Hello, everyone! Welcome to another chapter! Where do I even begin… I struggled with a concussion as well as a blood clot in my brain after the accident back in early 2018 and was having memory issues with my short-term. I could remember my husband, my family and friends, but I had troubles remembering things from the last 2 years. It wasn't until the end of 2018 when I began remembering things and have recovered nearly everything I had forgotten. I still get migraines, but the medications are helping a ton. Apologies that it is a bit on the short side and maybe down the line I'll actually remember what I meant to write but for now I hope this suffices. I don't own rights to Seven Deadly Sins!

KEY FOR READING: Meliodas + Other Half . . . . Normal . . . . Thoughts

Markings:

Truth

The demon rolled its eyes as the woman before them continued to rant. What he wouldn't give to- Meliodas tightened his grip on the demon's wrist that he was unwillingly holding. Ever since they had begun to share the same consciousness, he had found himself in a very unsavory position: they were holding each other's wrists with their backs resting against the cage bars. It was far from comfortable, but it prevented either from gaining full control without breaking the other's grip. His jaw tightened as the demon shifted, causing its icy skin to twist in his grasp. "Would you stop moving around?"

Elizabeth's expression smoothed over into one of deep thought as his own clouded. They must be having an internal conversation again. She had heard and read about people who often split themselves as a defense mechanism, meaning that one side would be kept hidden until the person was in dire need and then it would come forth to protect them. It was called multiple personality disorder, but there was much speculation whether it really existed so most referred to it as Dissociative Identity Disorder. "Sir Meliodas," she began, moving to kneel in front of him so she was eye-level. "Are you afraid of something? Is that why you have split yourself?"

A strange smile crossed his features. Everything within Meliodas' mind faded into silence as her words echoed within his ears, unaware of the demon's glance his way. It shifted slightly, testing his grip, and its lips lifted into a wicked smile when he found it to be loose. A snarl tore from its throat as his grip suddenly intensified. "Don't even think about." Meliodas' eyes narrowed.

Her head tilted as they physically trembled, the emerald in their eyes gaining on the amethyst slightly before returning to its original ratio. A sigh slipped between her lips as she raised her chin. Looks like she was going to have to force the answer out of him. "I understand. Please excuse me, Meliodas."

Their eyes widened slightly at the way she nearly spat his name. She hadn't even used the "Sir" this time, a sure sign that she was upset with them. Meliodas and the demon cast a glance at one another as she turned away. Their hand darted out and grasped her own. "We'll answer your questions. Fine a private place, somewhere that none of the townspeople will interfere."

She nodded, her hand shifting so that she could entwine her fingers with theirs as they stood. They walked in silence for many minutes until they came across an abandoned church that rested on the outskirts of the town. "Is this alright?" she asked, then blinked in surprise when she looked down to find the space they had been occupying was empty. The door before her creaked softly as it opened and they gestured with their head for her to enter. It was much larger on the inside, the pews strewn about and a few covered in vines that had entered through a few of the broken stained glass windows. The alter was fully intact though and the hanging candleholders that were still suspended had been lit, casting everything in their flickering light. A thick layer of dust covered everything, testimony that the church hadn't been used for a very long time.

"Which truth do you want," they took a seat on the steps that lead up to the alter, a ray of moonlight that came in through one of the holes in the roof revealing the swirling emerald and amethyst in their eyes. Their voice filled the space around them with reverberating baritone notes that held hints from each who occupied the vessel. "there are many."

Elizabeth settled herself across form them in one of the pews, her hand folding on her lap. "Then tell me your truth."

"I was born shortly after the curse had been cast. You know of it, the one where you are born again and again. I couldn't wait to see you in your next life, and eagerly awaited for you to make an appearance. It wasn't long until you did. You appeared differently each time but there was no mistaking it." Their eyes fell to their hands as she nodded. Yes, she remembered the discovery of the curse that she and Meliodas had been placed under and she was more than aware of how it weighed heavily on him. "We would never mistake the essence of your soul. The second time he lost you nearly broke his will and thus he created me. Every time you were taken away, he would shove the hatred he had for the curse and the sorrow he felt in result of the curse into a box. It filled with each and every time the curse cycled."

Her eye grew wide as their words. "And you grew a consciousness of your own with the help of his demon powers."

They nodded. "When I take over, he feels nothing…it's why he can't distinguish friend from foe." Their head rose and fixed her with their duo colored eyes. "The one thing he protects the most is something I would never harm. You're a smart woman, I bet you can guess."

"Me."

