Chapter 33 - Brothers

The whole group spends the rest of the day talking about the upcoming battle because we're sure the demons won't stay back any longer and we have to be ready for their comeback. When the sun goes down, we decide to work on new armors because, to be honest, our current clothes are cool but not very helpful in a fight.

"Hey Yami, come check out yours!" I hear Diane call me some hours later. She's sitting on a table opposite from King and they both work very hard on what's in front of them.

"Oh wow! That's hot! Is that really for me?"

"Of course!" says Diane happily and I see King blush. "You're the Mistress of darkness, so we thought we choose colors that match your powers! Do you like it?"

"It's amazing. You're outdoing yourself!"

"I'm sure Zeldris would love to rip that off from you" Meliodas chuckles behind me and I turn red like a tomate.

"Asshole" I mumble and punch my best friend in the stomach, which he returns with nothing but a giggle.

"You two are the weirdest pair of best friends I've ever seen" Diane says as she watches us in amusement.

"Oh, shush, Diane. Ban will get jealous if he hears you" says Meliodas but he can't hide the amusement either.

"Meliodas, this isn't very nice of you. Have some manners!" I scold and the group around me laughs.

"Meliodas and manners? That would be all new to me!" says Hawk whilst I feel a pair of hands on my waist. I turn around in surprise and see that it's Meliodas who holds onto me, a playful smile is on his lips.

"Let's sneak out of here" he whispers in my ear and I nod. His hands wander from my hips to my hands and he drags me towards the stairs. With another look over our shoulders to make sure that no one follows us, we run up the stairs just like the young demons we were once back in the demons castle.

Still giggling, we stumble into my room and let ourselves fall on the bed.

"Things never get boring with you, Melio" I say and am still amused about our behaviour. I move my head to look at him and take in every detail of his beautiful blond hair before I look right into his green eyes.

But his eyes don't return the happy look I give him but are filled with negative emotions. "You're worried" I state.

"It's almost about time" Meliodas says sternly but his eyes look at me apologizing. 

I sigh and move my head back to its normal position so that I am now facing the ceiling. "Are we ready?" I ask but then turn my face once again to look back into his eyes, waiting for his answer. Even though a lot has happened lately, it's just a short time since we've last met the Ten Commandments. And even though Meliodas has back his powers, the Commandments almost killed him. The power level of the other Sins is way below Meliodas' one and therefore are way below the power levels of the Commandments. So even if we beat a few of them, I'm not sure about how high our changes actually are.

"We'll never really be ready for a fight like this" answers Meliodas. This time, it's him who turns to face the ceiling and I do the same. In the end, I know that he's right. Everyone of the Sins got their weapons back, we're all together and had a few days off to regain our strength. If there's a time to be ready to fight, then it is now, no matter how big or small our chances really are.

A couple of minues later, I change into a sitting position and rest my back against the top of my bed to have a better look at Meliodas. "Hey Meliodas" I break the silence and he realizes the look I give him and turns his head for our eyes to meet. "I understand why you didn't want me to join the Sins... but... I'm glad I get to spend time with you and to meet your friends."

His expression becomes even more sad than before and he changes into a sitting position as well. "I was wrong, Yami." At the surprise of his words, I flinch a bit and blink at him in astonishment before he continues. "I kept distance because I thought it would be better for you. I'm used to handle things on my own and be there to protect the ones I love. Ever since I lost Liz..." He stops speaking and looks at his hands which he is nervously playing with.

"I was afraid of putting you in danger and kept you away from the fights I had to fight with the Sins. In my eyes, you were back in the world you belong to and I think I forgot that a part of you belongs to the demon race as well. I forgot how strong you've become. Ever since we're back together, you're the one protecting me. I misjudged you. And I'm sorry about that."

"Oh Meliodas..." I choke out as new tears fill my eyes. "You're a real dumbass" I whisper and whipe away the tears that already escaped my eyes and roll down my face.

Meliodas chuckles and punches me in the arm playfully. "You really should watch your mouth. That's not very ladylike."

"Look who's giving lectures about manners now" I say chuckling.

Meliodas laughs but then stops and gets serious again. "There's another reason I didn't let you join the Sins."

"Which is?"

"As our name says, we have sins to bear. Things we've done that should've never have happened. You've never done something like that. We were the biggest sinners in the kingdom but also the most powerful creatures. When Merlin and I founded the Seven Deadly Sins, it was because we knew what would happen. The Seven Deadly Sins were founded to defeat the Ten Commandments."

"But you never told them..."

"I know. But you did. You've never met them before, yet you managed to speak the truth about where you come from. I was always afraid to do so. You weren't."

I look at Meliodas with wide eyes as his words touch me deep. "There's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to your friends" I whisper.

"I know now. Because you are proof enough that we can be both."

"You mean to be demonic and human?" Meliodas nods but I look at him in confusion. "But it's only what you teached me. How could you forget?" I ask him and remember younger days, when we talked about how there's no difference between demons and other races. But the longer I think about his words, the deeper they get to me. He said I showed him that it's okay to be demonic and I wonder what I'm doing that's so much different from him, when it actually hits me. "Maybe you're really onto something" I think out loud and get up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Meliodas asks.

