A/N: This is the final chapter everyone! (Thirteen is a VERY unlucky number but oh well...). This chapter was written up for weeks before I got it out because I wanted to post the epilogue with it. So yeah... an explanation for that will be with the next chapter. A very exasperated one shall we say.

I won't say much as there's next chapter for an author's note. But I WILL mention we have freaking DRAGON Meliodas in this chapter. Yeah I squealed while writing some scenes in this chapter.

Anyway, till next chapter,

Drama :D

Chapter Thirteen: Shooting Stars

If there was anything Elizabeth wasn't, then it was a damsel in distress. Even if Meliodas was risking his life to protect her, perpetuating the stereotype of ladies like her being a damsel in distress, she wasn't going to sit back and let him take all the risk. Not at all. That wasn't her style and would never be her style; Elizabeth had dragged herself to the barren Wastes to fix her curse for that very reason. This situation wasn't any different.

Not long after she had burst out of the main building, the mass of blob men had turned their attention back to Elizabeth. Crawling in the doorway, some of them dripping off the walls of the building, they were still determined to put up a decent fight.

Well, so was she. Huffing at the sight, the way two of the blob men - conjoined at the hip - tried to amble towards her, Elizabeth decided not to give them the slightest time of day. Instead, she simply turned on her heel, picked up the skirts of her dress and rushed back inside. As she closed the front door, let the blob men pound against its wooden surface, she noticed the feathers scattered at her feet, ashen or dirtied. Her feathers. Her wings.

Had they come back?

Shaking her head, Elizabeth tried to eradicate all thoughts about her possible condition. Right now she had to focus on what was currently going on, the shaking door and the danger Meliodas was placing himself in. Everything else - every other development - could wait until later on to be understood. Especially if that development was her wings suddenly coming back after all this time she'd spent being cursed.

Reaching for the doorknob, Elizabeth easily twisted it. One twist switched the door to the red dial. Another twist went to black. One final twist landed on green, the planned destination she had in mind. Arguably, it was the safest place for them all to be while she tried to figure out what action she should take next; plus Meliodas wouldn't be able to meddle if he did find out about what she was planning to do.

Pulling the door open, Elizabeth peered outside. Cool air, gentle rain, kissed her cheeks as she popped her head outside. Mist tried to pour into the building from the exterior, light and so different from the clinging smoke of the bombs and their damage. Only silence and the pitter-patter of raindrops filled the background of this location; only calmness and tranquility dared to bloom within the peaceful confines of the Wastes and its rolling green hills.

Stepping outside, Elizabeth let herself get wet in the rain, savoured the cooling effect of the drops and their misty veil. Clinging to her forehead, she could feel the familiar weight of her fringe sticking to her skin. Equally, her shoulders drooped from the tug of extra muscle and cartilage getting soaked from the rain. Subconsciously, it confirmed her suspicions about her wings; that had never happened to her while she was cursed.

"It really is horrible," Staring out into the distance, the bright red that stained the otherwise blue skyline, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel her heart clench. This was Danafor all over again. This was the loss of a country, a nation, all over again. And Meliodas was out in the middle of it, trying to protect her and everyone else when really it was like fighting an uphill battle. Then she noticed the gleam of the warship.

"That's where we are at the shop..." Squinting at the skyline, the mass of bright metal that signaled their location, Elizabeth couldn't help but frown. All of her body was leaning toward the horizon, balancing on her tiptoes and stretched out wings.

Everything happened so quickly: a bright burst of flame, dozens of dark figures swarming and scuttling over the warship, shimmery dragon's scales shifting as a large claw swept at its assailants. Meliodas was being attacked. Clear as day, surrounded by dozens of wizards, Meliodas was vastly outnumbered and being attacked at all sides. All while the warship was failing, bursting into flame and sinking to the ground.

"Meliodas, look out!" She couldn't help herself. Squeezing her eyes shut, balling her hands within her dress, Elizabeth yelled her lungs empty, screamed her throat hoarse.

But, of course, he couldn't hear her. They were too far away, him in the town and her all the way out in the Wastes. There was no way for him to know that she was watching in that moment, crying out in that moment. Everyone else knew, though. Rushing out into the cold night air, concern etched onto their features, Merlin and Zeldris were both filled with panic as they stepped out into the rain. Joining them was Turnip Head, looking quite confused.

"Is everything ok out here?" Looking around frantically, pulling a sword from his weird bag, Zeldris burst into action, "Are you ok, Elizabeth?" Then, when no threat was spotted, he visibly relaxed, "Oh, hey Turnip Head. Did you scare, Elizabeth?"

"No, he didn't," Merlin answered for her, highly observant. Pensive, the little girl pursed her lips as she joined Elizabeth at the edge of the moor, staring at the flaring red skyline and the distant air raid continuing on without them. "It's the town. She's worried about him, worried about what he's doing out there."

For a moment, no-one spoke a word. Staring at the angry skyline, the growing mass of dark smoke, they were simply absorbing the result of human conflict, the true consequences of starting such a wide-scale war.

Only, Elizabeth wouldn't let this war affect her in the same ways the war in Danafor did. This time she wouldn't let a war steal away her happiness, steal away her family, steal away her home. War would not be the thing to launch her into deep despair, make her need to start her life over again in a new country with new laws and new customs and new people. Survival wouldn't simply mean being lucky enough to escape the war; survival would mean walking out of this, with everyone she cared about.