"Give the girl a prize." They disappeared for a split second then reappeared on the pew next to her facing the back of the church. "We both care for you, member of the Goddess race, that is what we share. It is because of that love that the curse was cast. Again and again, we found ourselves hoping and loving each of your lives and would plummet into despair when that version of you would die. I, however, grew each time. All of his pent up feelings were thrusted into my cage and I had no choice but to accept them. He has no one to blame but himself for my birth and now he is even fighting with whatever he has left of himself. If he continues, there will be nothing left but the promise he made you." They turned and fixated her with a strained expression, one of their eyes holding the smallest moisture drop in the corner. "If that happens, you will no longer recognize us. We will be one and nothing in the world can stop nor save us from the inner fires of our own hell."

Elizabeth stood, her expression unreadable as she moved to stand before them. "What can I do to prevent that?"

They shook their head, their eyes falling to the ground. "Nothing." Their figure stiffened for a split second as one of her hands cupped their cheek but they allowed her to raise it so they were looking up at her. Inside their consciousness, Meliodas tightened his hold on his other self's arms as they shifted slightly. They were still back to back with the cage bars separating the two, each holding onto the other's biceps so that they would maintain a balance of control. The demon behind him cast a glance his way as shame began to radiate from his figure. "Even now he is attempting to fight the shame that he feels for not having better control over himself, for having created me." Their eyes widened as she bent and captured their lips with her own.

She nearly stumbled when they vanished, spotting them near the alter once more wearing a conflicted expression on their face. "Haven't you been listening to a single word we've been saying?!" Their voice now bore a stronger resemblance to Meliodas, the baritone nearly gone from it. "I have to keep you at bay, Elizabeth, I can't begin to describe what he could do to you if I lost control."

"That is enough!" Her sudden outburst was accompanied by the smallest wave of her power, causing the candles to flare momentarily. Both of her eyes were visible now and they were filled with a fire that was unlike the purple flames that they knew. "You lock away and label your other half 'monster' although he is no different than you! You made his to house the emotions that you didn't want! The so called 'monster' is the one who should be feeling resentment towards you but its not! You are resenting and denying yourself of emotions that you need to survive!" With deliberate steps, she made her way to the isle and began making her way up to where they stood frozen. "You may be the Dragon Sin of Wrath and the oldest son of the Demon King, but you have a lot to learn for someone of such stature. Every living being has the capability of experiencing emotions; animals, people, even demons. Each emotion helps us grow! Take that away and all that's left is an empty shell who wanders through time with no purpose! I can't stand the thought of you turning into that!" Reaching them, she knelt and cupped their face between her hands. "I want you to make me a new promise, right here and now. Promise me that you will open the cage and embrace the emotions you cast off. I'll help you!"

"The second I open that door is the second he wastes no time in claiming you!" Meliodas' hands rose to clasp her wrists, removing himself from her. "Those aren't the only emotions that I threw in there, Elizabeth, there are others in there as well!" His figure shivered as her hands broke free and grabbed hold of his biceps, her nails digging in slightly as she attempted to hold onto him despite his resistance.

"I'm not a child so stop treating me like one!" She lunged forward, attempting to adjust her hold, but they lost their balance and fell down the altar steps to land in a heap on the floor. He had braced himself on one bent arm while the other had found a space between her arm and side to better balance his weight above her. Their legs, however, had become entangled; one of her legs rested on his hip with the other had wrapped around the other, leaving only mere inches between their hips. "I'm not an idiot, so please don't pretend that I won't understand. It must have been hard for you to love each version of me only to know that I was going to be taken away from you. All the time we shared, the people we met, even the kisses we shared are lost to me but I won't let that stop me from expressing the way I feel about you!" Her tear filled eyes locked on his own as she raised her head, her lips capturing his once more. It wasn't for many seconds that she felt his own shift and return her kiss, their eyes closing in sync and their bodies relaxed against one another's. They pulled apart after about a minute, their eyes opening. "I love you, Sir Meliodas, you and your other self. That is my truth."

In their shared consciousness, it was as if their world had been bathed in light, the cold barns against their skin becoming warm and the floor occasionally rippled as if it were made of water as the sound of trickling filled the emptiness that surrounded them. The mirror version of himself covered in purple tribals cast a glance his way, revealing tear tracks down its face that matched those spilling down Meliodas' face as his head fell back to rest against the bars. "Mate is smart," the reflection snickered, releasing one of the biceps it had been holding onto so it could rid itself of water on its face. "trust in this one." It released him fully and receded until it was in the center of the cage where it fell asleep.

Elizabeth's breath caught as the amethyst in their eyes completely vanished, revealing glistening emerald that were spilling over with tears and wrapped her arms around him as his figure began to tremble. "I love everything about you, Sir Meliodas," she whispered as she felt his arms rise and return her embrace. "Will you let me?" Her answer came in the form of lips crashing against her own, leading them in a way that took her breath away and caused warmth to gather in her lower stomach.

I hope you like!