Prologue – 3,000 years ago

'Brown clashed with Black. Red met with Blond. Sword with Sword. Light vs Darkness. Angel vs Demon.'

That was always the beginning of the story many had told, and many had grown up hearing it. Some believed that it had happened. That the war that almost brought the destruction of the earth had taken place then. That the meeting of these too was supposed to happen. 'Destiny', they called it. Others... speculated that it was only a bedtime story. They didn't believe in fairy tales, or destiny, or magic... Of course, after you, the reader, finish reading it … Well, it's your choice whether you believe or not. But since this is the first time the story has been ordered to be written, we are going to change a little the beginning, to what actually happened.

You see, it happened 3,000 years ago on a clearing. There, a lone young woman was training with her sword. She was wearing a knee-length, A-line, grey dress and unfastened white robes with white open-toed sandals. Her flaming red hair were pulled into a braid, wet bangs resting on her forehead, strands falling on her face and sticking on it when they mixed with the sweat. Her flushed red cheeks made her look younger than the 20 years she appeared to be. Of course, she was older than that. Much older. She had a white mark on her right collarbone; it resembled a white, glowing flower petal. The wind that was blowing occasionally, gave her a slight relief at the warm temperature her body was in. The sun was slowly setting behind her, making her look like an ethereal being, 'dancing' in the light of the setting sun. She was … breath-taking.

And that's exactly what the person hiding behind a nearby tree noticed. He had been captivated by her movements, by the way she was controlling her breathing, by the way she was 'dancing' with a sword, eyes closed, and her mark shining in the visible sun's light. He couldn't look away, and he didn't want to. He also didn't want to make any noise and alert her to his presence; she surely would try to kill him. And that would be a pity if she did, because he is the other protagonist of this story.

"Brother?" the boy heard a whisper next to him and jumped slightly. He turned towards his younger brother who was looking at the girl training in confusion, "what is the meaning of this?" he asked his older brother. The latter turned towards the girl and sighed, "let's go. I will inform you on the way back." And with one lingering look towards the girl, he turned his back on her and followed his younger brother out of the forest.

The girl stopped abruptly as soon as the boys vanished from behind the tree and she opened her eyes and looked around, her gaze sharp and suspicious. She hadn't felt the scene change while she was training. Did it mean that there was someone hiding in the trees before she got there? 'But that would be impossible,' she thought to herself, 'I came here five hours ago.' You can see why that would confuse the girl. If there was someone hiding at the trees closest to where the girl was training, what were they doing there?

"Mi! Have you finished?" a newcomer's voice broke her train of thought and she turned around and looked down at the small shallow cliff. The newcomer was a young girl, no more that 16, or as I mentioned earlier, was older than 16 but looked like one. She was wearing the same outfit the red-head girl was wearing, with the exception being the colour; the younger girl was wearing an all-white outfit. It matched her silver hair perfectly. The red head sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm.

"Just finished, Liz," she called down at the other girl and strapped the leather belt with the sword case around her body and placed the sword back into its case on her back. She pulled her hair free of the braid and made her way down the shallow cliff.

"Mother was asking about you," Liz, the younger girl, said hesitantly as soon as the older, Mi, fell into step next to her. She didn't want to upset her older sister, but she had come for that reason, before their mother had asked for Mi.

"I am sure of it," Mi replied and sighed, "she wants to hear about my training. I meet with Lebius every morning and I train by myself every afternoon. Yet … she is not satisfied," Mi continued quietly and shook her head. She was so tired of her mother's behaviour towards her. And some days … were harder than others.

"Mi, you are doing your best. I am sure mother understands …" Liz trailed off when she saw tears gathering in Mi's eyes and pulled at her sister's hand. They stopped and Liz hugged Mi tightly. She understood what pressure her older sister was under.

As the older daughter of the Supreme Deity, Mi was the next in line to rule. And their mother wanted her firstborn to be a strong warrior. Strong enough to wipe out the Demon Clan. Strong enough to ensure the Goddess Clan was the strongest power of the five clans. That's why she had bestowed upon her a power than none of the other Clans had. It was a blessing and a curse. The two sisters had fought non-stop these years, every time the Supreme Deity decided to attack, or the Demon King was bored and decided to start a war … The two Clans were killing each other without mercy. Mi and Liz, being the daughters of the Supreme Deity, were expected to act like their titles. They became feared warriors and were dreaded by the Demon Clan for their combat skills. The Demons had given them the nickname 'Bloodstained Twins'. And they loathed every word. Mi, being the oldest, was more feared than Liz or the Four Archangels, simply because no one could see her attack, and they couldn't explain why they, occasionally, would feel pain without being injured. The oldest daughter wanted this mock war to stop. She wanted her mother and the Demon King to stop their silly bickering, trying to show who was the strongest, and to stop ending so many lives like that.