Mind settled on a plan, Elizabeth turned away from the ominous skyline and ran back toward the castle. Never before had she felt such an urgency to her actions, legs pumping and hands scrunched tightly around her skirt, as she crossed the threshold of the front door.

"I need you guys to help!" Echoing, Elizabeth's voice sounded strange to her ears as she bounded up the steps two at a time. Behind her, her wings fluttered with each step, helping to lift her weight much faster than simple jumping would do. "Come on!"

Silently, they must have followed her request. Although no words were uttered, Elizabeth could hear the rushed pattering of Merlin following her up the steps. Not too far behind, she could hear the heavy footsteps of Zeldris lumbering upstairs, bypassing the fireplace and heading directly for his own room. No doubt he believed he had something that might be handy for Elizabeth's plan; he did know more about this kind of stuff than she did.

Grabbing her old red scarf - the ancient thing she hadn't worn ever since she'd first trekked to the Wastes - Elizabeth wasted no time in getting Merlin prepped for the rain outside. They would be outside for a long time and she didn't want Merlin catching a terrible cold. Carefully, the goddess wrapped the material around the girl's head and shoulders, securing the make-shift headscarf with a loose knot. Then she instructed Merlin to head outside and wait for her with Turnip Head.

Not too long after, Zeldris also appeared downstairs with a thick jacket and bigger bag. On his back with a sheathed sword, heavy-looking and large compared to his slight size and stature. Nevertheless, he effortlessly carried the weapon with him, barely seeming to break a sweat as he rushed down the stairs and into the main room downstairs.

"We all need to get outside," Slipping on her own jacket - the one Turnip Head had generously found for her out in the Wastes - Elizabeth wore a serious look on her face as she glanced at Zeldris and then at Hawk. They would probably be the most vocal in voicing their disagreement to her plan. "Including you, Hawk."

"I'm telling you it's impossible to take me outside," Snorting out steam, Hawk seemed to shake his head as he grabbed a fresh log from his fuel pile. Chomping down on the wood, making its bark glow a molten gold, the fire added between bites, "Only Meliodas can do that."

"He's not lying," Zeldris agreed, leaning on a nearby wall.

"Well we have to try!" Elizabeth protested, in complete disbelief that they would both dismiss her plan so easily. Especially since this was the only realistic way to get Meliodas' attention, to prevent him from dying out there in that brutal warzone. "If we're still connected to the shop, then Meliodas will keep trying to protect it. We have to sever that connection," Walking up to Hawk, grabbing the fireplace's shovel, Elizabeth sighed, "Honestly, I preferred when he was more selfish."

"We can't do that," Hawk was now shaking his head even more, panic seeming to fill his beady eyes, "If we do that, then we'll be way more vulnerable!"

"We're already vulnerable," Elizabeth fired back, folding her arms across her chest, "And if we don't move quick Meliodas won't stand a chance. Do you want him to die, Hawk?"

Die. None of them had said it out loud yet, fully realised what was at stake here. Meliodas could die - he was almost certified to die out there. All by himself, against the forces from the royal army as well as the opposing army, he wouldn't stand much of a chance. No matter how much power he had, no matter how much luck he had, death was almost certain. More than likely. But none of them had wanted to voice it yet. Not Hawk. Not Zeldris. Not Elizabeth.

But now it was out there, it had been said.

Staring at Hawk, watching how his flames quivered, Elizabeth knew that she had struck a chord. Meliodas dying had always been a big deal for the fire demon - their lives were supposedly interlinked. So that meant, deep down, Hawk knew that Meliodas' sacrifice could lead to his own death. If Meliodas died, then Hawk would die too.

"They're about to bomb the shop!" Running inside from the cold rain, Merlin's pale face was flushed a bright red. Harshly, her chest rose and fell, suggesting that she had bolted as fast as she could to deliver the news.

"You grab Hawk, I'll sort them out," Taking leave from the conversation, Zeldris sent Elizabeth a small nod as he pushed off the wall and headed toward the front steps. Within moments he was pushing Merlin back outside, ignoring her little remarks about Elizabeth needing to get out first and how he shouldn't be pushing a little girl like her so roughly.

"That's one less thing to worry about," Releasing a gentle sigh, Elizabeth felt some of her nerves soothe. Some. Immediately, the full-scale panic and worry kicked back in as soon as she turned back to Hawk, noticed how the fire was still trying to remain inside the castle. Shoving the black iron shovel closer to the fire, Elizabeth tried to sound commanding as she said, "You hop on, you're coming with us."

"No-one but Meliodas can take me out of this hearth," Repeating the same message, Hawk remained fixed to his post. Stubborn. But Elizabeth didn't have the patience for such a pointless back and forth - not when there was so much more at stake.

"There's no time to lose, Hawk," Dipping the shovel into the burning wood pile, Elizabeth pursed her lips, "We have to try something."

All Hawk could do was watch, wide-eyed, as Elizabeth scooped him out of the fireplace. Both hands were wrapped around the shovel as Hawk began to squeal, phrases like 'crazy lady' and 'watch out' escaping his mouth as Elizabeth steered them both toward the front door, toward the freezing cold wetness of the awaiting Wastes. At some point Hawk even threatened that the castle could collapse, and Elizabeth simply yelled "good" in response.

All of those things happening were better than Meliodas dying out there. Losing the castle, watching material objects be destroyed, was much more bearable than seeing - knowing - that a real person was going to die.

"Alright, we're ready out here!" Zeldris' voice was surprisingly easy to hear from outside, rising over the sound of rainfall and the rush of blood in Elizabeth's ears.

