—-Astaroth's POV—-
I carried Mom in my arms as I followed Dad to the Fairy King's Forest. I would've been excited in other circumstances but Mom was passed out and Dad seemed scared, which was unlike him. If he was fearful, he'd never shown it to me before. Mom and Uncle Zel had told me stories about Dad's tremendous power but I'd never seen it before, not that I could remember. I was curious about his Assault Mode but Mom admitted she and Uncle Zel were afraid of him like that, he was nearly emotionless and ruthless. It was strange to think about Dad like that, he'd always been a goofy, loving Dad. He could be serious but he relaxed a lot more than Uncle Zel, so it was hard to imagine him any other way. I was worried about Mom, she wasn't waking up, the fight with Arthur must've taken a toll on her. Dad was already freaked out and upset he was incapacitated while she fought to protect him so I didn't want to worry him even more, but Mom's energy was different the last few months. "Dad, what was it like when you met Mom?" I asked as we flew above the clouds, hoping it would discourage any attacks and keep us from view. He looked back at me over his shoulder, he looked conflicted as to whether he should tell me or not. "She was afraid of me," he finally answered, facing forward. "It's hard for me to imagine you being scary, Dad. You've always been really great to Maimai and I...well all of us really," I reassured him, hoping he'd tell me more. He, Mom, and Uncle Zel had told us a little about their lives and it was clear Azriel and Niya knew more but they wouldn't tell Amaimon and I much really.
He sighed, "I tried to claim her for myself even though Zel rescued her from being killed. Well, we were supposed to kill her too, but neither of us could. He'd actually spent time with her when she was a small child. He thought I didn't know but I'm not stupid. They had a semi-secret relationship after she came with us to the demon realm when she was 18. Our Father forbid us from having relationships with vampires, they were our servants, and dhampirs were to be executed on sight. We trained your Mom as an assassin after I convinced our Father of it. I fell in love with her but I tried my best to keep from acting on it, watching her love and be with your Uncle. One day we had a weak moment and slept together. It was then I realized I had to leave the realm permanently or Zel would hate me...which ended up happening anyway because me leaving sparked the first Holy War and our Father ordered Zel to execute all the vampires due to their betrayal. He told her to hide in Britannia and he'd come for her when things calmed down but the goddess clan sealed the demon clan and he was gone for 3,000 years. Your Mom and I had a relationship on and off for a thousand years before he was released from the seal and she left me immediately for him. It destroyed me and I was hell bent on taking her back. After I was killed and lost my emotions, I released all my demonic power and reverted back to how I used to be. I nearly did steal her completely away from him, but she stopped it. I'd always been second to your Uncle in her eyes," he finished.
It made me sad to hear him say that. I looked down at Mom in my arms and wondered if she saw me the way others did, a mistake that should've never happened. "I know what you're thinking, stop it. Your Mom loves you more than her own life. She'd do anything for you and she doesn't regret sleeping with me because you came from it," he sighed again, "Your Mom and Uncle will probably kill me when they find out I told you this but they knew you were going to be born before you were even conceived. You know Iseldis has visions, well she predicted your and Amai's births and that you'd revive the vampire clan. That's why we've prevented the two of you from coming to Britannia as often, to protect you from those who wanted to keep you locked away. So, if anything, your Mom could've denied me and you would've never been born. You were wanted, Asta. So please stop thinking you're a mistake. It hurts your Mom and I knowing you think that of yourself," he finished. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, Mom and Uncle Zel knew I was going to happen?
"Did you know? Before, I mean," I asked, curious. "No. They kept it from me but I was ecstatic when I found out. I had every intention of traveling back and forth to be with you and Tristan alternating between weeks as well as continuing to be the King of Liones. Your Mom and Uncle were fine with it and even had a room setup for me next to your nursery. Elizabeth didn't want it, she wanted you to think Zeldris was your father, and prevented me from seeing Tristan so while you were growing up, I told them I was visiting him when I came here but really I was just hanging out. Visiting the places your Mom and I had been when we were together before the second Holy War. She doesn't know that though," he explained. I smiled, though he wasn't looking at me so he couldn't see. I was pretty sure Mom loved him just as much as she did Uncle Zel, I could tell by the way she looked at Dad but also the energy she gave off around each of them. I contemplated telling him that when we arrived at the Fairy King's Forest. A couple of fairies greeted us, they recognized Dad and immediately led us in, especially when they saw Mom unconscious in my arms.
"King Harlequin, Queen Diane! Meliodas is here with his son and Ali. She's hurt!" one of the fairies announced, concern in their voice. Diane rushed over to me, "What happened?! She looks awful!" She looked at me and stared in my eyes, it was strange, she never seemed to bear me any ill will unlike her husband, though Mom said she used to be in love with Dad so that's probably why. "Arthur attacked Ali and I as soon as we crossed over. He locked us in some sort of distorted dimension that looked like Britannia but it didn't feel right. He put me in an illusion and tried to kill Ali. She protected me while I was unconscious. Asta felt the disturbance from the demon realm and came to help but couldn't break through. He found us after Ali passed out in my arms from exhaustion. I have no idea how long she'd been fighting," Dad explained to them. King looked at me, "You felt that through the portal? That's impressive." I nodded, "I've always been able to determine slight shifts in energy, but because I'm so sensitive sometimes it's hard for me to pinpoint where it's coming from unless I know it's not background. Maimai helps with that, he can distinguish between background and living better than I can...he can feel it over great distances as well just not as much as me," I explained. He nodded and looked back at Dad, "Come with me, she can rest in one of the beds near the Sacred Tree."
