A little, but you guys have always been pretty accepting about helping me work out solutions." She smiled at him.
He smiled back, starting to blush lightly.
Later after the dinner, Ban lay draped across Hawk's back, his legs dragging on the ground as Hawk struggled to walk under his weight. "C'mon, don't hold out on me. Please...teach me what you know Master." He was clearly drunk.
"Drunk Ban is so fun." Merlin said, running her hand through Ban's hair.
He blushed and ducked away, laughing a little. The other Sins laughed in agreement.
"Someone please get this guy off my back."
"Ban, try not to overdo it ok?" Diane asked.
Elizabeth turned her head, "I kinda wish that this could go on forever, but I guess that's not in the cards for us is it."
"It looks fun." Elizabeth said, peeking out at them from under the table.
"Yeah, and delicious. I'm hungry."
"When aren't you?"
"Hey, Princess?" Diane asked, "I don't know much about humans, or the customs most humans have. And I'm not that interested…"
"But…"
"But I'm ok with the idea of fighting for you though. Cause honestly, you were pretty badass today."
"She totally was, future me is right."
Elizabeth giggled, running over to her to give her as much of a hug as she could, and sitting up next to her on the armrest of the giant sized chair.
"Who me? I didn't do anything." Elizabeth said.
"You've got a really strong power, y'know. The power to move the hearts of both me, and the Captain."
"And anyone who meets her."
"Yup, that's our Elizabeth."
"By the way, Princess? Would it be alright if I called you Elizabeth?"
"Yes!"
"Then don't worry about being formal with me either, ok?"
"Alright."
A shooting star shot across the sky, catching the attention of the doctor's daughter. "Father, see that?"
"Remarkable." He replied, "It's like a passage from one of Britannia's old fables."
Many more shooting stars followed the first, almost covering the sky.
"When shooting stars fill the night sky in the form of crosses, Britannia will face her darkest hour." The doctor recited.
"Well that sounds great."
"This is a trial, preordained since ancient times. And it will herald the beginning of a Holy War begin the guiding hands of the light and the bloodline of darkness."
"Oh, even better."
Somewhere in a run down old house Gilthunder stood talking to King. "Meliodas, Diane, and Ban have come together."
"Hmmm," King said, "I've wondered why they've finally decided to take action."
The Sins laughed. "Yeah, whatever could have caused it."
"Be careful not to betray the great trust I've placed in you." Gilthunder said.
"Ooh, King's got a secret mission." Diane sang.
"Yeah, working with the enemy." Ban hissed teasingly, winking at King.
Meliodas laughed, "Little Gill's not the enemy."
"If you say so, Captain."