~Necklace Key~
Red : admiring/ dazed / showing love
Purple : jealousy
Yellow : worried
Black : angry
Pink : shy/ flustered/ embarrassed
Grey: sad
White : teasing
green : disgusted
Blue : happy/ soft
.......
I woke up feeling groggy and pain all over me. Everything ached.
"Y/N!"
Lock's voice called out from beside me. His eyes were red and puffy. Had he been crying? Everything had happened so fast. "What's wrong? You almost never call me by my name. It's usually Princess or some cheesy nickname," I tried to make a small joke, but he only looked down at the ground, a shadow over his eyes.
Glancing off to the side, I spoke. "Where's Meliodas?" Knowing him, Mel would be heartbroken after Liz....I couldn't bear to finish the thought.
"He hurt you and you want to know where he is!? He could've killed you and he just left without a word!" Lockwood yelled. He panted softly after raising his voice. My eyes widened.
"H-he just left?" I stuttered. "He wouldn't do that!" I shouted, immediately regretting it afterward. I began to cough harshly, my chest hurting immensely. "Careful! You broke a rib, idiot!" Lockwood shouted, helping me sit up. "That would've been nice to know earlier Lock-" I spoke sarcastically.
"Still, Meliodas wouldn't just leave without a reason...much less hurt me..."
"Well, he did okay!? And I thought that I would've been the one to accidentally hurt you...but it was him," Lockwood sighed. "Considering my past, I constantly worried if I'd accidentally hurt you, especially during training. I never thought that he of all people would hurt you..."
I looked up at him with sad eyes. As he turned around, he caught my sad gaze and looked down at the ground, walking towards the door to the small bedroom. "I should let you rest. Try not to move too much. Your wounds aren't completely healed yet,"
He left the room and closed the door without another word. I sighed. Even if Lockwood didn't admit it, I knew that he looked up to Meliodas. I let myself relax and soon fell asleep to the sound of my own thoughts.
.......
I was once again greeted by the lonely field of my dreams. Below the lone tree was Z, but something felt off today. I looked down and realized that my rib wound wasn't there. Do my injuries not affect me here? The grass around the tree looked as if it'd been ripped out.
"Z, are you okay?" I called out. He looked up at me and scoffed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he spoke back almost immediately. "You seem upset. Does it have anything to do with what you said earlier?" I asked suddenly.
'If you knew what happened you wouldn't say that..'
Zeldris stiffened, but relaxed once I spoke again. "I know that I've done a lot of reckless stuff as a kid, but I wasn't that bad," she laughed, thinking that he was referring to her reckless acts as a child. Zeldris stood up and threw a fist into the tree beside them. "It's not about that! You wouldn't understand!" He shouted angrily.
I grit my teeth and stood up. "You always say that! You always say that I wouldn't understand or that I'm too young. I'm older now and you've promised to tell me so many things when I'm older but you haven't said anything! You say so many things that I don't understand and I want to understand but you won't tell me anything at all!" I shouted, stray tears falling.
"What are you afraid of telling me!? I already know that you're a demon and that didn't stray me away from you. You're my friend and nothing will change that! No secret is going to change that fact!"
Z turned around with wide eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry that I yelled....You want to know what's wrong? I'm furious! Meliodas could have killed you and I couldn't do anything," I couldn't find the words and just smiled. "If you're upset then we'll just have to change your mood. Trust Meliodas like I do. I know that he wouldn't have killed me. I know that he'll come back," I laughed softly.
I moved and took Zeldris' hand in mine. "Don't act so gloomy. Whenever I was sad as a kid you'd always cheer me up. I want to do the same for you," He laughed softly and sat down underneath the tree once again.
"I would. You were such a crybaby-"
"Am not!"
"Says the girl that was crying just a minute ago,"
"Meanie!"
Zeldris laughed and gave a genuine smile. "I watched you while you were fighting. You beat the crap out of him. I'm proud," I smiled brightly and lunged towards him, hugging him. I was surprised when he hugged back. It wasn't often that he let himself hug me back, but when he did, I always felt protected, like I never wanted to let go. I nuzzled into his neck and smiled. Zeldris nuzzled into the crook of my neck and I giggled. He pulled away and covered his face. I could tell that he was beet red. I laughed and smiled brightly.
When I looked at Z again he had bright green emerald eyes. I was mesmerized. They were so pretty.
"Z.. your eyes are so beautiful!"
He looked at me with a wide gaze.
She acted the same way back then. I told her that I was proud of her and she hugged me, seeing my eyes. That was the day that I gave her-
Zeldris glanced down at where the necklace fell on your neck and smiled softly.
