Chapter two! Eliza and Meliodas are finally reunited after ten years!

CHAPTER TWO:

THE FIRST SIN

"Hey, Diaval…" Eliza called, watching the colorful sky of Limbo.

"Yes, dear?" The Lord of Death replied instantly as he delicately wove little flowers from the field around them into her pale hair.

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyebrows knitting together in thought. "Is it possible to bring the real Elizabeth back?" She asked quietly, her hands curling into the grass.

His fingers stopped for a moment, and he was silent for a few moments. "Is that something you want?" Diaval asked carefully.

Eliza opened and closed her mouth a few times, conflicted. She felt like a horrible person for stealing Elizabeth's body, and at the same time, she felt much happier than she'd ever been in her past life. But…

"Yes. Elizabeth deserves a happy ending."

Diaval's arms curled around her, and he rested his chin on top of her head. She felt the vibrations of his deep voice against her back as he spoke, "Whatever you wish for will be yours."

—

Eliza slammed the doors closed and shoved a spear through the handles, cursing under her breath. She stepped away, chest rising and falling rapidly as she panted. She adjusted the leather armor on her body, sheathing her swords and making sure everything was in place. Her hair was braided against her scalp, long silvery curls pinned away from her face. She turned to the man standing in the room, her expression softening, "Pops, I…"

King Bartra stepped closer, smiling softly at her. He cupped her face, his thumb running along her cheekbone, "I know, my dear. I've seen it."

She chuckled and threw her arms around him in a hug. "I love you, Pops." Eliza whispered earnestly.

"And I you, Eliza." Bartra said, and he pulled away. His deep blue eyes swept over her features, as if he was committing every single detail to memory.

Someone slammed their fists against the door, and Eliza sighed, "See you later, Pops." She gave him a crooked grin, stepping away from him.

"Good luck." Bartra said, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Elizabeth!" Gilthunder's voice boomed from the hallway. "There's nowhere left to run! Surrender at once!"

"Make me, bitch!" Eliza shouted back, throwing her hood up. She cackled at her father's shocked splutters and ducked into one of the secret halls of the castle. She made sure the wall was back in place before breaking into a sprint. Eliza lifted her hand, manifesting a little orb of Ark to light her way through the twists and turns of the passage. She reached the end, running the fingers of her free hand along the bricks until she found the small dip she'd been searching for.

The wall opened up, revealing the stables, and Eliza let the orb dissolve as she stepped out of the castle. She glanced at the horses, trying to remember which was the quickest. The fine hairs on the back of her neck prickled at the feeling of someone approaching, and she stayed very still until they came close enough. Eliza unsheathed her sword, swiftly turning on her heels to shove them back and press the edge of her blade against their throat.

"Holy shit— it's me, Liza, it's me!" A familiar voice yelped, blood quickly draining from his face as his plum colored eyes grew wide in fear.

"Howzer," Eliza sighed and looked at their surroundings in search for any other Holy Knight. "Don't sneak up on me like that, man. I could've hurt you." She continued in a low voice and sheathed her sword. She was a bit annoyed at how reckless he was, but she was also very glad to see him.

"Sorry. I wanted to make sure you were okay." Her friend admitted, smiling sheepishly. "It's like you said, everything's going to shit. Even Gil's acting weird." Howzer added, looking conflicted.

"And it's only starting." Eliza pointed out with a sigh, picking a saddle to put it on one of the fastest horses. Howzer helped her with the straps, and she mounted the black steed. She snorted at the expression on his face, "Stop looking like a wife that's watching her husband leave to war. We'll be seeing each other sooner than you think."

His cheeks grew pink, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm just worried, alright?!" Howzer huffed, shooting her a small glare. "You're about to become one of the most wanted people in Britannia."

"Oof, about that…" She turned to look at him with a small smile and raised an eyebrow. "You do know I have to knock you unconscious to make this believable, right?" Eliza asked, amused.

