Ban had been wandering around the kingdom. After splitting up with Meliodas, he went off to find you, wandering around the various rooms and trying to reach your hidden magical signature. Though, from the perspective of an outsider, he looked to he extremely calm and aloof, he was slightly panicking on the inside. Well not slightly. Just panicking. Every time he checked a room, or finished off an entire floor in the castle, he found himself growing more and more desperate to find you. Worry couldn't account for what he was feeling. You had already been kidnapped by the request of the Holy Knights once- and he was dead set on not letting it happen again. But, here we were. He cursed himself for never being able to protect those who mattered most to him.

Now we found ourselves here. He had managed to find a hidden room in the castle and, although your magical signature was dull and muted, he sensed it in this general area. He figured the Holy Knights would want to put a captured Sin somewhere secret, so it wasn't unreasonable, in his mind, that you would be here.

He walked down the large staircase, hurrying down as he jumped a considerable amount of steps with each descent of his foot. When he reached the bottom, he noticed that your power was now becoming more pronounced- like the sleeping spell had been cancelled or he had stepped through the barrier that had been shielding your signature. Hope, although he hated to feel confident in it, swelled in his chest. Had he finally found you?

He hurried, reaching the bottom as quickly as he could. The room was immensely large- this he figured out quite easily. When he landed in the room, his footstep echoed several times, even though his landing was extremely light. There was a singular circle of light in the very center of the room, casted by a source Ban couldn't locate. However, he didn't care at the moment where the light was coming from. He cared what the light was shining over.

"(Y/N)..!" He breathed, eyebrows furrowing at your form. You had shackles around each of your wrists, ankles, and thighs, as well as one around your torso and neck. The chains they were attached to threaded out across the room, attaching to, he assumed, the cement walls. He dashed toward you in an instant, kneeling by your form as he examined the shackles. "I'm gonna get you outta here... don't worry, okay babe? I've got you..."

"Ah, Ban. I see you have finally come- I've been waiting quite patiently," Your head rose up eerily, and Ban couldn't recognize your voice. That wasn't your voice. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, finding that your eyes were glowing a pale pink color.

"The fuck..?" He asked, standing quickly and stepping away from 'you.' 'Your' entire form glowed that ethereal pink now, the shackles glowing as well. 'You' raised off the ground, the entirety of 'your' body and the shackles beginning to melt down as the pink glow grew stronger. The conglomeration of 'your' melted body and the shackles formed a new object, a large horn. It glowed a faint pink, then returned to a matte beige. Ban growled, "What have you done with (y/n)?! Where the hell is she?!"

There was a loud clatter, and Ban's eyes shot in its direction. Was it you...?

Sadly, it was not. Hawk came wandering out of the darkness, huffing about the annoyance of not knowing where he is. He saw Ban, and his eyes widened in delight. The Fox Sin's, however, did the same, but in shock.

"Master?!" He exclaimed, "The hell are you doing here?!"

"Hell if I know!" Hawk shouted back, rushinf up to his side. "Some bastard of a Holy Knight teleported me and Elizabeth into a dungeon, and when we got out- she sent me here!"

"So that hand-mask-lady teleported you here?" Ban asked, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Yeah," huffed Hawk, "Now lets get outta here before she shows up again!"

"I'm sorry, Master..." Ban muttered, then turned to face the horn. He was sure it had contained (y/n) somewhere- he just needed to find out where that somewhere was. His voice raised slightly, "I have something to do here."

"The hell do you-"

"You are correct," a feminine voice echoed, the horn beginning to glow that pink color once again. Ban narrowed his eyes at the object, "But that 'something' is not what you believe it to be."

"It's talking?!" Hawk squealed, shaking as he stared, terrified, at the large horn. "The hell?!"

"Give (y/n) back!" Ban demanded, ignoring Hawk completely and eyeing the horn.

"I do not have her," the goddess responded, her voice slightly amused. "I have no use for that demoness."

"Then where is she?!" Ban shouted, teeth bared as he stepped forward threateningly.

"In the room above the one we stand," the goddess answered honestly, "waking up to find herself in quite a predicament."