As soon as he said those words, Elizabeth prepared herself to take a step outside, to remove Hawk from the castle that had done so much for her in these past few weeks. Carefully, the goddess stepped down the last few steps toward the front door. Soon she could feel the chill of the Waste's air against her legs, the cool draft of rainfall wetting her face. Hawk also seemed to be feeling these thing as he quivered a little.

"Make sure I go out last, Elizabeth," Staring up at her, pleading with her, Hawk genuinely looked concerned as he added, "I don't know what will happen after I leave this place. Make sure I leave last."

Listening to his advice, Elizabeth made sure to turn once she reached level ground. Walking slowly, so she wouldn't trip and drop Hawk on the ground, Elizabeth eased herself out of the doorway. Then, slowly, the handle of the shovel followed, inch by inch, until Hawk was also past the threshold, uncovered from the wind and rain that threatened to put out his bright flame.

Only, that wasn't Elizabeth's top concern; right before her eyes, she watched as the doorway seemed to move, the front steps and glowing fireplace appearing to be a lot more distant than it had originally been. Then, suddenly, everything swirled inwards. Sucking into a vortex, twisting together into a dark swirl that only had a dot of light at its very centre, the entire castle was curling in on itself, becoming a single point.

And, abruptly, everything collapsed.

Walls bent inwards. Ceiling supports cracked and buckled under the weight of upper floors crashing through their wooden beams. Glass sprayed in every direction, cutting Elizabeth's cheek and pinging as it bounced off metal beams. Roof shingles slid and cracked against the ground. Shards of wood splintered and rooted themselves into the ground. Even the chimneys fell, like great oak trees being cut down, their structures hitting the ground with a rumbling thud.

"I told you it would collapse!" Steam curling from his nose, Hawk did not seem impressed. At all. But then he began to hiss - well, his body did as the rain attacked him. "Rain! Rain! Quick, cover me!"

Ignoring Hawk's complaints, Elizabeth focused on the next task at hand: finding a way back in. Leaving Zeldris to look after Merlin, Elizabeth paired up with Turnip Head and instructed him to help her find a way back into the castle. Normally, she wouldn't even think of scaling such a large pile of debris. As a child, she had always been taught to avoid places and things that looked extremely dangerous. Scars were the ultimate crime in her mother's household.

Scars weren't even an afterthought now. Climbing up the crumbles walls, using Turnip Head as a support with any particularly tough terrain, Elizabeth slowly scaled her way up the mountain of destruction. Eventually, they found a safe way in, the gap of an old window, still in the wide rectangular shape thanks to the metal dome of what must have been its ceiling. Large, it was big enough for everyone to get through; stable, it would not collapse as soon as they went in.

"We've found an entrance!" Waving down to Zeldris and Merlin, Elizabeth signaled their success, "I'm going in, so feel free to follow!"

Slipping in through the gap, Elizabeth stumbled down the small hill of bricks and broken beams. More than once, she almost fell on her face and Hawk had yelled at her to be careful, but they managed to make it down in one whole piece. Echoing, her feet meet the damp ground with a solid thud as Elizabeth looked around at the remnants of the once impressive castle.

Everywhere, water leaked down from the makeshift ceiling, dripping onto the ground and collecting in murky pools. Some of the walls had maintained their structure, fine cracks running through their paintwork as water seeped through. Others had crumbled or split into smaller pieces, weighed down by massive beams or damaged by the ends of metal cylinders. Littered all over the ground were chunks of building material, jagged slabs of stone and twisted wood.

"Wait here," Setting Hawk down on the brick structure of the fireplace - somehow still intact - Elizabeth raced off to fetch him some fuel.

"It's wet here!" Squawking in protest, Hawk's eyes nearly bulged out of his face as he glared at Elizabeth. Nevertheless, he remained on the fireplace, watching as she approached a pile of wooden supports that looked a lot like a ladder.

Grunting, Elizabeth ripped some wooden boards from the supports. Stuck, one of the beams refused to budge and so she kicked at the structure, tugging the board free as the rest of the support collapsed. Just as the wood tumbled to the ground, a tsunami of dust and loose bricks, Zeldris and Merlin came shuffling into the room. Speechless, they both watched as Elizabeth calmly walked up to Hawk, handing him the pieces of wood.

"This place is a dump," Kicking at a loose brick, Zeldris did not look pleased as he took in the chaotic space. Beside him, Merlin was eeriely quiet, her curious eyes taking in the result of removing Hawk from the fireplace. For the past few days she had probably been thinking about what would happen in a scenario like this; Merlin had an almost morbid fascination about the fire demon and his affect on the castle.

Scampering from behind the pair, Oslo simply huffed as he picked up a small piece of wood. Moving light and speedily, the animal hopped up a small pile of debris, grunting as he offered the tiny piece of dry wood to Hawk. Grateful, the fire took the wood and stuck it into his mouth - no doubt to be burned and generate energy.

"I told you we should've stayed put," Chewing on his stick, Hawk almost looked like a disagreeable councilman. Lit at the end, the stick in his mouth could have been mistaken for a tiny cigar as Elizabeth walked off to find more wood to load onto the fireplace. "Meliodas and I could have handled it by ourselves. It seriously wasn't that big of a deal, lady."

Setting down a particularly large piece of wood, Elizabeth ignored Hawk's moping and groaning, "We have to let Meliodas know we're not attached to the shop anymore. Move the castle and take us to him."

