Chapter 15 - The Demons World

3.000 years ago

"The amount of our comrades disappearing is increasing!" I heard a female voice complain furiously.

"I'm aware of that" Zeldris spoke up, his voice as dark and emotionless as usual. Yet, he seemed to let out a sigh afterwards but I wasn't quite sure because I was standing at the other side of the conference room and listened to the Ten Commandments gathering. I usually stayed away from the other Commandments but Meliodas wasn't with them, not for the first time though. That he stayed away from his duties left his comrades in frustration, especially because they didn't know what he was doing at all. They would have not been pleased with their leader meeting up with a girlfriend from another race. But whilst Meliodas was gone all the time, something was wrong in the demon world recently. More and more demons didn't return to the demons world and many friends were counted as missing.

It wasn't therefore hard to see that today's event was a crisis meeting.

"Do you think they were killed by the gods?" asked Fraudrin.

"No. I can feel that my sister is still alive" Derieri continued.

"The only question is, for how long" Monspiet muttered angrily.

"Enough with the complaints" Zeldris said. He had somehow taken Meliodas' place ever since Meliodas stayed away from their meetings and now acted as the representative of their father, the Demon King, and was even able to borrow his powers.

I couldn't tell which brother I disliked more as the leader of the Ten Commandments. Meliodas had been really powerful and there was a time he never questioned his fathers orders but Zeldris followed them blindly and he had never been as nice as his brother. He was strict, obedient and assertive.

Whenever Zeldris was around other Commandments, I prefered to stay away from him because he seemed even more cold-hearted than usual. Not that he was paying any attention to me then anyway.

"I understand that you're concerned. But we can't act too hastily" Zeldris said. "I'm sure the other races are just waiting for a mistake."

"Zeldris, if you seriously expect me to sit here and wait for them to kill my sister, then-"

"Enough! We will meet again tomorrow. There is nothing we can do right now" Zeldris said with his voice rised and added after a short break: "Orders from above."

I hurried away from the door and to my own room before anyone could've catched me eavesdrop.

◊ ◊ ◊

I came back from the kitchen around two hours later, holding two mugs of ale in my hands. The door to my room was slightly open and a smile grew on my lips because I already knew who was inside. It grew even wider when I saw Zeldris frowning face because he couldn't find me.

"Right behind you" I said and leaned against the doorframe. "I knew you would come and look for me."

Zeldris turned around and raised his eyebrow at me. I wasn't sure if it was because of my comment or the two ales in my hand, which he grabbed one from. I walked over to my bed and patted on the empty space next to me, inviting him to sit down with me. "Are you okay?" I asked him but already knew the answer. "You're not going to talk about it anyway, are you?"

"Of course not" he said but let out a sigh and I could see how exhausted he was. There was a new frown on his face and his dark eyes seemed tired, his whole body tension more loose than usual. But Zeldris wasn't much of a big talker, especially when it came to himself. I was used to it by then and we often just sat together and enjoyed each others company. Therefore, Zeldris and I sat in silence once again, drinking our ales until he rested his head on my shoulder.

"I'm glad you're here" I broke the silence. Our drinks were almost finished. "It makes me feel less lonely."

But as usually, Zeldris didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. He then squeezed my hand softly and I hoped that he wouldn't recognize my heartbeat(s) fastening.

◊ ◊ ◊

a couple days later

It was middle of the night and I was asleep when I felt soft strokes on my cheek that woke me up. I opened my eyes and looked into my favorite pair of beautiful green eyes. Meliodas knelt in front of my bed, a smile was on his lips. "Meliodas!" I exclaimed happily and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Shush! Not so loud! You're going to wake up the entire castle."

"Sorry" I whispered, yet chuckled and moved to the side of my bed so Meliodas could lay down next to me. "What are you doing here?" I asked and wrapped the blanket around the both of us.

Meliodas began to stroke through my hair, his gaze meeting mine again. This time, he looked less happy but sad and caring. "You know I can't be seen here anymore. I'm a traitor."

I sighed. "I know. But why are you here then? You're sneaking into your own home."

"Isn't that obvious?" he whispered. "I'm here to see you."

I couldn't help but smile because I was too happy to see him again. And to know that he didn't forget about me was more than just charming. "I'm glad you're here. But for how long will you be staying?"

"I'll be gone before the sun rises" he said.

"Before the sun rises?" I giggled because there was no real sun in the demons world. The only difference between day- and nighttime was that the nights were pitch black.

Meliodas joined my giggeling. "I miss you, Yami. It's good to see you."

"You too" I said smiling until I couldn't return his gaze anymore and rested my head on his chest instead. His hand that was stroking my hair before began to stroke my back, his fingers drawing small circles on it. "Hey Meliodas... You're still going to keep your promise, right?" I broke the comfortable silence.

"I'll never leave you Yami. Promised. Wherever I'll be going, you're coming with me. So when I'm leaving for good, you'll be coming with me. ...And until then, I'll always come back for you."

"Even if that means you have to sneak into your own home in the middle of the night from now on?" I laughed and Meliodas joined it.