"I am so tired of this stupid war between them," Mi sighed and pulled back. She wiped her tears away and began walking again.

"I am too, sister. But now that we have temporary peace we can breathe again. Even if it doesn't last," Liz said and followed her older sister.

"Yes," Mi seemed to agree with Liz, but her mind was thinking something else. She would do anything, you see, to stop her nightmares. To stop Liz's nightmares. To bring peace to the place they called 'home'. To save it. And save its inhabitants as well. It didn't matter if they were of the Fairies' Clan, or the Giants' Clan, or the Humans' Clan, or the Demons'. She simply wanted … peace.

(2,980 Years After)

Nothing felt better than laying on a soft blanket and the sun shining bright in the blue sky. I sighed, content with my life until now. It was a very beautiful day, and I was blissful that I was not working. I opened my eyes when I felt the wind blowing and I smiled at the sight of flower petals dancing in the air, moving gracefully and without a care in the world. I felt arms tightening around me and bring me closer to a warm, hard chest. The move did not bring me closer, simply because there was no distance between us. I looked down and saw strong legs on either side of me, arms wrapped tightly around my chest, and chin resting on my shoulder. He had his face stashed in my neck as if he wanted to disappear from the world. His warm breath was making me shiver and tilt my head to the side to grant him more access, and I sighed shakily as the tip of his nose softly traced my neck. It was still a mystery to me how, after four years together, he still made me act like my sixteen-year-old self. And he was still acting like the sixteen-year-old he had been.

I expected that after some time, the passion and the electricity that seemed to run between us would fade but … as the years passed … it only intensified. It filled me with such warmth and giddiness every time I thought about the memories we had created, the home and the relationship … I prayed every night that it would last forever. But I was ready to fight as well, if someone threatened to take it away from me.

"I can hear you thinking," he murmured, his nose now touching my ear and I shivered. I hit softly his hand and licked my lips... It was scary; how sometimes we could 'hear' the other's thoughts. I had decided that it was because of the time we had spent together. These past four years we weren't separated for more than four days … And those felt like torture. We needed each other; our souls needed each other.

"I am simply … commenting about this day so far," I responded and brought my hand to his head, my fingers playing gently with his soft waves. I squealed and giggled when I found myself on my back on the blanket and him on top of me, his weigh being held by his elbows. I giggled again when he started kissing my neck and tried to stop him. He anchored my hands between us, and he rested his chin on my palms. He had a grin on his boyish face, his green eyes dancing in carefree happiness and his hand was now cupping my cheek, his thumb caressing the flaming flesh. I tilted my head to the side to study him and he did the same.

"Stop doing that," I scolded him with a smile and smirked.

"Do what?" he asked and groped my left boob. I blushed and tried to hit him, but he only laughed and let his body crash into mine.

"Oof! Meliodas, you're heavy!" I whined and squirmed, trying to make him get off me.

"If you don't stop squirming, I won't be held responsible for my actions," he whispered in my ear and I gasped, my body frozen at his words. Would he do that, you ask. Yes, of course he would. We were in a cliff, alone, and away from the city. He would have done the same thing he used to do in the backyard of our home. He was not shy about what he craved, and that made me want him more.

He pulled back and looked at me, the smile back on his face. He sighed and then let his forehead touch mine and closed his eyes. "Promise me, Marianne," he whispered again, and I nodded, arms wrapping around him and fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I promise, Meliodas," I replied, not really knowing what that promise meant.

It happened one afternoon two years ago. I had the day off and had decided to go for a picnic to our cliff. He was supposed to have the day off as well, but being the Leader of the Holy Knights meant that he would have to report to the King in times of need. And he had left with some Holy Knights to investigate an attack on their borders by some bandits. We were both very dedicated to our team and to the King, both of us being Holy Knights. We had joined four years ago, and now … Meliodas was the Leader and I, his assistant. They had said that I wasn't required for this mission and since I had the day off, I should enjoy it. I had fallen asleep there, under a tree, and was woken when Meliodas was shaking me violently. He was in a complete state of panic; his eyes wide and wild, his whole body shaking as he hugged me. He had pulled back and had looked serious, 'promise me, Marianne,' he had whispered, and I had nodded. I didn't know what else to do. It was the first time seeing him like that; so serious and desperate. But I would make that promise a thousand times if it brought him peace.

I really didn't know what was about to happen. How could I?