"What?" Blinking, the fire was in disbelief as he popped out of the top of the pile. Hissing, his body recoiled from a splash of water that dripped from the ceiling. "Were you listening to anything I just told you?"

"I know you can do it, Hawk," Staring the fire demon directly in the eye, Elizabeth wore a bright smile. Hopeful. Optimistic. Leaning on the fireplace, her eyes bright with a plan and determination, she shook her head, "I've never seen a fire with more spark."

"But there's no chimney here," Shaking his head, Hawk seemed to be filled with endless amounts of complaints today. A lot more than usual. Dodging yet another incoming splotch of rain, the fire groaned as part of his body hissed and sizzled, a fine stream of steam curling into the air, "Plus I keep getting dripped on by this stupid rain. And the wood's all damp! How can you expect me to work with damp wood, lady?"

"They say that a fire burns brightest when circumstances are at their worst," Still smiling, Elizabeth grinned as she leaned closer to Hawk. Behind her, her wings were tucked inwards, still soaked with the cold rain from the Wastes. But she couldn't feel the chill of it anymore, couldn't feel the ache in her joints from the constant cold. Instead all she felt was determination, a drive to complete her plan and save Meliodas.

"Yeah, but no-one really believes that," Hawk deadpanned, looking serious as he frowned at Elizabeth, "Come on, let's be honest."

Approaching closer, Merlin adjusted the scarf around her head and shoulders. Beside her, Zeldris was quiet, studying a strange metal object in his grasp as Oslo tried to wedge himself between the man's legs.

"What a pretty fire..." Merlin remarked, staring right at Hawk's flame with her curious gaze. Putting her close to Hawk - his source of heat - Zeldris produced a small stool, set it on the ground and offered it to Merlin. Humming, the girl gratefully took the seat and continued to stare at Hawk's flames. Swinging her legs off the stool, she seemed perfectly content with just doing this as Oslo jumped onto her lap.

"Alright," Stretching his little arms into the air, Hawk seemed to yawn. If he were human, he would have probably clicked his back or shoulders, tried to relax his joints before performing a strenuous exercise. "If I'm gonna do this, then I need something of yours, Elizabeth."

"Why is that?"

"I can't do it by myself. I need something else to give me the missing energy," Hawk explained, seeming to grow a bit stronger as the seconds ticked on by. For a moment, he simply stared at Elizabeth, flicked his gaze over her body, the way her wings twitched every second or so. Deep concentration filled his face, fueled his flames. Then, as if struck by lightning, the fire demon announced, "How about your eyes?"

"Huh?" Elizabeth had to stop her jaw from hanging open. Her eyes seemed like a hefty price to pay. "My eyes?" Then, absentmindedly, she grabbed at her hair, the strands that fell over her shoulder, "What about this? Would it be enough?"

No words left Hawk's mouth. Instead, eagerly, he grabbed at her hair, catching Elizabeth with the nip of his hot hands, singing the ends just at the end of her chin. Speedily, the fire demon began to eat the handful of hair - before Elizabeth could even reconsider or retract her offer - wolfing it down in one large gulp. All that remained was the small burns on Elizabeth's hands, the singed ends of her once long hair.

Before her, Hawk had turned dark. Like a deep, black dark - the sort that filled the night sky when there was no silver hanging moon. No words left his mouth, not even smoke curled from his body. But then he swelled, grew and expanded towards the collapsed ceiling, lifting the caved-in beams with his own hands.

Everything was shaking. Walls, the floor, the ceiling. Strong winds were swirling around Hawk, heating the cold air and carrying the remnants of books, letters, scrolls, towards the fireplace. Merlin had fallen from her little chair. Oslo was barking, trying to help Merlin back onto her feet. Zeldris was wide-eyed, stood right next to a gaping hole that had appeared in the floor, revealing the grassy plains of the Waste.

Somehow, someway, Hawk was actually moving them. Sure, it wasn't the whole castle. Sure, this was sort of dangerous with all the falling debris and the massive hole of the ground. But it didn't matter. They were on their way to Meliodas, they were one step closer to saving him.

"Thank you, Hawk!" Calling back to the fire, a wide grin on her face, Elizabeth couldn't hide her joy, "You're fantastic!"

"Imagine what I could have done with your eyes," Proud, almost smug, Hawk seemed to gloat as he responded to her, "Or your heart!"

That comment sealed everyone's fates. Without warning, Merlin scampered up to the fireplace, ignoring the scrapes to her little knees. Frantically, she tugged at the shovel, brought Hawk out of the fireplace and into her grasp. Hawk's yell was what alerted everyone to Merlin's actions - the fact that she now held the fire demon within her tiny, pudgy hands. But by then, it was too late; Merlin wasn't going to let go.

"I have finally have it!" Tears pouring from her eyes, the girl wore a watery grin, "I have Meliodas' heart!"

"Give it back!" Zeldris was pulling out his sword, stomping up to the girl. Unlike Elizabeth, he would have no qualms in killing her. If anything, he had probably been waiting for a moment like this - a moment where he would have to make such a difficult decision.

"No, don't!" Getting between the two, blocking Zeldris' path, Elizabeth tried to diffuse the situation. Inside her chest, her heart was pumping at a million miles per minute. Thudding, pressurized, she could feel her body betraying her nerves. Her anxiety. "Don't kill her! Please, Zeldris. I can talk to her, I can..."

