I thought I wouldn't pick this back up because nobody was reading it but i checked back recently and there were some new reviews so I felt motivated to pick it back up! but im pretty (EXTREMELY) out of practice writing and, honestly, i dont remember the plan i had made for this very much at all so I'm kinda just feeling it out, prolly short chapters? unless i start really vibin lmaooo! BU anybody who's reading this now even with the three year wait has all my love and appreciation

dont own nuthn nnt wise nope nope

4: My Little Piggy

They arrived at the border of Camelot about three hours later. Though Arthur was the king, the group still had to confirm their identities with the knights guarding the bridge. At this particular section, the border between Liones and Camelot was defined by a wide river known by both countries as the Divide, because the river was wide enough that the environments on either side of the water were completely independent of one another, and even the grass looked to be a different shade of green. Crossing the river was a big stone bridge with holy knights of both countries guarding either side. While the two nations were political allies, both knew that could change at any time, and they were particularly thorough when admitting travelers across the bridge,

After exiting the carriage, Elizabeth stood at the back of the group and tried to shoo Meliodas off of her side as discreetly as possible. As per usual, he had attached himself to her side, in a koala-on-a-branch sort of fashion.

Margaret turned to grab Elizabeth's hand and pull her to the front and register as a visitor, but stopped and stared in confusion as Elizabeth seemed to push at air to her side. Elizabeth hadn't noticed her sister's inquisitive glances until it was too late.

"Are you… dancing?" The elder furrowed her brows.

"Of course not, of course not! A pesky little bug," Elizabeth replied through clenched teeth, "has decided to bother me." She wacked Meliodas's forehead, feeling suddenly more so irritated by his antics than usual now that Margaret had seen her. "It just won't seem to leave me be."

Meliodas scrunched his eyes closed and feigned a pained expression. "This is abuse!"

He climbed down nonetheless. Elizabeth huffed light-heartedly and straightened her brown traveling dress out.

Gilthunder suddenly called for Margaret to come to the front of the group, mentioning that it turned out Margaret could register for Elizabeth easily. Elizabeth was once alone left unattended with Meliodas at the back. Arthur was up talking to the knights about immigration rates and other kingly duties Elizabeth didn't bother to concern herself with, and Merlin had momentarily disappeared, so the princess felt it safe to engage in conversation with her parasitic demon.

She turned around to face back towards the carriage, additionally facing Meliodas. "Can't you behave? Just make it easier for the both of us. It has to take more energy to act so atrociously than it does to just stand and breathe or… photosynthesize, or whatever demons do."

"Just breathe." The demon confirmed. He glanced behind her to the group. "Do you think I should register too?" He grinned cheekily. "If that quill pen starts moving with no explanation, it'll really spice up this boring trip."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and walked over behind the carriage, dragging Meliodas with her. If she was far enough away, their link would keep him from sending the whole group into chaos.

Perhaps they were all fated to be met with chaos either way, though.

Meliodas was still looking behind her with a curious gaze. "Looks like things are about to get interesting anyways."

"Huh?"

The only warning for the impending doom (other than Meliodas's suspicious glances) was a high pitched "PIGGY TROT!" before a random boar smashed head first into the side of the carriage, knocking it over onto its side.

Now, it might seem that the group consisted of plenty of strong warriors, knights, and even an odd demon whose powers were untested but likely of some great level. This is, of course, an understandable thought, and quite true. However, none of them were paying the slightest attention to the carriage. Even the shaken elderly driver had taken the horses off their reins and down to the river to drink.

A big cloud of dust flew up from the ground where the carriage collapsed, along with a loud banging noise and the sound of breaking wood. Wheels went spinning off of the carriage (alternatively read: carriage's corpse) in all directions and it folded in on itself.

Meliodas had grabbed Elizabeth at lightning speed and pulled her back so the dust didn't suffocate her and the carriage didn't crush her into creamed-Ellie. It felt safe, like she was flying, as he pulled her away, but it happened so quick that she didn't even really notice until she felt a leaf against her cheek. They were balancing on a tree branch together.

"Is everyone okay?" She heard Arthur call. From the tree branch, she could see the cloud of dust quickly widening and blocking her view of the ground completely. Apparently, the soil was very loose here. "I'm fine!" She called, and thankfully she heard Margaret and Gilthunder reply as well.

"Can you put me on the ground? If they see me up here, I won't have an explanation." She requested. Meliodas puffed out his cheeks. "They can't see anything up here anyways." He squeezed at her side, getting a squeak out of the girl. "Just stay up here with me."

"Please?"

He begrudgingly complied, much to Elizabeth's delight.

"Everyone come to the river bank. These Liones boars…" Arthur's voice once again rang out.

Meliodas came to her side and waved his hand around by her face. "Worry not, fair maiden. I, your local demon, shall protect you from the dust." Elizabeth looked incredulously at his crazily flapping hand. "There's no way… oh!" Apparently, the movement of his hand was indeed plenty enough to blow the dust in her path away a short amount.

However, instead of heading to the river bank, she caught a glance of the criminal pig who'd attacked their carriage. It was standing in front of a pile of carriage rubble close enough to be visible, pawing through the wood. Elizabeth kept her eyes trained curiously on the animal, who seemed to be working with some purpose.

Something glinted from the rubble at the tip of its snout. Something blue.

Her earring!

"Hey!" She called out, to no avail. The animal didn't take any note of her. She raced past Meliodas's hand and reached out to the pig. The pink cretin snatched up her earring in its mouth and made a run for it opposite the river bank.