Howzer froze as he processed her words, and he let out a small groan. "Just… don't break anything this time." He pleaded, and Eliza unsheathed her sword.

"Yep, just turn around for me." She chuckled. "Put some ice on it when you wake up, it'll help." Eliza added, and she slammed the handle of her sword against the back of his head— not hard enough to cause lasting damage, but hard enough to make him pass out. "Sorry," She whispered, putting her sword back in its sheath on her back.

Eliza took the reins in her hands and lightly kicked the horse's side. It took off in a run, and the wind pushed off her hood. A part of her felt sad that she had to leave everything she'd known for the last fourteen years, but this was the infamous beginning of her journey. God, that sounded so cheesy, yet she couldn't help but grin like an absolute idiot. The knights following her weren't the brightest, and her horse was much faster than theirs.

Of course, someone always has to shit on her dinner.

Another horse crossed in front of her, and something painfully familiar pierced the spot where her neck met her shoulder. Eliza cursed as her horse neighed loudly, and she fished one of the small knives from her belt. She threw it in the archer's direction and heard their pained gurgles as the knife hit its mark. Eliza yanked on the reins of her horse to make it run in another direction and found her eyelids growing heavy, a large amount of blood dripping from her wound.

Shit, it pierced an artery. I don't have time or energy to stop and heal it. At this rate I'm gonna—

She found herself seated at a familiar table. "If I had a nickel for every time I died from an arrow to the neck, I'd have two nickels." Eliza told Diaval in a serious voice. "Which isn't a lot, but it's weird it's happened twice." She added.

Diaval threw his head back and laughed.

—

"Meliodas!"

The blond stopped cleaning the tankard in his hands at the sound of Hawk's distressed call. The pig tended to be dramatic over the simplest of things, but this time it was different. He set it down, heading to the entrance of the Boar Hat, when a familiar scent reached his nose. He froze, his fingers wrapped around the door handle, and felt his hearts start to race as he identified the smell as Elizabeth's blood.

He yanked the door open, and his breath got caught in his throat as he finally saw her, slumped on top of a black horse. "Elizabeth!" Meliodas cried out, fear and anger clouding his vision. He was by her side in a moment, reaching for her bleeding wound with shaking hands. It was a small wound, bleeding lazily, and he took notice of the arrow loosely held between her fingers. A strange sense of deja vu hit him, and his head throbbed.

He brushed it away and put his hand under her nose to feel her breathing. It was slow and deep, but not shallow— almost as if she was only asleep. "Is she alive?" Hawk asked anxiously, watching Meliodas carefully pull Eliza off the horse.

She'd grown a lot, he noticed. She was a bit heavy, she had built up some muscle and she was eating well. That was good. Meliodas was grasping at all the good things about this, trying to calm that side of him that was craving the heads of those that had hurt his Eliza. "Yeah," He finally said, realizing Hawk was still waiting for an answer. "Yeah, she's alive."

She was alive.

Eliza is alive.

And now she was in his arms, where she would be safe. Meliodas carried her into his room and set her down on his bed. He held back a contented purr when she melted right into his sheets, turning her head to nuzzle into his pillow. He let Hawk watch her as he fetched some clean bandages and some salve. Meliodas made a mental note to get some more supplies on their next stop.

He undid the laces of the thick leather covering her to reveal the black shirt she wore underneath, he pushed it aside to get a better look at the wound. Meliodas' eyebrows knitted together at the sight, it was smaller than it was when they found her. He cleaned it to the best of his abilities, lathering some salve over it and carefully wrapping it with clean bandages, all while Hawk watched— probably to make sure he didn't do something perverted. But how could he focus on anything other than her pain?

She stirred under his hands, and Meliodas watched her face. Her silvery eyebrows furrowed, her eyes moving under her closed lids, and her nose wrinkled endearingly. Slowly, her eyes opened, beautiful sapphires framed by thick lashes staring up at him. Her lips, full and rosy, curled into a small smile.