"P-p-please forgive m-m-me Z-zel, I-I w-won't m-make it. B-but I was a-a-ble to s-save you,"
His breath hitched when your voice echoed in his head. He remembered the feeling of warmth leaving your body as he cradled you.
"I l-l-love you Z-z-zel..."
The memories flashed in his mind of the day you died 3000 years ago. He cradled your body and rocked back and forth chanting please as he cried and screamed for it to be a dream.
"Z?" I called out. He looked petrified and his breathing was uneven. He looked up at me with teary eyes, but he wouldn't let the tears fall. I smiled and hugged him tightly. He didn't fight the hug and let it happen. I rocked back and forth gently, holding him in my arms. He always did this for me when I was a child.
"It all seems so familiar....whenever I hold you, I can't help but feel like I never want to let you go. It's like a constant deja vu. I used this weird power earlier and my eye turned gold. It was all so weird, but that power's warmth was so familiar, but the cold feeling was also familiar," my voice shook. "I felt so cold as I layed there on the ground. I was conscious, but everything was fuzzy. It was like...I was dying..."
Zeldris's eyes shot up and he rushed to ask me more, but I had disappeared from the field. "Y/N!" he called out worriedly.
I had woken up.
.......
My eyes shot open and I panted, taking in the world around me. I wasn't with Z anymore...
"Are you finally up sleepyhead?" I glanced over the bed and saw Lockwood sitting on a chair with a cheesy smile. "You've been sleeping for a while. I came back around 10 minutes later and you were out like a light," Lockwood laughed.
I laughed softly, making sure to mind my broken rib.
" I was just resting mind you,"
"I understand,"
Just then the door to my room opened revealing Arthur
He had changed quite a bit from when we were last together. His hair was still short but styled differently. He wore a frown.
"Can you stop with this look? Honestly, everyone keeps showing that look. Please show something else-"
"Is that what you're going to say to me after all these years? By the way, I'm taking you back home to Camelot"
He then turned around, but before going he turned to Lock.
"You get up." With his order Lock got up, but was slightly confused.
"I'm appointing you as her Knight. Please take good care of her," With that he turned around. As he was about to go he stopped. I thought he was going to say something else but he shook his head and just left without saying anything else.
"He's mad..."
"Can you blame him? He told me he had left you with Meliodas when you were younger and then suddenly you get hurt,"
We didn't say anything else after that and Lock helped me up. He gave me my clothes and turned around so I could dress up.
It was slightly hard to get dressed, since my rib hurt like hell, but after a while I was ready and good to go.
Lock turned around when I gave him the okay signal.
"Great, let's go with Sir Arthur then."
Once downstairs, Arthur looked up from his sword and took a good look at me.
"You haven't changed. You're as beautiful as the day I left you..."
Blushing at his random comment, I went to him and smiled softly.
He smiled back, took my hand in his, and gave it a kiss.
"Let us go then my Lady,"
I nodded and just like that we left. Lock was given his own horse and Arthur took me with him. As we rode to the land in speed. I just kept thinking about Meliodas.
I know that I told myself to trust him, and that is what I've been telling everyone, but It's just... it's hard to think like that when I don't know why he left in the first place
My bangs hid my eyes, my lips trembled. Even though I didn't want to cry, my tears just fell on their own. My body shook slightly and Arthur noticed this.
"What's wrong? Are you cold?"
I smiled through my tears, but my bangs hid my eyes.
"Y-yeah just fine- t-the horse is just shaking me a bit,"
"O-oh do you want me to slow down then?"
"No-! Umm...the faster we get home the better it will be,"
Arthur seemed to hesitate but nodded nonetheless.
He even made his horse go faster.
I gripped his white cape, and despite my tears I smiled, my eyes still hidden.
I really am a cry baby...
.........
Arriving at the castle, I went off the horse and without waiting for anybody, I dashed off. I didn't stop once, not even when Arthur screamed my name.
Lockwood looked at where I'd gone too and clenched his fist.
She's...
He gave his horse to the servant taking care of them and followed where I went.
"I'll talk to her, don't worry"
Arriving at my room I opened it and closed it quickly. I leaned against it and took deep breaths to try to steady my quick breathing.
Clenching the surface, I slid down the door dropping to the ground. I brought my knees to my chest hugging them. This is when my tears went out harder and I cried softly.
How could he just leave without saying anything... Was I...just a burden?
Don't say that ...
Oh Z,....
Just then a knock sounded through my door.
I didn't want to see anybody, so I didn't answer. However the knocking didn't stop.
"Just go away!"
"Princess it's me... please let me in.."