Ban turned on his heels, immediately heading for the stairs. An ethereal pink glow appeared in front of him, and he growled, turning threateningly toward the goddess.

"As I said, Ban, Man Of Greed, we have something to discuss. A barter of assistances, I suppose."

"Back off lady!" Ban growled, dashing to the side and around the wall, beginning to head toward the staircase.

"Elaine."

The goddesses voice rang out, making the room go eerily quiet. Ban had stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide with a combination anger, sadness, and fear upon hearing his previous lover's name. The goddess knew this would work- for she was the topic of discussion, after all. A very touchy topic.

"How do you know that name?" Ban growled, his voice dangerous as he trembled lightly. He had not moved from his position, facing the stairs, save for that he was now glaring daggers at the floor.

"I am of the Goddess Clan," she responded instantly, "I know much more that you will ever believe is possible."

"That Goddess Clan?!" Hawk shrieked, "The hell?!"

"Show yourself!" Ban snarled, whirling around and storming into the circle of light once again. "I'll kill you, right here, right now!"

"Sadly, that is impossible at the moment," the voice echoed from the horn. "In order to retain the fraction of my powers that I have, I cannot manifest myself physically. However, granting your true wish is an easy feat."

"True wish?" Ban asked hesitantly.

"Ban!" Hawk whisper-shouted, to which Ban ignored, just as he had been doing the entirety of the time. "That Horn! Is talking!"

"Yes," hummed the goddess, "bringing a single fairy to life is not difficult."

"What... do you mean?" Ban asked, unable to stop himself from asking. The words escaped his lips before he even knew he was saying something.

"I can bring Saint Elaine back if you do a simple task for me," purred the goddess.

Ban's inner turmoil was strong, fighting a seemingly unending war. Elaine- he would always love her, no matter what. She was his first lover, the woman he had fell for without hesitation or doubt. But he was with you now- and he was happy for the first time in a long time. He liked- dare he say, loved- you a lot, and he was happy with you. Essentially, he was choosing between his dead girlfriend and his current girlfriend. Neither choice ended well.

"I sense your inner turmoil, Undead Ban. But was it not long ago that you vowed to search for the horn I dwell within to revive her? Saint Elaine of the Fairy King's Forest was your first love, and there is no doubt in my mind- or yours- that you will always love her, even while in a different relationship. What is stopping you? That wretched demoness? She is of the race that killed Saint Elaine's people! Does that not make you bubble with unmeasurable rage? Because when you first met her, it most certainly did."

"But I love (y/n)," Ban spoke, turning away from the horn. For some reason, he couldn't make himself walk away. It was as if some part of him wanted Elaine back- wanted her more than you- and stopped him from moving at all, keeping him frozen in place. And Elaine is dead."

"But I am able to bring her back," pushed the goddess, "If both Elaine and (y/n) were standing in front of you, and you could choose one of them without repercussions, who would you choose? Ask yourself honestly, Fox Sin, and answer in the same demeanor."

He would pick Elaine. He knew he would. Deep down, within the depths of his soul, she was still the woman he would love, and never stop loving, most. He didn't want to admit it, because he truly had fallen for (y/n). The demoness had an irresistible charm, and her childishness was endearing. He found himself thinking about her when he wasn't thinking of anything else. But Elaine plagued his thoughts more. It was Elaine.

But he couldn't admit it. Not to the goddess. Not when he had (y/n). Not when Elaine was dead.

"Think of it this way, Sin of Greed," the goddess spoke with finality, "Would you really take a demoness like her over a saint? Is that truly what you wish for in life?"

In that moment, when Ban found himself swaying to the other side, toward Elaine, there was a loud crash and a scream.

Ban whirled around, finding that the ceiling had collapsed in the area of the room behind him. His eyes widened in shock, seeing your body falling among the rubble, eyes wide with shock as you fell. He and Hawk exclaimed at the same time.

"(Y/N)!"

