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librathefangirl · 1 year

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When the Past Comes Crashing

ao3 (Chapter 1/7; 2k+)

A seemingly easy mission quickly goes awry for the Seven Deadly Sins, forcing them to make some critical decisions that sets off an unexpected set of events. At the same time, a long-buried secret comes back to haunt Meliodas with a 3,000-year-old call for revenge. Written for @amonthofwhump's March Trope-A-Thon!

Okay, so a little run-down about this AU/timeline: This goes off-canon back in the First Holy War and Meliodas’ betrayal against the demons. The details of how exactly, you’ll find out through the story (as it’s a vital part of the plot).

As for the present-time timeline, it’s canon-divergent in the way that Meliodas actually killed Fraudrin back in Danafor. This means Dreyfus was never possessed, Zaratras was never killed, and the Sins were never framed. Elizabeth’s relationship with Meliodas is of course also affected by this as she never had to search for the Sins with him. Instead, she grew up with him as the captain fo the Seven Deadly Sins and a holy knight of Liones. As for the Sins’ current dynamic, it’s mostly like how it was in Prisoners of the Sky, except only Merlin and Gowther (who has regained his memories) know about Meliodas being a demon.

Chapter Prompts: Day 1 – Environmental; Rockslide/Building Collapse.

Read on ao3 or under the cut!

“You’re worried about me?” Meliodas teased when Drole lingered behind. Gloxinia and Elizabeth had already flown ahead. Gloxinia had held onto Elizabeth’s hand, as if he was afraid that she would circle back given the chance. Maybe she would have. They had all been even less excited about the plan than usual. Elizabeth had been downright against it.

Drole sighed deeply, “I’m worried you’re not taking this seriously.”

“Come on, when am I not serious?” Meliodas questioned, flying up to the giant’s eye-level. Drole just gave him a look, causing Meliodas to roll his eyes. “I’ve got this.”

“If it were up to Elizabeth, you wouldn’t be doing this at all.”

“Well, Ellie’s a worrier,” Meliodas smiled. He then sighed when he only got the same apprehensive look. “The plan hasn’t changed.”

“Maybe it should,” Drole suggested. Meliodas crossed his arms over his chest, avoiding his gaze.

“We’ve been over this. I’m not abandoning him.”

“I know,” Drole acknowledged. “And we’re not asking you to.”

“Then you’re just going to have to trust me!”

“We do,” Drole promised. Meliodas felt his defensiveness falter. His hands dropped to his sides. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t worry about you.”

A small smile passed over Meliodas’ face, “We’re all taking risks here.”

“Not all of us are betraying the Demon King right under his nose,” Drole pointed out. Meliodas hummed at that.

“That’s true,” he admitted. “But we don’t have a lot of options here. Unless you honestly think we can count on Ludociel to end this war peacefully.”

Drole sighed again, “Just be careful.”

“I will,” Meliodas promised. He hesitated as he was about to fly away, glancing over his shoulder towards the spot the others had disappeared. “Look after Elizabeth for me.”

Drole nodded his head, “We’ll see you soon.”

– 3,000 years later –

“So, what exactly is this mission again?” Ban asked, glancing up at the towering building with an almost bored expression.

The massive house was like something from a horror story. It somehow looked simultaneously both sturdy and ready to collapse at any moment. Meliodas eyed the mountain behind it critically. He didn’t like the way it was more or less hanging out over the building. If something were to happen to the mountain, the building would be buried instantly.

“Ghost hunting,” Meliodas then exclaimed, throwing Ban a bright grin. Ban just rose his eyebrows at him as King groaned beside them.

“Captain,” King protested. Merlin shook her head.

“Nobody said anything about ghosts.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Meliodas muttered, waving his hand at her as they came to a stop before the house. “But that’s what they were all implying. Spooky hauntings.”

“The village down the hill has been subjected to a series of… mysterious incidents,” Merlin explained. “Nobody could give a proper explanation on what exactly happened, but it has the whole village crying ghosts and monsters. They’re all blaming this house, apparently. Even the knights are scared to go near it.”

“Wimps,” Ban snorted. “So, they sent us instead.”

“Yup!” Meliodas nodded his head, still grinning. “So, now we have to go in and make sure there are no vengeful ghosts haunting the village.”

Meliodas tilted his head, regarding the house. There was something about it that seemed off. Okay, there was a lot about this that seemed off. But there was something particular about the house he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Something that, despite his jokes, made him want to send the others away. Unfortunately, he knew they wouldn’t accept that without a proper reason. One he didn’t have yet. Because ‘a bad feeling’ definitely wouldn’t work.