"Hey."

All the worry melted from his body, and Meliodas found himself smiling back.

—

Eliza slammed down a blue four on the pile of cards. "Uno!" She exclaimed, holding her last card triumphantly for Diaval to see.

The Lord of Death looked up from his five cards. "Oh, would you look at that!" He said in a surprised voice, and the aurora in the sky gained a golden glow. "Your wounds are all taken care of!"

"Uh uh," Eliza shook her head stubbornly even as their surroundings began transforming. "Finish the game."

Diaval shrugged his shoulders, "It seems time has run out."

Eliza pointed a finger at him, "Time doesn't exist here and you know it!" She exclaimed. "You're just a sore loser, Diaval!"

He smiled innocently and wiggled his fingers at her, "Good luck, dear!"

"Diaval, you bitch—"

Awareness slammed into her, and Eliza took a deep breath. Ugh, that cheating bastard. It wasn't even the first time Diaval had pulled something like this. Whatever, she'll get him back for that. She felt the soft sheets under her hands, and there was a woodsy scent in the air— fresh and familiar in a way that made her heart race in excitement.

Eliza opened her eyes, blinking the drowsiness away, and she found herself smiling as she stared up at the face of the person she'd missed the most. "Hey." She greeted happily.

Meliodas let out a small sigh, eyes a bit glossy, and smiled back at her, "Hi there." He hadn't changed at all. His golden hair was still a mess of stubborn curls that stuck out this way and that, the childish roundness and the lack of hair on his face making him seem like a boy in his late teens rather than the immortal demon he truly was.

She sat up on the bed and stretched her arms over her head, groaning in satisfaction when her spine popped. Eliza rolled her shoulders experimentally and nodded to herself when she only felt a slight discomfort. She looked around the room and took in the sight of pastel yellow walls, the wooden window frames covered in green paint, and the lavender curtains. It was a weird color scheme, but it had its charm.

"Where am I?" Eliza asked, throwing her legs over the side of the bed.

Meliodas stepped back and set his fists on his hips. "You passed out in front of my shop, the Boar Hat." He explained, gaining that carefree grin he usually sported. "You were a bit roughed up, but I dressed your wounds."

She reached up to feel the bandages. "Thanks," If she wasn't so exhausted from fighting Gilthunder and running around the castle like a madman to escape the Holy Knights, Eliza would have been able to heal herself properly. Diaval had taken good care of that, so there really wasn't a need for the bandages, but she was grateful. She'll just take them off later.

"What happened?" Meliodas asked in a faux casual voice, hiding that protective streak Eliza knew very well.

"Oh, that," Eliza busied herself with redoing the laces of her leather armor and threw him a small grin. "I'm a wanted criminal." She announced, giving a thumbs up.

"I don't think that's something you should be proud of, Miss!" A high pitched voice pointed out, and Eliza gasped as she finally took notice of Hawk.

"Talking piggy!" She giggled, throwing her arms around the pink pig. "You're so cute!" His round and squishy body was covered in a light, woolly fur that was soft to the touch.

"The name's Hawk!" He introduced himself with a snort.

"I can make you a few slices if you want!" Meliodas piped in.

Hawk turned to him with an alarmed squeal. "You bastard, don't say something so misleading!" He shouted at the blond.

Eliza chuckled, rising to her feet. "Nah, some fruit is fine." She said, waving a dismissive hand through the air. As if she was going to poison her body with Meliodas' bad cooking. That would send her straight back to Limbo.

In the kitchen, Meliodas presented her with a bowl of fresh fruit and a glass of water. She picked up a red apple, it was ripe and had a satisfying crunch when she bit into it. Eliza hummed happily, lightly kicking her feet as she sat on a stool. Meliodas chuckled at her, "How is it?" He asked.

"Ish really goof!" Eliza said between bites, the hunger stirring in her stomach finally settling.

"So, what are you wanted for?" Meliodas asked curiously, taking out a rag to wipe down the bar.