Everything was off-balance. Tipped to the side, the floor was now becoming a wall. Objects slid to fall out of the gap in the floor, Oslo screeching as his little paws clambered to give him a secure grip against gravity's weight. Unstable themselves, Elizabeth and Zeldris also fell, one tumbling to one side of the room and the other to the opposite end. Thrown against a beam on the far left side, Merlin was engulfed in a bright red flame, her tiny face almost completely obscured as he raven hair singed at the ends.

"You need to let go!" Crawling over to Merlin, Elizabeth could feel her nerves building as the entire room shuddered. If Hawk wasn't returned to the fireplace soon, then the entire thing would collapse and they would fall with it. "Look, it's burning you!"

True to Elizabeth's words, Merlin was starting to catch flame. Acidic, a nasty smell was beginning to fill the air, reminiscent of the scent that came with air raids and burning Elizabeth's throat in the exact same way. Wailing, Merlin was voicing her own pain, unable to move as she remained glued to the beam and continued to endure the heat of the flames. Even Zeldris was left speechless as he stumbled toward the pair, his ankle busted from his fall.

There was no convincing Merlin. Not if Elizabeth wanted her to remain alive.

So, in one quick thought, she grabbed a metal bucket filled with water and threw its contents at Merlin. Everything that happened after that was simply a blur.

Falling from the top of that moorland must have been a lengthy journey. Aching, Elizabeth could feel every muscle in her body - even ones she'd never used before. Plus the formation of some bruises told her that she'd been unconscious for a while. Really, she should have used her wings to save herself. But even those would've been useless - the gap between the mountains was too narrow for her entire wingspan. She would have ended up hurting herself even more, spraining if not crippling her wings for a long time.

Only, that didn't matter now. Not after what she's done.

Staring at the wreckage surrounding her, the loose wooden boards, mismatched screws and metal dome, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel that she belonged to rot away along with them. After what she'd done, she deserved that much. Throwing water shouldn't have been her first thought. Saving Merlin - although important - shouldn't have been at the cost of someone else's life. Zeldris would never want to look at her again.

Emerging from a stack of wood, Oslo popped his furry head out into the open air. Pushing himself upwards, he shook off the debris and quietly scuttled over to Elizabeth, resting his heavy head on her lap as the tears began to pour from her eyes.

"I've made a horrible mistake," Barely more than a warble, her voice gave away Elizabeth's anguish as she cried. Digging the heels of her hands into her eyes, Elizabeth wailed, "I've poured water on Hawk and now Meliodas might be dead!"

For a long time, Elizabeth remained in her spot and cried. There was nothing to really move for, nothing to keep her hopes and determination going. Everyone was going to hate her - everyone who was left alive. There was no point in getting up and trying to find Zeldris and Merlin. There was no point in going back home to a place where she didn't belong, a place that she couldn't really call home anymore. Not after changing so much.

So Elizabeth cried. She cried and cried and cried. At least, she did until Oslo barked.

Looking down at the creature, his doggy face pressed with all sorts of concerned wrinkles, she couldn't help but feel confused. But then he was nodding toward her ring - the one Meliodas had given her. Why would he nod at the ring?

Staring at her finger, Elizabeth wiped at her puffy eyes. Could this ring be trying to tell her something? Did it mean that Meliodas was still alive? Studying the jewelry, she noticed that it gleamed a different colour - a bright blue like the clear water of Star Lake. That could mean something. Why would the ring glow blue? As if answering her question, a beam shot out of the ring, pointing toward a piece of rectangular scrap metal.

"It's leading us somewhere," Getting to her feet, dusting off her jacket, Elizabeth approached the scrap metal. Arms still aching, she heaved it to the side, grunting as it shifted a few inches with every tug she gave. Eventually, she managed to move the metal out of the way. Laying on its side, abandoned, it looked like every other piece of building material scattered around her. No-one would even guess that it had once been part of a magical castle.

Walking back to where the piece of metal had been, Elizabeth frowned as she stared at the perfectly intact front door. What was it doing here?

Putting her hand on the metal handle - noticing it was set to the black dial - Elizabeth pulled the door open. Complete darkness met her gaze, cool and drafty as it sent a slight breeze in her direction. Even though the breeze was cold, the goddess didn't even flinch. Instead she tried to decipher what the ring was trying to tell her, its bright blue beam pointing into the dark void until it disappeared over the door's threshold.

Sticking a hand over the threshold, Elizabeth watched as it distorted. Rippled, refracted, it was like she had stuck her hand under a pool of dark water. Still visible, she could see every movement her fingers made, but they were changed, bent into a different shape. Almost as if this location, the place the door led to, was like a reflection of reality. Was that why it felt so cold compared to the other doors?

Taking in a deep breath, Elizabeth closed her eyes. Going through this door could be the biggest mistake of her life - it could cost her entire life. But Meliodas might be on the other side of it. That was enough of a reason to think about going through the portal. Even if it will cost her life.

So, without a second thought, she stepped over the threshold. At first, she was alone, surrounded by darkness and the pale glow of the ring on her finger. But soon Oslo had joined her, not looking at all pleased as he walked beside her. No doubt the creature had wanted to avoid coming through the portal; he had only crossed its threshold because he was worried about what might happen to her on the other side.

Warming, that thought was somewhat soothing to Elizabeth. At least she wasn't alone and at least Oslo didn't hate her. That provided some hope.

For a while, all the pair saw was complete darkness. Stretched ahead of them, stretched behind them, was a veil of deep, black abyss. But soon there was some light, a bright blue glow that started as a slight pinprick and grew to the size of an entire room. Soft, the light didn't hurt Elizabeth's eyes like the harsh gleam of a torch or the sun on a hot summer's day. Instead it melded with the darkness, trying not to mute it out.