“And Diane and the others stayed back because…?” King asked. Meliodas noticed but didn’t point out his choice of wording. It wasn’t like King was subtle about his crush on Diane, and right now, Meliodas was happy for the distraction. Something to shake the unease feeling. Meliodas shrugged his shoulders casually as he explained.

“To guard the village against whatever we anger of course!” King rolled his eyes, and Meliodas gestured towards the mountain. “And that looks about ready to collapse. If there is a rockslide, Diane and Escanor will be able to protect the village, and Gowther can help with an eventual evacuation.”

“Well, at least you’ve thought this one through, Captain.”

“So, we gonna go in?” Ban questioned, sending a teasing grin in King’s direction. “Or you wanna admit that you’re scared~?”

“I am not-”

“Okay!” Meliodas cut off, before an argument could break out. “Let’s go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get a drink instead!”

– X –

“Found any vengeful ghosts?” Meliodas asked as Merlin stepped up beside him. They’d all split up once inside the house to cover all the rooms faster. Merlin sighed, shaking her head at him again.

“You’re enjoying this too much.” Meliodas glanced at her, tilting his head at her tone.

“You’re saying you believe the villagers?”

“There are no ghosts here,” Merlin muttered, glaring at him for even making her say it aloud. “Those people don’t know what they’re talking about, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something here. There’s magical residue all over the place.”

“Yeah,” Meliodas agreed, his smile dropping. “I felt that too. Haven’t seen anything that can cause any ghost-blamed incidents though.”

“No. I haven’t either,” Merlin said as Meliodas rubbed at a spot on the floorboards with his foot. He glanced at her again. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her shoulder raised; she looked as tense as she sounded.

“But you found something?” Meliodas guessed, frowning at the pattern underneath the dust. It looked familiar… Merlin hesitated for a moment before she shook her head.

“One of the rooms was completely destroyed,” Merlin explained. “What I felt there was… familiar in a way it shouldn’t be.”

Meliodas looked up from the floor, “What do you mean?”

“It felt like miasma.”

“No,” Meliodas muttered. He crossed his own arms, shifting from foot to foot. “It can’t be. Miasma doesn’t occur naturally in this realm.”

“Which explains the rotten wood in the room,” Merlin pointed out. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but it’s the only explanation I have. That room has been exposed to pure miasma.”

“That isn’t possible,” Meliodas protested again, unconsciously grabbing hold of the dragon handle. “The demons have been sealed off from this realm for millennia. You know that.”

“I do,” Merlin acknowledged. “But you know there have been demons who have slipped out before. The Fairy King’s Forest, Danafor-”

“That was different! Fraudrin is dead, and there is no way a red demon could set a trap like this.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, “You think this is a trap?”

“You don’t?” Meliodas questioned. “I wasn’t sure at first, but, something about this place always felt wrong. In a way, it didn’t feel wrong.”

“Like miasma.”

“Exactly. And, I mean, just look around! There’s nothing in this house. Yet the villagers are being plagued by something unseen and unknown? And no other knights will even step foot in this place. Meaning we had to come here. Then there’s the miasma, apparently, and…” Meliodas glanced down at the floor again, but before he could continue, the entire building shook violently. A loud, startling crack sounded from outside.

Meliodas and Merlin shared a knowing look, as Meliodas let out a muttered curse.

“The mountain,” Merlin agreed. Meliodas gaze flickered to the floor again before meeting her gaze.

“Whatever’s going on, we can figure it out later. We need to get the others and get out before that mountain buries us.”

– X –

As they all made it to the door, Meliodas had the feeling this natural disaster happening outside wasn’t so natural after all. Just like these ghost incidents wasn’t so ghost related. Someone had wanted them specifically to come here – had wanted him to come here. That much was clear. He didn’t know who or what or even why, but there was at least one demon involved. A fact that only made this whole situation worse.

Meliodas lingered behind as the other exited the house. Given King’s shout as he looked behind the house, they didn’t have much time.

“Merlin.” Meliodas stopped her before she could join King and Ban. She turned to him with a troubled frown. Her voice was tense as she spoke.

“We need to leave.”

“I know,” Meliodas said, but then shook his head. He rubbed his foot on the floor again, pushing away the layers of dust until she could see the carved pattern. The same pattern that had been in the other room – possibly every room. Logically, he knew it ran through the entire house. Merlin let out a loud curse as she recognized it.

“Yeah,” Meliodas agreed, his mouth twisting into a humorless smile. He reached out one hand towards the door and let his fingers push against the invisible force field there – design to keep demons and demons only from crossing. “This was definitely a trap.”

“But who-”

“There’s no time,” Meliodas cut her off. The ground was shaking with worsening tremors. “You have to get the others away from here. Keep the village safe.”