She swallowed the fruit in her mouth and licked her lips. "I abandoned my post to look for the Seven Deadly Sins." Eliza replied and tapped her chin with her index finger. "So desertion and high treason, I think."

"Oh?" Meliodas raised an eyebrow and went to say something else, but he was interrupted by loud knocking on the front door.

"Open up! There was a notice from the people of the village!" The voice of a man shouted from outside. "We are the Order of the Beard of the Mountain Cat, stationed at the base of the mountain and serving under the Holy Knights! We have come to capture a traitor to the crown, all buildings must be searched at once!"

"Oop, that's my cue." Eliza whispered with a wink, and she tossed the apple core at Hawk, who caught it in his mouth. She turned to Meliodas, "You got another door?" She asked, pulling her hood up.

"Through the kitchen." He whispered back and caught her wrist when she went to leave. "Be careful, I'll distract them for ya!"

"Awesome, thanks," She grinned at him, reaching out to ruffle his hair, and darted to the kitchen. Eliza snuck out the back, breaking out into a sprint to hide in the forest.

"Allioni! Someone just ran out!"

"Seriously? Today is so not my day!" Eliza groaned, and she could've sworn she heard someone laugh. She ran faster, ignoring the soreness of her muscles. She'd been struck a few times too many by Gilthunder's Thunderbolt.

There was a ruckus behind her, the pained cries of men and the loud squeals of Hawk. Just as she turned her head to look over her shoulder, someone yanked her up into the branches of the trees, and embarrassing squeal of surprise left her mouth. Her cheeks felt hot at the smile on Meliodas' face, and her mouth dropped open when his hand greedily took a hold of her ass to give it a firm squeeze.

"Nice." Meliodas noted before her hand slapped him across the face. He remained unfazed as she glared at him, furious. Damned pervert!

Eliza huffed, pushing him away after they were safely on the ground. "Feel free to hit him, lady." Hawk commented, shooting Meliodas a dirty look.

The blond only smiled.

"Thank you for your help." Eliza said, deciding to ignore what had just happened. "I'm looking for the Seven Deadly Sins to stop the Holy Knights."

Hawk looked up at her in confusion. "But the Holy Knights are the ones who protect Britannia. They're heroes, aren't they?" He asked.

"They're supposed to be." She said, sighing. Hendrickson had been a wonderful teacher, but Fraudrin's influence was too strong. "A few days ago they banded together to overthrow the royal family, and I managed to escape this morning. They're planning to wage war against the country."

The pig gasped, his ears flapping in surprise, "Wasn't the king bedridden?!"

"Nope." Eliza shook her head, "That's just one of the lies they've been circulating."

"Seriously…?"

"That sounds rough." Meliodas commented, making Hawk bristle at the casualness in his voice. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at Eliza, "But what makes you think seven criminals are going to help you?"

She copied his stance, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smirk, "As if you'd ever tell me no, Meliodas."

His eyes widened in surprise, "You—"

The ground under their feet crumbled, and the cliff that they had been standing on gave away. She gasped in surprise, the wind rushing in her ears as they fell. Eliza reached back to take a hold of one of her swords, but she found herself back in Meliodas' arms. "I gotcha, Ellie," She heard him say over Hawk's squeals and noticed he'd also grabbed Allioni. In a few swift jumps, Meliodas had dropped them safely on the hill.

"You there! How dare you survive without my leave?!"

Eliza groaned at the loud voice. "Not this bitch…" She'd forgotten about Sir what's his face. The mustached loser from the first episode that got his ass kicked then died from demon blood consumption. Twig or something.

"I shan't revise my death tally conclusion!" The knight announced.

She cupped her hands around her mouth, "Then don't conclude it until you actually kill someone, dumbass!" Eliza called out, and even from a distance, she saw the man bristle. Meliodas chuckled.

"It seems that fate is smiling upon me today!" Twig-man exclaimed as he marched over, pointing his sword at her. "That hair and that earring! Conclusion! It is you, the traitor, Princess Elizabeth!"