"Bring that back!" She held onto the bottom of her dress to keep herself from tripping and chased after the pig. If she could catch the pig, she would get her earring back! It seemed like a blessing in disguise that she would have to fight for. She heard Meliodas running behind her, but, curiously, he didn't say a word.

The darned pig ran too fast. "Please slow down! We can talk this out!" She heard Meliodas snort behind her. "Talk it out with a pig?"

She paid him no mind, and ran farther and farther until she could no longer hear the rushing river, or feel the dust on her cheeks. She stopped to take a breath, with her hands on her knees.

Her earring… She felt tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. Meliodas stopped at her side, not worn out in the least. "Oh, Meliodas, what'll I do if that pig eats it?" She sniffled. "That was my most treasured possession…"

Meliodas crossed his arms and closed his eyes, hmm-ing thoughtfully.

The pig had run out of her range of vision, and Elizabeth knew that since she stopped she wouldn't be able to catch up. Suddenly, she lost all the hope that had welled up. She didn't have her earring, or the pig. She had no idea where she was. She was tired. The sun had started setting- she didn't realize just how long she had been running, hadn't been thinking- and mosquitoes were starting to disturb her.

"Ah!" Meliodas's face lit up, and he slapped a fist onto his open palm. "I've got it."

Elizabeth rubbed her hand across her swollen eyes to wipe away the tears that were forming and furrowed her brows. "What is it?"

Meliodas laughed and threw an arm around her side and put his other arm under her legs, heaving her up off the ground. "Hold tight!" He took off in a blast, racing in the direction of the pig. After what had happened earlier, Elizabeth wasn't shocked that he could move so quickly. The wind against the two of them was so strong that she had to shout to talk to him.

"Why didn't you do this earlier?" She tried to yell.

"'Cause you seemed to have so much fun chasin' that porkie!" She closed her eyes against the strong wind and puffed her cheeks out. "That wasn't fun at all…"

They stopped suddenly, and Meliodas's feet hit the ground in front of them with such speed that they slid a little bit and dust went flying. Elizabeth tentatively opened one eye as Meliodas sat her down and gasped, both eyes widening in joy.

Trapped between Meliodas' legs was the pig! Said creature seemed to be miserable, covered in dirt from sliding and upset. Meliodas moved his legs and put his hands on either side of it, looking up at Elizabeth expectantly.

Elizabeth walked in front of the pig and crouched in front of it. "Do you think it ate my earring?" She reached her hand down to the pig's snout, but it sneezed on her and resentfully spat the earring out at her feet.

"Oh!" Elizabeth was caught off guard, but smiled at the pig. "Thank you!"

The creature blinked. "Aren't you gonna threaten to eat me or somethin'?"

She had been wiping the earring off with the bottom of her dress, but she looked up from it to the pig in shock. "A talking pig?" There had been a passel of talking pigs spotted roaming the woods in recent years. She had always wanted one, but her father said no. Maybe this pig would come home with her.

"Can you let off, dude?" The pig addressed Meliodas, who did as requested. Realizing escape was futile, the pig flopped onto its butt and looked at the two of them. "Name's Hawk! I really recommend you don't eat me."

Elizabeth grinned. There was no need to be mean to Hawk, since he'd given her the earring back anyways. She supposed there was no way for talking pigs to know right from wrong, and scratched his stomach. "Thank you for giving me my earring back Hawk! I'm Elizabeth, this is Meliodas. Wait, how can he see you?" Elizabeth's brows raised in confusion, but Meliodas shrugged. "I can be seen if I want to. But I don't necessarily want to be seen by this pig. Who knows?"

"HAWK. Not pig, bro." Snort snort.

"Mr. Hawk, I won't let him eat you." Hawk seemed unhappy nonetheless. She hooked the earring into her ear and felt instantly at ease.

"With people as fast as you, a pig really can't make a livin' around here, you know?" Furrowing her brows, Elizabeth tried to decipher why a pig would need a "livin'" when it could just eat grass and plants.

"You shouldn't go around stealing from the wrong people, then." Scolded Meliodas, hitting the pig real hard on the snout. Hawk just glared at him.

"Can I just go then, if you ain't gonna eat me? I got a crew to care for." Hawk went to stand up, but wobbled and plopped back onto the ground.

"I think you hurt him!" Elizabeth gasped, leaning down to look at his trotters. They were scratched from running through the bush and the wounds were covered in dirt. How lucky would he be to not get infected! He held one out to her and sniffled. "This guy's real mean, miss."

Elizabeth cast an angry glance to said meanie and heaved Hawk up into her arms. "Don't worry. We'll take you home."

"What about the triiip," Meliodas seemed less than enthusiastic to take such a detour, "won't your family lose it when they can't find you?"

She hummed thoughtfully, but shook her head. "We have to take responsibility for how you hurt this guy. He's just trying to get money for his… crew?" Hawk nodded. "Crew."

Meliodas brushed off his pants and seemed prepared to go, but complained nonetheless as they headed off in the direction Hawk pointed. "You're too naive. He tried to steal your earring and broke the carriage."

Hawk was technically a citizen of Liones. And his "crew", though she expected it to just be a bunch of pigs, were also citizens. At least, Elizabeth considered them to be, so she just ignored Meliodas. She wanted to check on them. Surely, she could make it back to the bridge later that night and explain the situation.

She didn't expect one of her first duties caring for her people to be helping an injured pig, but that was fine. She finally was doing something for her people.