Eventually, the pair found themselves in a room. Only a single wooden table sat in its centre, one chair pulled up to its right side. On the right-hand wall was a small stove, a teapot left on the stone surface of its square structure. Small, box-like, everything about the room suggested that only one person lived within it. From the lone table to the sole jacket hanging from the wall's only peg, the entire room looked like it only saw one regular inhabitant.

Vibrating, Elizabeth's ring seemed to be filled with energy as she studied the room. Almost painful, it seemed to be reminding her that they were on a mission and that mission was to find Meliodas. Oslo also seemed to agree as he scratched at the room's only door, an impatient look filling his eyes. Both the ring and the dog seemed to have no care toward the secrets that this room may hold; they were only worried about one thing.

Sighing, Elizabeth headed over to the door. When she pushed it open, Elizabeth soon realised why Oslo was so desperate to get outside. Littered with stars, the night sky was clear and a beautiful inky blue. Rolling green hills spread out for as far as the eye could see, small flowers littered within their clumps of grass. Right before them was a small pond filled with glittering koi fish, their scales almost luminescent in the light of the moon.

Instantly, Elizabeth recognised this place. No other place in this world could ever rival its beauty. But why had the door led her here?

As if answering her question, shooting stars began to rain down from the sky. Bright light, much more harsh and vibrant than their still counterparts, these stars raced each other to reach the end of their finish lines. Arcing overhead, they left trails of stardust in their wake. When they landed, they exploded into a large ball of bright light, fizzling out into nothing as the darkness descended to swallow them up whole once more.

Jolting, the ring on Elizabeth's finger nipped at her skin once more. Hissing, she looked down at it to see that it was melting away, piece by piece. There wasn't much time left.

Much closer, another shooting star shot by. Drawing her attention, Elizabeth picked her head up and watched as it sailed overhead, a bright spark of the rainbow with a brilliant white tail. Like all the others, it landed in the meadow, exploded into a great ball of light and glittering colours. But then, when it landed, Elizabeth could make out the figure of a boy. Alone. Just out there. Watching the falling stars.

Squinting into the distance, the goddess tried to identify who the boy could be. Dressed in a uniform, he looked like he was about school-aged, the same age Elizabeth had been when she had to escape from Danafor. Standing out in the meadow, he looked comfortable despite the array of white-hot stars falling all around him. If anything, he seemed fascinated, his bright green eyes fixed to the trails the stars left in their wake.

As another star landed, his blonde hair tangled in the breeze.

"It's Meliodas," Everything clicking into place, Elizabeth's eyes grew wide, "It's him! He's here! We're in his childhood."

Wasting no time, Elizabeth grabbed her skirt in her hands and began to run. Racing, her heart was beating with adrenaline and her wish to make a change, to change his life, before he could get to this place in the future. On her neck, she could feel her hairs prickling with tension. Every time another star fell, exploding near her skin, she could feel the phantom heat of their death on her skin. One of the stars ran the same path as her, rippling the water in the pond, before it died as a single spark.

Unlike the star, Elizabeth would not die here. This wouldn't all be for nothing. Even if the sticky mud was trying to slow her down, even if the stars seemed to be growing closer to her body, she would keep running, she would keep trying, because this was important. More important than her.

But then she reached a point where she couldn't go on farther. At a dead end, Elizabeth could only watch as Meliodas caught a star from the sky, its host burning in a red-hot flame that lit up the nearby area with its light. Quiet, he was saying something to the star, talking to it. Then, all of a sudden, Meliodas raised the star to his lips and swallowed it whole, let it disappear into his mouth. For a moment, everything looked fine.

Coughing harshly, the boy doubled over, held a hand to his chest. Bright red, beating, something solid emerged from his chest and landed in his palm. His heart. Alive. Beating. Bound to that star and whatever deal Meliodas had made with it.

"Melio- " His name couldn't get past her lips as Elizabeth's ring shattered and the ground opened up into a large black hole beneath her. Like a vortex it was beginning to eat up at everything within the meadow, colours and light bleeding into its endless abyss. Nevertheless, Elizabeth tried to reach out, grab someone's attention, because this was her chance to fix everything. To save them.

"Meliodas! Hawk! It's me, Elizabeth!" Both of their heads turned, a confused boy and a flaming mass of heat, "Find me in the future!"

And then she was gone, kicked out of the past and thrown back into the present.

When Elizabeth had left the door and its secrets behind, she wasn't expecting to find someone else waiting for her on the other side. Laying on the ground, a mass of dark scales and thick blood that curled in on itself, Meliodas was waiting for her. Almost as if he knew she would come out of that door, emerge from the rubble and debris that had so randomly ended up in this part of the Wastes. He was waiting for her. Alive.

Relief couldn't help but flood into Elizabeth's heart at the sight of Meliodas alive. Yes, he was injured. Yes, he wasn't exactly the picture of health. But he was alive. Breathing and living and alive.

Walking up to him, Elizabeth tried not to be too excited as she approached his injured body, because sudden movements might have scared him or accidentally made his injuries worse. Surprisingly, unlike in her dream, Meliodas didn't recoil from Elizabeth or try to scare her into shying away from him. Instead he let her come closer, welcomed the soft hand that reached for his head, and the forehead that pressed against his cool scales, as if they could exchange thoughts and words through simple physical contact.