Dad walked alongside Diane and King, who was floating, and I walked behind them with Mom. It was clear he had no idea why she was so exhausted and I didn't think she knew either. I smiled down at her, she was so selfless and protective of all of us but it made me sad she was so reckless about her own life. Everyone said I got my recklessness from Dad but Mom was just as bad. I decided I'd tell him once he calmed down about her being injured protecting him. If I told him now he'd just get even more upset and might try to go after Arthur and that wasn't a good idea for anyone. I laid her down in the bed King and Diane brought us to and Dad sat next to her, holding her hand, "I'm sorry, Ali. I failed you," he apologized quietly. "You didn't fail her, Dad. You woke up when she couldn't protect you anymore and saved you both," I corrected him, putting a hand on his arm. He gave me a small smile, "I shouldn't have fallen for his illusion in the first place..." I frowned at him, "You just got onto me for being too hard on myself, Dad. You should take your own advice." Diane giggled at me scolding him, making me grin. He grinned at me, "You're right. I just don't have time to be gloomy. Thanks, Asta."
"I'm gonna go walk around a bit, if that's okay with you," I mentioned, mostly wanting to see if King objected. "He'll be safe in the forest, rest assured," King told Dad who nodded at me. I put my hands in my pockets and started wandering around, getting lost in thought a little. It was a bit strange not having Amaimon with me. We were so close in age, even though we had different dads it almost felt like we were twins. We anticipated each others actions, which is why we often trained together as a tag team against Dad, Uncle Zel, and Azy. Niya didn't train as much with us anymore, but being pregnant that was a good idea. "You're not Meliodas, so who are you?" I heard a voice behind me. It was a man, probably Azriel's age, he kind of looked like Dad's friend Ban. "What's it to you?" I asked him, "You're not Ban, so who are you?"
He smirked at me, "You know Ban, huh? This is my home, that's what's it to me. Your aura feels pretty menacing so I thought I'd come check you out. You're just a kid, aren't you?" I stared at him blankly, I'd gotten good at it after watching Dad for so long. "Do you have a problem with me being here?" I asked as he watched me closely. "I do when you're not from here and it feels to me like you have a dark side just yearning to get out," he pointed out. "I go where I please, it's not any of your business. As long as I'm not hurting anything, I think you should piss off," I replied coldly. "You're Meliodas' half-demon vampire bastard, it's obvious since you look just like him. I wanted to see if you were as mouthy as I'd heard," he smirked at me. I was boiling with rage on the inside, he clearly knew who I was, why was he bothering me? "Fuck you," I spat at him, "I'd rather be a half-demon vampire bastard than some fairy boy." He jumped down in front of me, he was clearly Ban's son Lancelot I'd heard of. "What'd you say, you little shit? Why don't you run home to Mommy and Daddy in the demon realm before I kick your ass," he threatened, bending down to stare at me closer. I activated my demon powers and grinned at him maliciously, "Try me," I provoked, shoving a ball of darkness and vampiric goddess light into his stomach quickly, making him cough up blood on my face. I licked his blood off my lip where some of it had landed, "I've never tasted fairy blood before, it's sweeter than humans' and demons'. Maybe I should find a pretty fairy girl to let me drink her blood."
He scowled at me and was about to hit me with his own attack when Dad jumped in front of me and blocked him. "Damn it, Asta. This is exactly why I didn't want to bring you here," he hissed at me after Lancelot stopped, he was glaring at me over Dad's shoulder. "He started it, Dad. I can't help it, I'm not going to just let him call me a bastard. I wasn't even doing anything, just walking and minding my own business," I argued with him. He exhaled slowly and looked at Lancelot, "You're twice his age. Why are you trying to start something with my son?" Lancelot frowned at him, "I respect you, Meliodas. You and Dad have been through a lot together but you're blinded because he's your son. He gives off an immense amount of dark energy, I just wanted to see how well he could control himself." Dad tensed in front of me, "He's not me. He can control his anger, leave him alone or you'll answer to me." I was thankful he believed me but I was worried if that's how people actually perceived me. I didn't intend to give off that sort of presence but I was so used to being around my parents and siblings that I didn't think they noticed. They themselves gave off the same sort of energy, or so I thought.
Lancelot waved at Dad and left quickly, seemingly unbothered by this entire interaction. "I'm sorry, Dad. Do I really have that sort of presence?" I asked him quietly. He sighed, "Yeah, but it's not any different than your siblings'. I think you're singled out because you're my kid and not Zel's. Even if Zel is peaceful with them now, he's never been their friend and used to be their enemy so my best guess is they just don't expect it from you. I also was the Sin of Wrath for a reason, you know that. I think they're projecting my sins onto you," he pondered, his voice full of guilt.
I put my hands behind my head, "Well, you oughta get them to knock that shit off before the next one comes along," I pointed out nonchalantly, waiting to see if he would pick up on what I meant. He stared at me for a minute then furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean by that?" he asked. "I'm amazed you're that dense, Dad. Mom's so exhausted because she's pregnant again. By you," I responded, holding in my giggles as his face went through a thousand different emotions. "You know for sure? She didn't say anything to Zel or I..." he was more muttering to himself now than anything. "I don't think she knows yet but I've felt it for a couple months. I just thought she didn't want to say anything for now," I replied, grinning at the excitement in his eyes. He was about to take off by himself then grabbed my wrist and dragged me along with him.