"No!" The goddess snarled, as they both rushed to a pile, coughing lightly in the smoke and dust that rose from the rubble. A pink wave of light washed over the room, much more intense than the previous times the goddess had used her powers. Ban and Hawk ignored her angry shout, both of them agreeing, without the need of speaking, or even a glance, that (y/n) was the priority in this moment. The dug furiously until they came across your unconscious body, laying there amongst a few dead Holy Knights, covered in blood. Your knuckles were stained red, and splatters of the red liquid covered your body. Ban lifted you up in his arms, staring at you with broken eyes. How could he have been thinking of leaving you for Elaine as you fought against Holy Knights just above him- easily within his reach? And to escape- when he could've just saved you, no less. He was thinking of someone else? He cursed himself- you were his woman now, not Elaine.

His arms trembled as he held you, staring down at your face. You wore a pained expression, staring up into nothingness. Your eyes glowed with the same pink color as the illusion from before had. But now he was holding you in his arms. This was you. He felt it in his core.

"What did you do to her?" Ban asked, his voice level, but dangerous. "Why are her eyes glowing like that?"

"She interrupted our conversation," spoke the goddess, "So I threw her into a subconscious realm. It takes the last thing she heard and continues to play what she believes the reality of the situation will be. If your curious as to what she last heard, it was my question. 'Would you really take a demoness like her over a saint? Is that truly what you wish for in life?'"

Ban's eyes widened. He knew you- you would automatically assume that he would pick Elaine, that you were his second choice. Your mind was quick to spiral downward, so he assumed it would in a situation as mentally challenging as this one, especially since you had no context. His eyebrows furrowed. You were going to think he didn't care for you- that he would pick Elaine. Because of this goddess.

"Master. Take (y/n)," Ban spoke, his voice still scarily even, "Get her out of here. I'll deal with this goddess bitch."

"Ban, isn't you think this sounds kinda sketchy?" Hawk asked, allowing the Fox Sin to lay their comrade on his back.

"It is sketchy. And it's unrealistic. I'm destroying it."

"Okay..." Hawk answered, still uncertain. He turned to head toward the staircase. "Just don't let her convince you otherwise, alright?"

"That won't happen," Ban replied, stepping into the light circle again as Hawk bounded away, mumbling 'piggy trot' to himself. The goddess let him go.

"Ban?" A horrifyingly familiar voice spoke as soon as Hawk left the room. Ban's eyes widened in what he assumed was fear. He wouldn't fall for it. He couldn't fall for it...

A girl appeared in front of him. She had short blonde hair that ended just below her shoulders, falling elegantly onto the exposed skin. She was pale, but it made her beautiful golden eyes stand out even more. She had a white dress on- the same one Ban had first saw her in. She looked beautiful- just like he remembered.

"Elaine," Ban said, his voice shakier than he intended it to be.

"Oh, Ban!" the girl exclaimed, rushing toward him and tackling him in a hug. He didn't fall over, just widened his eyes as she made contact. She felt just as he remembered, not a single identifiable difference. She had tears in her eyes, "I've missed you so much! I've been watching you go on all these adventures- even all those years when those Holy Knights hurt you in Baste, I watched you. I've missed you, Ban! I've missed you so much!" She pulled away, cupping his cheeks in her hands. His eyes were still wide. Was this really her..? She had tears pricking at the corners of her own as she smiled at him. "But I'm back now... we can be together! Just like you said! We can run away and fight the Holy Knights! We can do everything you said we would! You can steal me away!"

That's what broke him- steal her away. It replayed in his mind, and it reminded him of their first meeting. 'I wish it was me that Ban had come to steal,' she had said. His heart ached at the sight of her. He could hear, smell, and touch her. She was there. She was back.

"Elaine..." he savored his name on her tongue as he went to grab her, pulling her close. It was truly her. He closed his eyes, pressing his lips in the direction of hers. But she disappeared just as he was about to do so. He opened his eyes and broke again, like the old heartache he felt. She was right there...

"That was Saint Elaine- to show you that I can truly bring her back," the goddess's voice returned. Ban looked up at her with a pained stare; he could still feel her. She wasn't there physically, but she was there. "I can give her to you. All you have to do is the task I require."

You hadn't entered Ban's thoughts at all since you had left on Hawk's back. You didn't matter- you didn't exist. All that mattered was Elaine and getting her back.

"Okay," he answered, "Anything you need."

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