Part Eleven: Waking

That voice. It was familiar, and dangerous, and filled Meliodas with a dread he hadn't felt in a very long time. "We have nothing but time now," it said, "so let's have a long chat, shall we?"

"I don't think so," he answered. Meliodas placed his hands on his hips and grinned, trying to sound casual, but inside his chest was tightening, his stomach churning. Casually he looked around, sweeping his eyes for any sign of Elizabeth. Had the demon brought her here as well? Is that what that shadow had been?

"Do not bother looking," the voice laughed, and Meliodas could not help the surprise that registered on his face when he whirled back towards the growing shadow. "That woman is not here."

Meliodas huffed. "I don't know what you are talking about," he began, but the dark voice cut him off. "Do not act like a fool," it admonished with disdain. "It has been three thousand years since she has converted you into the worthless thing you are now; but do not pretend with me. I have the Eye, remember, and can see all."

"Is that how you've been watching me?" he asked, walking forward. "You need a new hobby."

"Is that fear?" replied the voice. "Or is it anger? You have so many emotions now, my son… it can be difficult to tell at times."

Meliodas smiled. "So I'm dead now, is that it?" He shrugged. "Doesn't matter much. Thanks to that curse you put on me, I'm gonna come back to life anyway!"

He grinned at the shadow, feeling satisfied with this bit of defiance. But when the voice began to laugh, his smile turned cold. "And who do you think allows you to return to your body? I send you back so you can fill yourself again, and I can feed on your emotions."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Meliodas bit out, looking around warily.

"You still lie, I see," it answered. "This arrangement benefits us both. But now I have found a better way to use you. A faster way to replenish my power."

Meliodas stilled, halting his approach, his eyes steady on the deepening shadow ahead. It seemed to be rising from the ground, growing larger and larger by the moment. "Your emotions sate my hunger and thirst," it went on. "Yet your death takes too long. I want my power now. My Commandments are even now taking Britannia back for my glory. I will be ready for when they succeed."

"What have you done?" he whispered.

"I discovered that it didn't matter if you were alive or dead. Your love for that woman is overwhelming even you. You should thank me, I have done you a kindness." Meliodas sucked in a breath, his fingers drawing into a tightening fist. "Now you can experience it all without actually having to live."

"You kept me distracted," Meliodas growled. "You gave me these—what were they? Visions? Dreams?"

"It felt real enough, didn't it?" the king answered. "Did you love that girl any less? Did you miss her any less?"

Fury started to pulse through him. "How long?" he asked. "How long have I been down here?"

"Time means nothing to creatures like us," was the answer. "Besides, I tried to give you a pleasant enough existence. All the things a spineless one as yourself would want: peace, happiness, an easy life. But it wasn't enough. You started to wake up."

"So you took Elizabeth away," Meliodas breathed. "So I would stay focused there instead of here." He sucked in a sharp breath. "Why give her back then?"

"Your emotions become too dull when you drink," scolded the king. "I had thought for sure you would never stop looking for her."

Suddenly everything struck him at once: the unexplained absences, the faulty way time seemed to work, the strange way everyone behaved. But there were still moments that seemed so very real: when Elizabeth whispered to him at night, her hands on his cheek, her confession of love. Was any of it real?

"Where is Elizabeth now?" he demanded.

"Don't worry," the king answered. "Soon you'll forget all of this. After all, you forgot her once. When you sleep again, I won't make the mistake of allowing you to be together this time."

"I'd like to see you try!" Meliodas roared. He leapt forward, summoning all of his strength, fueled by the pain and the joy and the misery and the relief of loving Elizabeth, lunging at the demon king, prepared to fight to the death to return to her.

Meliodas opened his eyes. He was in bed in the Boar Hat, the feeling incredibly familiar as sunlight streamed in through the window. The very open window.

Quickly he leapt out of bed, running to shut it, but as his hand gripped the latch he paused. There was a terrible sound outside, and all at once he felt the presence of very powerful creatures; energies he had not felt for a very, very long time. There were sounds of a battle, and he noticed the tavern was moving; what was happening?

Then an unbelievable pressure filled the air, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand. That could only be the power of a Commandment—but here? At the Boar Hat?

Then he remembered what the shadowy form of the king had told him: the Commandments were taking Britannia, and Meliodas looked down.

Leaning out the opened window, he spotted Derieri as she reared her fist back and hit someone, sending him toppling backwards on the back of Hawk Mama. He was about to go and find a weapon when suddenly, a light caught his attention. The brightness and the warmth seemed to grip his very soul. It had been thousands of years since he felt the presence of a goddess, and as he blinked to look through the blinding whiteness, his eyes widened to see it was Elizabeth.

Derieri's hand exploded, and Elizabeth was shouting, her voice sending a tremor through him. He stepped up on the ledge and jumped, just as the Commandment lifted her arm to strike.

Elizabeth screamed, but he landed next to them, grabbing the fist as it flew towards her as he threw a hit of his own, landing directly on Derieri's stomach. At once the power of his strength seemed to flow through him in a rush both frightening and thrilling. It was as if all of his senses were waking up at once, and ironically he supposed it was true. He could see, hear, feel everything, his emotions coursing through him like a storm: fear, hate, love, wanting to kill, wanting to eat, wanting to grab hold of something and twist.

Derieri went careening off the side of the boar, Monspeet following with a shout, and behind him he could see in his mind's eye Elizabeth falling. In a flash of speed that had been impossible even a month ago he caught her up in his arms, his muscles shaking and twitching with the familiar sensation. Her eyes and mouth popped open in surprise, a deep blush forming over her cheeks, and Meliodas felt like he could laugh and cry and scream all at once.

Instead, he said shakily, "Now then… it seems like I've been asleep. Looks like things have gotten pretty bad." Meliodas looked around for a moment before his eyes were drawn back to her, as they always were. Was this real? Was he asleep again? She felt so warm and perfect in his arms—but she had before. Hadn't she?

"I made you wait quite a while," he said quietly, wondering exactly how long it had been. It was three hundred eleven days since Elizabeth had gone missing, the number rising to the front of his mind instantly. But she hadn't gone missing at all. Elizabeth had been there the entire time. It was he who had been gone all this time.

Meliodas, I need you with me. I don't want to be apart anymore.

Please open your eyes. Please come back to me.

"I believed…" she whispered, her hand moving to cover her mouth.

Did you sleep in that chair all night?

I hate leaving your side.

"I believed you would return, Meliodas," she cried.

Her hands went around his neck, her wet face pressed against the side of his, and Meliodas smiled. The Demon King could never understand such a simple thing. His heart did a little flip hearing her say his name—Meliodas, not Sir. There was no way the king could know what that meant. He knew that this was real.

A/N: It is with an extremely heavy heart that I give you this final chapter. I absolutely loved sharing every word with all of you, and it is such a bittersweet feeling to come to the end of a story that I loved writing so much.

I hope that you all found this ending satisfactory. I welcome your comments, both good and bad. I truly value your honesty.

Thank you all for reading. See you in the next fic!