"Getting us some ale. Don't you want one?"

Meliodas chuckles and leans back.

"You, me and beer. That's the best part of our friendhsip" he says giggling.

It takes only a few minutes for me to get back upstairs and to my room. But when I open it, I already feel a weird coldness, like everything inside is frozen. Nervously, I place down the mugs of ale on the floor and quickly step inside the room and close the door behind me because I know that something must have happened inside. But what I see right at the other end of my room is far from everything I would have expected.

Right in front of me stand Zeldris and Meliodas and glare at each other. The tension between the two of them is so immense, that I fear that any movement from me will make them attack each other. The window next to my bed is opened and it seems like Zeldris must have come inside through it.

But after standing there for a while, with fear and nervousness rising inside me, I'm getting tired of their behaviour and step forward, right between the two of them. "Alright, what's going on here?" I ask madly.

"You have no right to be here" hisses Meliodas at his younger brother angrily as if I've broken some kind of paralyzation between the two of them.

Zeldris' body is just as tensed up and he clenches his hands into fists. "Like I'm going to listen to anything you say."

"I dare you, Zeldris-"

"Alright! Stop it!" I say more loudly and put my hands up in defense. "If the two of you don't calm down right now, I have no other option than hurting you."

Meliodas sighs but loosens up instantly but not without giving me an angry look. Zeldris, however, remains unchanged. "Zeldris" I say his name sternly and give him a mad look. "You came here for a reason. So you either relax or we have a real problem here." 

"You should do what she says" says Meliodas behind me with a slight amount of amusement. "She can be really dangerous."

Zeldris growls in anger and looks over my shoulder right at Meliodas to give him another death-glare. "You're not helping here, Meliodas" I complain without moving my eyes away from Zeldris.

Finally, he loosens up a bit and looks deep into my eyes. His own eyes are back to the black color I'm used to but I can see that whatever he's here for, it must be urgent. "Zeldris, what's going on? Why are you here?" I ask and finally move down my arms and hope for the two brothers to behave. But instead of answering me, Zeldris looks back at Meliodas angrily and I know that he will not open up in front of his brother.

"You two are giving me a headache" I sigh and turn to face Meliodas. "Please give us a minute."

Meliodas nods and I take Zeldris' hand and together we climb out of the window onto the roof of the tavern. Still holding his hand, I jump down and we both land on the ground softly like feathers. "Now, what's going on? How did you get in my room?"

"Oh, you know, just like the other times... I knocked on your window and climbed inside, just to see my brother standing there. What was he doing in your room?" says Zeldris sarcastically.

"Are we getting a little bit jealous here? He's my best friend, remember? Now, will you finally answer me? We just saw each other some hours earlier. You're worrying me."

Zeldris sighs and takes my hands in his. "They're coming, Yami. I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do."

My eyes widen at these news. So we were right. The final battle of the Holy War is coming closer. Meliodas and I already felt it but I still hoped that we had more time. But from the look Zeldris gives me, I know that it's just a matter of a few hours. "I understand" I breah out, now knowing what else to say. There are too many thoughts in my head right now. I'm scared about my friends and Elizabeth and Meliodas who are my family. I'm scared about what's going to happen. But most especially, with Zeldris right in front of me, I'm scared about the change between the two of us.

"Don't look at me like that" pleads Zeldris and wraps his arms around me to pull me close and place a kiss on my forehead. "I'm sorry, Yami."

"There's nothing we can do" I say almost emotionless because I don't know what thought to give in first. Zeldris is not going to switch sides to fight with us. He's going to continue this war to finish it. He's going to follow his comrades. There's nothing we can do anymore. From now on, we're back to being enemies.

"You're wrong. Maybe there is something you can do" we hear a voice from behind us and I turn around to see Meliodas walking towards us. He stops next to me with his hands in his pockets. "Hey little brother, I think it's time to catch up some, don't you think?" He looks straight at Zeldris, who immediately tenses up and glares angrily at Meliodas.

"I already told you there's nothing to talk about" he hisses.

"Well, things have changed since we've last seen each other, didn't they?" Meliodas says and gesticulates towards me. Zeldris' eyes wander from Meliodas over to me before they go back to his brother. I watch the conversation between them nervously.

Eventually, Zeldris exhales and nods. "Alright." 

Meliodas turns around to face me and it's clear to me that he wants me to leave. Nervously, I let my eyes wander from brother to brother to make sure they're both fine with this decision. "Alright, I'm going over there" I say and point to the roof of the Boar Hat. "Be nice to each other. I have an eye on the two of you." I say and turn around to leave the two of them alone.

3rd persons POV

With a final glare over his shoulder to check on Yami, Zeldris follows his brother further away from the tavern and into the woods. Silence and tension fills the space between the two of them while walking and he waits for his brother to speak up. There's nothing Zeldris has to say to him and there are only two reasons he's here with Meliodas anyway. The first one, of course, is Yami. But there was this look that Meliodas gave him that said it was really urgent.