"Meliodas," Eventually, Elizabeth pulled away. Staring him in the eyes, truly fearing that he had come here to tell her that he was dying, her voice remained a whisper. A soft, weak thing. "I'm sorry. Did I come too late?"

He didn't give her an answer.

"I'm sorry for making you wait so long," Both for this wait and the theoretical wait since his childhood, Elizabeth felt somewhat guilty. Especially since he had come this far to get her despite being injured. Not to mention how he had probably spent years looking for her - which explained why he had said he spent ages looking for her when they first met. He'd been looking for her ever since he was a child, the strange lady who so suddenly appeared and disappeared in his uncle's meadow.

"Can you take me to Hawk? If it's not too much," Gently, she asked the question, tried to gauge if it was too much to ask of him. But, easily, he bowed his head, inviting her to climb on and take the free ride.

Cautiously, Elizabeth slipped onto his scaly body, fixing her hands around the sturdy horns that sprouted from his head. Scampering after her, Oslo nestled between Elizabeth's body and Meliodas', making sure he was secure for the trip. Then, without another word, Meliodas shakily got to his feet and they were off, travelling towards where Hawk would be.

Flying in this way was much different to how it was when they had walked in the sky, or when Elizabeth used to fly with her wings. Winds cut much more smoothly when they traveled like this, like streamline straight lines instead of swirling breezes. Plus it was much less chilly, Meliodas' body providing a warm heat that could rival Hawk's fire or even the overwhelming blaze of her mother's luxury fireplace and heaters.

Within moments they were high above the Wastes, looking down at the land like it was simply a picture drawn onto the earth. And, just as quickly, they were descending back down, launching toward a single point that had three distinct figures upon it. Turnip Head. Zeldris. Merlin. All three of them had survived the ordeal, Zeldris sat on the wooden platform with a sour look on his face and Merlin curled up into a ball.

Smoothly, Meliodas glided down toward the wooden platform and all three heads on board turned towards them. Silently, Elizabeth and Oslo hopped off as they landed and Meliodas collapsed onto the platform. Scales dissipated from his body, carried by the wind and revealing his unconscious body, face-down on the scuffed wooden planks of the castle's remains. Instantly, Zeldris was up on his feet and rushing to them.

"Is he dead?" Grim, bracing himself for the worst, the words barely escaped his mouth.

"No," Elizabeth responded, turning his body over and surveying his injuries. Luckily, it seemed that most of the injuries he acquired as a dragon did not translate to his human body. Instead there were a few bruises, scratches, that lined where he had been injured. Only a particularly deep cut on his leg was a cause for concern, but Elizabeth figured that she could heal that up as soon as knew her healing powers were back.

"Meliodas needs that back now," Approaching Merlin, kneeling to meet the girl's level, Elizabeth wore a stern look on her face, "You can't keep it forever, Merlin."

"Don't look at me, I don't have it," Pouting, Merlin curled farther into herself, her childish features puffing with stubbornness. Even though the weak blue flame of Hawk spilled from her fingers, she refused to acknowledge what she had done. What her selfish actions would ultimately cost. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Please," Wrapping the girl into a hug, a sob wanting to break out from her throat, Elizabeth tried to convey how much this would mean to her. This moment, although small-seeming, was the tipping-point. Merlin was the only person standing between Meliodas living and dying; she had the power to change and control his fate. To dictate Elizabeth's happiness. "Please, give it back, Merlin. He needs it more than you do."

"You really want it that badly?" Not bothering to return the hug, Merlin's voice came out in a disgruntled tone.

"Yes."

"Alright then," Nodding a little, the small girl broke away from their hug. Staring Elizabeth in the eye, her youthful face seeming much more mature and wise than a child could ever be, the young girl warned, "You better take good care of it for me. Don't make me regret trusting you."

Slowly, Merlin opened the tightly sealed cage of her hands to reveal the hidden treasure within them. With a final glance at the beating heart, she released another sigh before gently sliding it into Elizabeth's open palm. Then, with a small smile, the girl closed the goddess' fingers over the heart. For a couple of minutes, Merlin held them in place there, let her hands linger over the one heart she could never have.

"Don't waste it," She warned once more, a sly smile on her lips, "I know I did."

"Thank you," Kissing Merlin on the cheek, a smile on her face, Elizabeth couldn't help but cry a little, "You have a big heart."

Turning on her heel, Elizabeth let Merlin calm down in her little corner and walked back over to Meliodas' body. Crowded around him, Zeldris, Oslo and Turnip Head seemed to be discussing different ways they could try to save him - although Zeldris was doing most of the talking. Apparently, there was a magical fountain that could bring back life located deep in the terrain of a forest in the bordering country. Despite the trip being dangerous - and most men dying on their quest to find it - Zeldris was willing to go.

"You don't need to do that," Kneeling down beside him, Elizabeth revealed the weak blue flame within her hands, "There's another way. Hawk?"

Opening his eyes at her words, Hawk appeared within the flames. Usually, he would be animated, growing and expanding and dancing all about with his little, hot flames. Now he was quiet, remaining cold and small as he simply blinked at her.

"Elizabeth..." Croaky, strained, even Hawk's voice had become small and fragile, "I'm so tired."

"If I give Meliodas back his heart what will happen to you?" Staring at the fire, not wanting him to die from her own selfish desires, Elizabeth asked the question that had been verging in her mind ever since she'd left the door. Giving back Meliodas his heart had never been hard to consider, he needed it to live. But after seeing how the other shooting stars had died, melted into nothingness, Elizabeth didn't want that for Hawk. He was too special.