"You're the princess?!" Hawk gasped. "The third princess of the kingdom, that Elizabeth?!"

"An official decree has been issued to locate you. The orders are to capture you alive, but it can't be helped if you die in an accident, can it?" He asked, an ugly grin on his face. He raised his sword above his head, and Eliza grinned back.

"As if I'd let a shit side character like you take me down!" She hissed through her teeth, lowering to a crouch and tugging both Meliodas and Hawk to her side.

"Conclusion! Accidental Death!"

"Ark!"

There was a near deafening boom around them as all the trees were blown away, but her shield remained intact. A small, victorious laugh slipped out of her mouth. She turned to look at Meliodas, who was staring up at her in awe, something like pride shining in his eyes. She smiled, gladly soaking up his attention like a cat bathing in the sunlight.

"You guys okay?" Eliza asked, letting the shield drop.

"Yup." Meliodas chirped, then looked over at his companion. "You okay, Hawk? Looks like it."

The pig trembled in place. "You call this traumatized state fine?! I'm scared out of my wits!" Hawk shouted and took off running, leaving a small cloud of dirt as he left. "Mommy…!"

"A pig? Well, no matter," The Holy Knight apprentice turned to face them again.

"I'm out of juice." Eliza told Meliodas under her breath, flexing her fingers with a grimace. She'd overexerted herself and could really use a power nap right about now.

"Don't worry, I got this." He reassured her, moving to stand in front of her and unsheathing his broken blade. Twig or whatever raised his sword again, and Meliodas' magic seeped into the air around them. There was a burst of air and light that pushed her hood off and made her braid whip around. The knight stumbled back, blood dripping from the cut on his cheek.

His slicked back hair was now tousled, grey hairs falling over his forehead as he panted. "How can this be?!" He asked in anger and confusion, "I'm certain my blade struck you! Why was it me who felt the blow? And that blade—" He gasped, his eyes growing wide, "it's broken!"

Eliza smiled, rising to her feet. She'd thought that maybe this part would be a bit less badass and dramatic without the music, but watching Meliodas in action was a sight to behold. "Kick his ass, Meliodas!" She whooped.

She didn't need to see his face to know he was grinning as wide as she was. The knight spluttered, his face paling as he heard her. "You— it can't be! How can you look exactly the same as you did that day?!"

Meliodas took a stance, "So, you've finally realized who I am?"

"You bastard!" He snarled, heaving his sword over his head again. "It truly is you!" He swung it down with all his might, but there was the telltale metallic clink of Full Counter. "C-Conclusion! This extraordinary power is that of the legend!" The large man gasped helplessly as his own magic rippled, turning against him. His body was flung through the air, bits and pieces of his armor falling from the sky as he disappeared over the horizon.

Eliza waved a hand in front of her face to fan the dust away. She whistled, impressed, "Home run." She joked, laughing to herself when Meliodas raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why didn't you tell me you remembered me?" Meliodas asked, his lips puckering in a pout as he put his sword away.

She let out a small scoff and rolled her eyes. "Come on, it's been like ten years," Ten years, one month and six days, she mentally corrected. "And it's not like I would ever forget you, Mel." Eliza added, sending him a grin as they made their way back to the Boar Hat.

"Still, you could've said something." Meliodas mumbled. She swiftly scooped him up in her arms, laughing at his shocked expression and the pink dusting his cheeks.

"I found my first Sin, only six more to go!" Eliza cheered, quickening her pace into a jog as Hawk Mama came into view. Meliodas let out a sigh and leaned his head against her shoulder, his golden curls tickling her skin.

She wrote off the fuzzy feeling in her chest as excitement for the journey that was about to begin.

Just wait a little more, Elizabeth!

Eliza: [points knife at her emotions]

Eliza: stay back, slut

—

Thank you so much for reading, don't forget to tell me what you think!