Minutes pass and the Boar Hat is almost out of sight and Zeldris wonders when his brother will finally speak up. As if he could read his mind, Meliodas finally turns to look at Zeldris before turning his face forward again. He clenches his hands into fists and Zeldris looks at them in surprise. He doesn't sense any danger coming from his brother right now and doesn't understand this action. "I know there's nothing I can say to make up for what has happened. But just so you know... I'm sorry" says Meliodas and his words are so unexpected, that Zeldris' eyes widen as he thinks he misunderstood his older brother. Meliodas, on the other hand, is all nervous and his body is tensed up. In the end, he has no right to be mad at his younger brother. Meliodas let him down and still feels ashamed for being a failure of a older brother. He can't look Zeldris in the eyes and he's only mad at him for doing the same things he used to do too.

"There's no need to get sentimental now" says Zeldris monotonous and grinds his teeth. For Zeldris, there's nothing Meliodas can say to make up for all the things he has done. "When it comes to me, I have nothing to say to you."

"Then tell me, why are you here with me?"

"You're kidding" says Zeldris sarcastically and crosses his arms as he stops to look Meliodas in the eyes. "You have something to say, so spit it out."

"Listen" Meliodas says more sternly and turns around to finally look at his brother. He knew that his words wouldn't calm down his brother but at least he was being honest with him. "Were both here for Yami, I get it. It's your only reason not to kill me right now. But we need to make up or either it's going to rip her apart. She'd never forgive you for killing me."

"I think you forget about the other Commandments that you let down just as well. I'm sure they'd love to kill you instead."

"You're a great boyfriend" Meliodas says sarcastically and sighs. He knew it wouldn't be easy to talk to Zeldris but he's making it really hard for him. "Don't you think that Yami would suffer if she looses one of us?"

This time, it's Zeldris who clenches his hands into fists but he does so in anger. No matter how much he hates to admit it, his brother is right. But it doesn't matter when, because in the end, one of them will die during the Holy War anyway. But Meliodas doesn't seem to see that option and Zeldris begins to get curious about what his brother is thinking. "We are still not good but tell me, what's your plan?"

"Well then, well then, well then. Looks like we're finally coming forwards" giggles Meliodas but from the angry look Zeldris gives him, he knows that his humor won't bring him anywhere, so he becomes more serious again. "You said there's nothing you can do but you're wrong." Already tired of the vague informations, Zeldris raises an eyebrow at his older brother as he waits for him to continue, which he better does fast. "We used to get along kind of well, do you remember?" To Zeldris, his brother sounds almost saddened but Zeldris is still too mad at him to worry about it for even just a second.

"That was way before you betrayed us" says Zeldris angrily, his hands are still clenched into fists as new anger rises inside him. After everything that has happened, Yami would still do everything for Meliodas and he acts like it's all natural when he's the actual reason Zeldris had to protect her.

"You were not there. You have not heard her cry so many nights, hoping you'd come back. I don't care about what happened between the two of us. But you left Yami as well and it broke her. You weren't there to fix it!" he scolds at his brother whilst his voice rises some.

Listening to the anger filled voice from his younger brother, Meliodas looks down in shame. Zeldris is right. Meliodas has no idea what Yami had to go through but he knows that it wasn't easy for her. Still, their bond seemed to be stronger than all the pain they went through because after all the years, they became so much stronger together.

"You're right" says Meliodas finally and his voice is full with regret. "There's not a day I don't regret the pain I put her in. But we made up and you're not in the place to blame me for it. It's a thing between Yami and me."

"You have no idea what I've done for her" says Zeldris through gritted teeth.

Instead of answering him, Meliodas places his hand on Zeldris' shoulder. "I know. But I'm grateful that you were there for her. Thank you, Zeldris."

Zeldris hasn't expected his brother to react like that and stares at his brothers hand with a mixture of disgust and surprise. This awkward closeness is way too much for Zeldris but he finally gives in and relaxes some. No matter how mad he is at Meliodas, he can see the neverending love for Yami in his eyes. They can argue all they want but they both love Yami a lot and he can see that Meliodas wants to protect her just as badly. Nonetheless, he places his hand on Meliodas' just to push it off his shoulder. "I'm still waiting to hear about your plan."

"I'm sure you know the answer already" says Meliodas and looks into the deep, dark eyes of Zeldris.

"To think you could beat father is just plain stupid" says Zeldris and knows very well what his brother is thinking. He wants to fight against his own father to become the new demon king and save Elizabeth and Yami.

"Not just me. Us."

"I know that living with the humans must have made you stupid but I didn't expect you to be that stupid. You can't defeat him. Out of all people, you should know it best."

"You're right, I can't defeat him on my own. But together we can."

"You really have lost your mind, Meliodas" snorts Zeldris.

"Well, and I always thought you want to become the next demon lord."

"Not like that. My time will come."

Absolutely inappropriately in Zeldris' eyes, Meliodas starts giggling. "Now, who's stupid? Zeldris, do you really think that our father would give you the throne once this war is over? The moment the Ten Commandments win, he'd get back his old strength. You should know what that really means. Not to mention what he'd do when he finds out about Yami and you."