"I'll be ok if you do it - I think," Hawk answered honestly, his fear obvious as he considered the thought, "I mean, you dumped water on me, and Meliodas and I survived. You've got something special about you that makes me think this will work."

"I guess I'd better try then," Closing her eyes, Elizabeth tried to calm her racing nerves. Within her hands, the heart was racing, beating rapidly - much faster than her own ever had. Somehow, the humour of that - Meliodas' heart being much more nervous than hers - made Elizabeth laugh, "It's beating so fast, like a bird's wings fluttering."

"It's still just the heart of a child," Hawk reminded her. Yes, a child. But it was still Meliodas'.

Taking in a final deep breath, Elizabeth steeled herself for the moment ahead. This could only go one of two ways, and she'd rather it be a happy ending. On the count of three she would put Meliodas' heart back into his chest. One. She locked eyes with Hawk for a final time. Two. She prayed that this would all work out fine, that Meliodas would live and Hawk would emerge from this alive, free and burning and alive. Three.

Pushing the heart into Meliodas' chest, watching as it sank beneath his shirt and into his skin, both Elizabeth and Zeldris were waiting with baited breath. Bright, the blue flame from Hawk's fire hadn't died down yet. Instead it exploded into an array of different colours, pinks and yellows and greens that shot out into the air as a bright sphere of light emerged. He was a shooting star once more; he had lived to see another day.

But had Meliodas?

Suddenly, Meliodas took in a deep breath - like he had just been under water for a long time. Both Elizabeth and Zeldris' eyes were wide.

"He's alive..." Zeldris sat back, couldn't fathom what had just happened, "He's alive."

"Yes- "

That was when the platform had decided to collapse. Without Hawk's power to drive it forward - and with Meliodas now unconscious - there was nothing to keep the platform moving. Instead it crumbled and quaked, the legs beneath it snapping and falling to the ground. There was nothing keeping them upright anymore. They were at gravity's mercy now. Maybe that was why the platform began to race down the side of the mountain, like a children's sled down a snowy hill.

Everyone was screaming. Trembling, Merlin was clutching onto the wooden boards to stay on the platform. Curled under Zeldris' arm, Oslo was seeking refuge with the stony man. Panicked herself, Elizabeth had scrambled to secure Meliodas' body, shielding him with her own body and praying that she didn't tumble off the platform herself. Even Turnip Head was unstable, the scarecrow frowning as they picked up speed.

"Incoming rock!" Someone had yelled it - Elizabeth wasn't sure who.

But when she turned her head to look forward, she met the sight of a gigantic rock that would definitely batter her body, she felt her heart plummet. This was it. This was how they were all going to die, smashed to pieces on a mountain.

That would have been their fate if Turnip Head wasn't around. Jumping in front of the platform, using his pole to slow down their speed, he was attempting to cushion the blow. Bumpy, the movement of the platform was displaying some of the effectiveness of Turnip Head's actions. But it was all in vain. Sturdy, the rock snapped his pole in two and they were launched over the mountain's edge, tumbling into a crevice.

When they finally came to a stop, wedged between two stumps of rock, Turnip Head was unresponsive. Snapped in two, he was no longer alive.

"His pole snapped," Feeling as if a childhood friend was injured, Elizabeth gathered the scarecrow into her arms. Frowning, she studied the two pieces of wood that had been his pole, "We'll get you a new pole, ok?" But the scarecrow didn't twitch. His pipe didn't jolt in his mouth. Tears bubbled in her eyes, "You saved us, Turnip Head."

Gently, Elizabeth planted a kiss on his cheek. And then the scarecrow moved. Twisting and contorting, the suit and turnip head flew out of Elizabeth's hands and into the air. Slowly, his limbs grew, seemed to become more sturdy. Legs sprouted from the bottom of his suit, where the pole used to be, and he stood on them both, back hunched over and obscuring his face. Then, in a flash, Turnip Head stood upright and revealed a human face.

Finely clothed, the faded black suit replaced with a crisp yellow one, the man looked as if he belonged to aristocracy. Pristine, the white top hat on his head suggested that it was freshly bought before he had become a scarecrow. But that wasn't what shocked Elizabeth the most; the man's face, his bright blue eyes and silver hair, reminded her of someone. Someone that Elizabeth had met before as a teen, plastered all over political pamphlets and papers. Prince Mael, a distant member of the royal family of her collapsed country.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," Bowing to the goddess, the man's voice was eloquent and polite, "I'm the prince from the neighbouring kingdom, who went missing some time ago. I was visiting this country for a political marriage and somehow I got that spell put on me."

"Oh, I know that spell!" Face lighting up with glee, Merlin was grinning from ear-to-ear. Clicking her fingers, she shared, "Only a kiss from your true love can break that spell. A time-old classic for evil magicians."

"Yes, that's true," Nodding at the girl's words, the prince was in agreement. Then he turned to Elizabeth, "If it wasn't for Elizabeth then I would have been a scarecrow for my entire life."

Only, Elizabeth was starting to tune out their conversation. Beneath her, Meliodas was stirring. He was finally waking up to the world.

"What's going on?" Opening his eyes, Meliodas sat up slightly. A hand scratched at his head as he frowned a little, "I feel terrible - like there's a strange weight on my chest."

"I'm just glad you're alive," Smiling, Elizabeth tackled him into a hug.

No matter what direction the future took from here, it didn't matter much. All Elizabeth knew was that she'd be happy for once instead of pretending like she really was.