"Even if that means I'll have to sneak into my own home in the middle of the night."

◊ ◊ ◊

4.000 years ago

Meliodas and I were done with today's training and back to our rooms already when he called my name.

I turned around to face him but he just poked my shoulder and passed me by running. "Catch me!" was the last thing I heard him shout at me.

"What are you doing?" I laughed but chased after him anyway. But it wasn't a fair game at all because Meliodas had always been faster than me and soon enough, Meliodas was way ahead of me. "That's not fair!" I shouted and was about to give up already.

"Stop whining!" he shouted and ran upstairs.

"Oh my... Meliodas, you're going to be the death of me!" I groaned loud enough for him to hear me and followed him, trying to not fall over my own feet.

We reached the top floor and Meliodas sat on a window frame, looking over his shoulder to see me running towards him. A smirk formed on his lips before he pushed himself out of the window.

"Are you stupid?!" I called and without a second thought, I just followed him out of the window. I had simply forgotten about the fact that he could actually fly and only realized how stupid I had been while falling down from the top of the castle. Once again. I had just been able to fly since a few days and wasn't very good at it but at least I could save myself this time by spreading my wings before I hit the ground.

I flew up to the sky, where Meliodas was already waiting for me, a grin in his face. "I knew you could do it."

"You're an idiot" I mumbled. "What's that with you and your brother sending me down the castle like that?" I sighed.

Meliodas' mood changed immediately. His grin faded, his eyes were full of anger. "Zeldris simply tried to kill you! He knew your wings weren't spreading yet!"

I was surprised to see my best friend react like that. "Mel..." I said softly. "Zeldris kept an eye on me the whole time. He didn't try to hurt me, nor to kill me." Or at least, I hoped so. Zeldris wouldn't seriously hurt me on purpose, would he? I sighed at my own thoughts and that Meliodas was even able to let me doubt Zeldris' actions. "I trust him."

"You have no idea how worried I was!" Meliodas said desperately and sighed, too. "I can't loose you."

"You're so stupid" I sighed. "You're never going to loose me. Now will you cheer up, please?"

Meliodas' look softened until a smirk formed on his lips and he flew away. "You still haven't catched me!" he shouted, leaving me in disbelief at his childish behaviour. Nonetheless, I chased after him, laughing along with him. It felt good to forget about our duties sometimes and just live like the teenagers we actually were.

But of course, Meliodas was way faster than me and I just gave up and landed somewhere near the castle.

"Tackle!" I heard Meliodas shout right before he landed on me roughly, his wings folded in. From the force of his impact, we rolled on the ground and when we finally came to a stop, Meliodas leaned above me, lifting his weight on his elbows. We just looked at each other and laughed until we calmed down. Meliodas' face was still really close to mine and I got lost in the beautiful green of his eyes. He moved even closer until our faces were only inches apart.

"Don't..." I said and turned my face away to avoid the kiss he was about to give me. He cupped my face in his right hand and began to caress my cheek.

"Why?" he whispered softly and I couldn't look away any longer. I had to meet his eyes again and when I did, he smiled slightly. But then, realization hit him and his expression changed. "You don't like me like that..."

"I'm sorry" I said. "There's someone else."

His face moved closer to mine again but I knew he wouldn't do anything I didn't want to happen. Instead, I felt his lips on my cheek for no more than a second. Our eyes met again and they were light up with nothing but happiness. "You're still my best friend."

"I didn't expect anything else" I said and Meliodas laid down next to me. We rolled onto our backs and looked up at the sky that was a mixture of purple, dark blue and black colors. And even though it was no real sky, it felt calming to look at the colors mixing together. "I'm happy to have you, Meliodas" I said after a while and I felt him squeeze my hand.

"I'll never leave you, Yami."

3rd persons POV

Zeldris heard their laughing throughout the castle and rolled his eyes at their behaviour. Why could they never behave when they were together? Meliodas was a shame for his family, acting like some stupid child around Yami. Nonetheless, it made Zeldris furious to hear their laughters and he couldn't tell why. He saw a shadow pass his window and walked over to it to take a look outside. Meliodas was flying up to the sky before a second shadow passed his window. He took a closer look and realized that it was Yami rushing towards the ground. He caught his breath in shock as he felt something like worry. Not that he would've ever admitted so to himself. He watched her fall down in tension and tried not to rush to her. Meliodas would never put her in danger. Zeldris wondered why his older brother would do the exact same thing he got yelled at for just a few days ago, when Yami suddenly spread her wings and took off to the sky. He watched her fly in awe because even though she had just learned how to fly, she was already doing it very well. Another wave of anger rolled over him when he saw Meliodas and Yami hovering in the sky together, a smile on their lips. He turned around because he didn't want to face them anymore. Their friendship would be the dead of him someday.

◊ ◊ ◊

A demon rushes towards me but I focus him and say the words: "Night Sky". Small, black balls appear around me and with a simple movement with my hand towards the demon, they rush to it and defeat it. Fortunately, we're mostly fighting against low-threshold demons who can be defeated with simple and short attacks. But unfortunately, not every day is that easy. I had to fight red and grey demons often enough and I am sure that the others had to, too.