“Meliodas…” Merlin’s voice trailed off as he reached out his sword towards her. The dragon handle trembled in his hands. Ever since Danafor he had never let it out of his sight. Not even once. Until now. Merlin swallowed.

“What if…” she was stalling. They both knew it. She was no more eager to take the sword than he was to give it to her. They both realized what that meant. Only one of them was leaving this house today. Her gaze flickered back to the floor, but Meliodas shook his head. Ban and King shouted at them frantically from outside. They were out of time. Soon those two would just settle for dragging them out by force if necessary. It wouldn’t work of course, and Meliodas had no plan to have them here when their time really did run out. Big rocks were already crashing down around the house.

“You know as well as I do that not even you can undo or overpower that barrier. Not before it is already too late. I can’t leave. So, I need you to take this. You’re the only one I trust with it. Take it and get the others away.” His words were a strange mix of ordering and pleading. Tears shone in his eyes. “You know I will be fine. Take it and get them to safety.”

Reluctantly, Merlin took the sword from Meliodas’ hand. The sound of the crashing rocks almost deafening now. Before she left, she looked him straight in the eyes, “Don’t die.”

Meliodas gave her a shaky smile. Then she snapped her fingers, teleporting Ban, King, and herself down into the village. Away from harm, and away from Meliodas.

Meliodas exhaled slowly. The others were safe. The key was safe. That was all that mattered. He closed his eyes, calling every inch of his magic to him. He extended his wings behind him. Anything that could help as the mountain collapsed over him.

It wasn’t enough.

– 3,000 years ago –

Elizabeth was fluttering. Gloxinia didn’t have a better way to describe it. She was pacing back and forth, her feet barely even touching the ground. She wrung her hands together anxiously as she muttered to herself. Gloxinia would have said she looked like a wreck, but she looked like she had for the past few days.

“You’re back!” she cried out as soon as she saw them. Then she threw a glance over her shoulder, her expression darkening instantly. It seemed like her day with Ludociel had been less than pleasant. Not that Gloxinia was surprised. For all his power, the archangel was very far down on the list of people Gloxinia would willingly spend his free time with.

“What-” Elizabeth cut off herself, giving them a tight smile. Gloxinia nodded his head. This was not a conversation to have around nosy assholes. He shared a glance with Drole. If he was honest, he didn’t want to have this conversation at all. Gloxinia wanted to just erase these past hours and go back to living in blissful unawareness.

Once they’d made it far away to be unheard and undisturbed, Elizabeth spun around.

“So? What happened?” she immediately asked. “Oh, I wished I could have come with you!”

She faltered when she met their gazes. Oh, God. Gloxinia didn’t want to do this. Not when she was looking at them like that. He could see the worry in her eyes go from fearing the what ifs to something a lot more concrete; a realization that something actually had gone wrong. Gloxinia really wished he could prove her wrong.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice a mere whisper. Drole glanced off to the side, but when he spoke, he met her gaze. His steady calm barely hiding his own worry.

“He wasn’t there.”

Gloxinia could see the exact moment that Elizabeth processed the words. Her world shattering.

“… what?”

“It doesn’t have to mean something’s wrong!” Gloxinia hurriedly added. The words sounded false even to his own ears. Elizabeth shook her head, a few tears falling from her eyes as she pressed a hand to her mouth.

“No, it- he wouldn’t- Mel would have let us know!” Elizabeth stammered. She was right. Of course she was right. If Gloxinia had actually believed his own words, the worry wouldn’t have felt like a rock in his stomach.

“Okay, yeah, something is wrong,” he admitted shakily. “But it doesn’t have to mean the worst-case scenario.”

It was the same floundering attempts at comfort he’d been giving himself for hours by now.

“Which is?” Elizabeth asked. They all knew it – but she seemed to need to hear it.

“Worst-case,” Gloxinia said, reluctantly letting the idea form in his mind. “The Demon King knows.”

Elizabeth nodded her head, more tears rolling down her cheeks as she suppressed a sob.

“But it doesn’t have to be worst case,” Gloxinia tried again.

“He’s right,” Drole spoke up. “For all we know, this is to keep his cover. A precaution to not be discovered.”

“That’s still not a good thing, is it?” Elizabeth said shakily. Neither Gloxinia nor Drole answered her. They didn’t need to. All three already knew the answer. No matter the reason, Meliodas not showing up as planned meant that something had gone wrong. Just like they had all feared ever since they started this whole thing.

– 3,000 years later –

When Meliodas came to, it was painfully, slowly, and briefly. It wasn’t to the darkness underneath half a mountain. It was to a ray of the setting sun in his face. It was to a shadow towering above him. It was to the realization that something was horrible wrong before the darkness took over again.

To Be Continued…

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