There was despair among the group as they stared at the orb, tears falling from everyone's eyes as they watched their two comrades. Their two friends. They were dead, their bodies mangled and bruised on the battlefield, where the Ten Commandments had battered and killed them.

These two people. These two simple people.

No, they were far from simple.

These two loved demons had just fought and given their lives for them.

They gave everything, and they fought harder than anyone in that group would have.

Meliodas.

He had Elizabeth, a sweet girl who devoted herself to him since the moment they met. She had spent every waking moment with him since she had begun her search for the Sins. He had Ban, his best friend. He's made mistakes, but never once has be doubted his devotion to their friendship. He had Diane, his devoted, hidden lover who cared endlessly about him. She knew his kindness and his heart. He had Gilthunder, his little nephew who looked up to him since he was a child. He held him in his heart with everything he did, and everyday he asked himself, "What would Meliodas do?"

(Y/N).

She had Elizabeth, her beloved friend who cherished her quirks and upbeat personality. She adored her personality and how funny, but complex she was. She had King, her substitute older brother who doted over her like a real sibling would. He watched over and scolded her when he needed to, but he never once in his life stopped caring about you. He would never say it, but you mean more to him than Elaine. She had Merlin, he mother in the living world. She cared and loved her always, letting her be independent, but always having her back. Even when the Sins had broken up, she checked up on you.

They both had everyone in that circle. Those people, some of which they had just meant, who had learned to love them, faults and all. They all had tears falling freely, their emotions getting better of them.

Ban cried out, falling to the floor and clutching either side of his head. Elizabeth had been tending to Elaine, who had fallen limp during the battle, but they all found themselves mourning rather than being at her side.

"I shouldn't have let her go!" He sobbed through gritted teeth, "I should have gone to help the cap'n..!"

"(Y/N)..." King mumbled, staring numbly at the orb. He scrunched up his face as streams of tears rolled out faster than his eyes could handle. "She... she's dead... I let her die, and I didn't do anything..."

"Meliodas... how could he have died?" Gil cried, looking at Hauser, who was staring down at the floor with clenched fists. "He can't die, he's the most powerful man in Britannia!"

"I'm gonna kill 'em..." Hauser said, barely above a whisper. "I'm gonna kill those sons of bitches...!"

"I'm gonna murder them!" Hawk cried, raging. "I'm going to kill every single one of them!"

Hendrickson and Arthur turned away respectfully, hiding their sorrow from the group as to not cry in the presence of the dead.

"Meliodas... and (y/n)..." Diane mumbled, "They aren't dead,,, are they? They can't be... they're as strong as it gets..."

"(Y/N).... Sir Meliodas..." Elizabeth mumbled, stumbling up to the mage, in denial. "Please... send me to them."

"But-"

"Please."

He hesitated, but sighed upon seeing the girl's broken expression. He allowed her to be teleported there, and she stumbled out into the rocky terrain, which was covered in smoke and dust. She looked around numbly.

"Sir Meliodas? (Y/N)?" She called out, which had no response. She stumbled to where they were, their bodies a few feet apart.

"Please, answer me!" She called out, before finally reaching their two bodies. She fell to the ground between the two of them, looking between their beaten faces. They were almost unrecognizable with such pale, lifeless faces.

They had always been the lives of the group. Joking and laughing, hanging out with her. They both had done nothing but care and protect her. Once again, they had done it. They had protected her. They had protected everyone. They had payed the ultimate price.

"Wake up... please..." She whimpered holding Meli's hand and placing a hand on (y/n)'s shoulder. "Please..."

The tears finally came out, spilling down her cheeks. She clutched the both of you as if she could bring you back. She screamed out her sobs, crying loudly. It was a horrible sight.

She hurt. She hurt so bad.

The two Sins she had cared the most about, who always cared about her no matter what. She had lost them. She had let them die. She had never, ever felt so terrible in her life.

Her entire body was wracked with such despond, she thought she finally knew how (y/n) felt when she thought back to her past. She finally understood her Sin. She got it.

Every part of her body was hurting just to distract from the sadness. She wanted to kill the Commandments. She wanted them to suffer just as the two of them had suffered. She wanted to have them feel what they had felt. She could watch them suffer and she wouldn't so much as bat an eye.

She hurt. She wanted other people to feel that hurt.

Was this really what the Sin of Despond was?

...

Ban sobbed his eyes out on the floor. He didn't even care anymore. His captain, his friend, his brother. He let him die. He let him die.

And (y/n)...

Oh, (y/n)...

The woman he had belittled and destroyed. The woman he had hurt and beat down with glares and comments and actions. The woman he had convinced himself he didn't care about because he had Elaine.

But it hurt so much more to ignore her than Elaine.

She knew it too, Elaine. The way he looked at her and stayed up at night, staring up and thinking about her. She was under the assumption he couldn't commit to (y/n) because of her, but as soon as she came back, she knew that wasn't it. Now Ban knew it too.

He was using Elaine as an excuse. He was afraid he would let her down.

Now he really had. He had let her down. He had let her die.

He should have gone with her- or instead of her.

He used Elaine again and again, telling himself that he still loved her. He did, but it wasn't the same as it was. He loved her like a memory. But (y/n)... he was scared of how he loved her.

Never would he admit it, but he fought it everyday. He couldn't cope with how he felt, so he thought being cold would get rid of it. But it made it so much worse. Every time he caught sight of her disappointment, his heart squeezed, wanting to run up and beg you for frogiveness.

It was dangerous how much he cared about (y/n). He hated it, how much he cared. He hid from it.

It was a mistake. Such a horrible, horrible mistake. He should have never let himself be tempted by the fantasy he had fabricated and grown to believe.

He brought Elaine back, and as soon as she was there, he knew. He knew it wasn't the same. He knew the truth.

That night where she broke down in front of him, he was on the brink of tears. He almost broke down right there, apologizing and begging her to forgive him. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He loved her so much and he had since they got back together.

But he didn't.

He hurt her.

He made her the way she is.

He made her upset and he made her cry.

He made (y/n) so upset about herself, that she was ready to die without a second thought.

He brought her to that.

And because of it... he only wished he could kill himself.