It's already late evening and I had just fought the last demon in the nearer surroundings when I feel the presence of new demons but their powers are way stronger. Just then, I see a movement in the background of the defeated demon in front of me and immediately recognize Derieri and Monspeet. They're walking towards a nearby building and I watch them walk inside, probably hiding from the night.

I should go to get some rest as well but I have the urge to keep an eye on them.

I hide near by the house and wonder what I should do next. Maybe I could fight them on my own but I don't know if it's worth the risk.

Do I even want to fight them?

They have hurt Meliodas. They even tried to kill him. And they want revenge for what happened 3.000 years ago. They're a big threat to the peace the kingdom has searched for for so long.

But something is stopping me from rushing inside and fighting them. I can't stop thinking about the way Monspeet looked at Derieri at Istar and the way he behaved around her. If he's still in love with her, what's the point in fighting against them? They'd fight 'til death if I hurt either of them. Also, I feel somehow sorry for Monspeet. His command stops him from telling Derieri how he truly feels about her and all he can do is be by her side, not being able to admit his feelings towards her. I can relate to that all too well...

Maybe that is what is stopping me...

Eventually, all lights are turned off and I've gotten the most stupid idea ever. Yet, I sneak into the house to fulfil it. After all, it's worth a risk, isn't it?

There is this special power of mine that I don't really like to use because it's playing with the mind of the people I use it on. And I don't like playing with minds at all. I wouldn't want anyone to play with mine, either. I whisper the word "nightmare" and reveal two dark purple balls in my hands. I place myself between the two beds where Derieri and Monspeet lay on and move my hands up their foreheads, slowly pushing the dark balls to there. It flows through their skin, right to their mind.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes and find myself in their minds when I open them again.

"What are you doing here?" Derieri hisses at me instantly but then she sees someone behind me and I turn around to take a look at Monspeet.

The male demon looks at me unimpressed but I can feel his tenstion that he is trying to hide. But 'nightmare' is a power that lets me sneak into their minds and make it appear as a dream, so there's nothing they can hide from me right now.

His eyes move over to Derieri and I can see a worried look on his face because whenever he's trying to walk closer to her, he doesn't get further than a few steps. Their distance is caused by their distance in real because I practically added two dreams together.

"You really have some nerves" Derieri scolds at me, barely impressed by the weird scenario.

"I'm here to talk to you two, that's all" I say as neutral as possible.

"Why should we talk to you?" Derieri says pissed, her voice is rising. "You're just like Meliodas! A traitor to your own race!"

"Quick judgement, Derieri. I don't remember spending much time with you."

"So how'd you the the idea that we'd talk to you?" Monspeet asked.

"I'm here to warn you. Revenge won't bring back what you lost" I say and let my eyes wander to Derieri. "Your sister won't return, no matter how many souls you kill."

Derieri chlenches her hands into fists, her eyes no more than slits she's glaring at me through. But it doesn't scare me because they can't hurt me in the state they're in. "I'm sure the Seven Deadly Sins won't be as friendly as I'm being right now. They'll protect the kingdom with everything they have. That means, if you still choose to fight as two of the Ten Commandments and I see you hurt those who are innocent when we meet again, I will not be as kind as today. Maybe you should ask yourself if your fighting is worth all the consequences."

I don't give the two Commandments the possibilty to respond and just leave their minds. I'm back in their room when I open my eyes again and hurry out of the house before they really wake up. After all, I'm not so sure they wouldn't hurt me just because I didn't hurt them either. I don't even know if my words really reached them and if they will think about them. And when I think about it further, my words had a hint of a threat in them and a threat is definitely the wrong way to reach them.

3rd persons POV

Zeldris sat on a ledge and looked far away into the night sky just a couple of days ago. It was the day after Istar. His brother Estarossa sat right next to him, almost drifting off to sleep as he felt really bored. But Zeldris couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday. Who was this woman that defeated them in a heartbeat? Of course, she had the moment of surprise by her side. She appeared out of nowhere and seemed to be one of the demon race because Estarossa was able to stab several of her hearts. Nonetheless, his comrades should have acted faster but they all stood there petrified. And Estarossa... He was so surprised to see the woman that he couldn't finish off either Meliodas or her. In the end, both of them escaped and Meliodas' wounds would heal. It was just a matter of times until he would back to his old strength. The Ten Commandments had ruined their biggest chance to defeat him for good.

Zeldris should've be more than mad about that night but he just sat on the ledge, mostly in confusion.

And then there was this strange feeling when their eyes had met. They looked so familiar, yet he had never seen her before. But he didn't just felt like he knew her but like there was a connection between the two of them that he couldn't understand. And no matter how long he thought about it now, he still couldn't understand all of this. But how could he when her blue eyes appeared before his inner eye again and again, the strange feeling reappering. He couldn't get her off his mind, even though she was clearly an opponent and stanger to him.