I looked up with red puffy eyes.
I stood up and very slowly opened the door. Lockwood stood there shocked at seeing me in this state. "Lockwood..." I whispered his name. This was all it took for him to lunge at me, taking me into his arms, hugging me tightly.
"Let it out, let it out princess...you'll be okay.."
I don't know how long I've been crying in his arm, soaking his shirt.
He didn't say anything, he just let me be in his arms, caressing my back softly.
I hugged him tightly, seeking comfort in his arms. Somehow his hugs felt warm.
After a while, my cries stopped and we just hugged silently.
"Meliodas will come back eventually, even if I have to drag his sorry behind back here. I'll knock some sense into him whenever I see him again," Lockwood proclaimed proudly. I looked up at him with tired eyes and smiled softly. The pendant glowed a soft gray. "Thank you, Lock,"
I shook my head and sat up, Lockwood gently letting go of me. I turned towards him and spoke: "Say, do you want to train?"
.......
Zeldris sat in the lone valley of Purgatory. His gaze was stern and refused to show any emotion. The pendant allowed him to watch over her, but it also meant that he had to watch another man comfort the woman he loved. What made it worse was that it was his own brother that hurt her.
"You're moping around again,"
The voice was instantly recognizable as it belonged to the first king of fairies, Gloxinia. "Shut up," Zeldris spoke back, his voice monotone, but carrying a hidden silence. The fairy sighed and shook his head.
"How is she?" the fairy asked. "I know that you care for her deeply, you've been trying everything you can to break the seal," the demon didn't reply. Over the course of 3000 years, Gloxinia had learned how to read the demon. He hid his emotions away and showed them only when he was with her. Y/N was one of Gloxinia's close friends, so he spoke with Zeldris quite often.
"Fraudrin killed Liz, the current reincarnation of Elizabeth. It won't be much longer until we're free. When that day comes, I trust that you'll protect her," the fairy sighed and crossed his arms. "I believe that Grayroad wanted to speak with you, but I'll do the best I can to keep them away for a bit. You're upset and hurt, I can tell. I have been with you for 3000 years after all,"
Gloxinia frowned and flew away, leaving Zeldris alone once. He grit his teeth and gathered all of his emotions into his fist. He was forced to watch his angel grow up and get hurt. He had to watch her make friends and learn about the cruel world around her. And worst of all, he had to watch her fall in love with another....
A stray tear fell as he punched the ground, enraged that he couldn't comfort her and protect her. The ground cracked beneath him, dust flying.
It won't be much longer....I have to keep my emotions in check until then....the day that I can hold her in my arms again...
........
"Huagh!" I yelled as I threw a punch in front of me, which Lockwood barely dodged. He went to punch me in the stomach, but I had a plan in mind. I allowed him to get in close, watching the smirk grow on his face as he believed that he would win this sparring match. At the last second, I moved to the right and swept his legs out from under him. Lockwood yelped and fell down onto the grass. I put my hand up towards his neck and my other arm pushing his torso down, keeping him locked in place. I panted as sweat beaded on my forehead. "I-I win," I spoke between my breaths. Lockwood laughed breathlessly. "You did. That's your first win princess,"
I puffed out my cheeks. "You meanie," Lockwood laughed. I stood up and dusted off my clothing. I held out my hand for Lockwood to take. He took it and I helped him up. "I think that's enough training for today," Lockwood smiled brightly. "You're just bummed that I beat you," I smirked.
"Nahh, I'm just letting you savor the only victory against me you'll get," I sighed. There was no beating the master of sarcasm.
"Cut it out you two," I gasped at the familiar voice. "Arthur!" I exclaimed once I caught sight of him. I realized that I hadn't spoken to Arthur since I left all those years ago. Well- a real conversation.
"Arthur, could I steal you for a bit? I want to catch up with you. It's been so long," I cheered. I really hoped that he would say yes. Arthur sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I have a little bit of time. I have time for a little chat. Are you two done training?" Arthur asked, gesturing to me and Lockwood.
Lockwood nodded. "We just finished up. I'll let you two catch up. I'll be in the palace if you need me," My new knight walked into the castle and I turned towards Arthur.
"Soooo how have you been? Camelot doesn't seem to have changed all that much," I tried to make conversation. It was awkward to say the least....
"I've been okay. Things have been pretty busy here. Danafor was destroyed; most residents are staying here in Camelot now. Supplies have been hard to acquire," Arthur spoke, his voice seemed sad.
"I can help with supplies," I beamed. "I may have been away for a long time, but Camelot is still my home," I smiled.
"And you'll always be my friend Arthur and I'll do whatever I can to help you, always."