The Nymph's Redemption: Acantha's Journey (7ds fanfiction)

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Corrupting Nightmare of Guilt

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Gowther gently held onto Acantha, trying to slow down the infection that started to plague her body. Small pink sparks connected his finger to her temple as she had a distressed expression on her face. "The Seven Deadly Sins haven't listened to my call for them to come to this location... And I can sense an unstable amount of chaotic magic coming from where we fought the demon king... But... I can't just let Acantha stay like this..." He muttered to himself. "This only slows the infection. But... It won't stop it." Gowther gently set Acantha to lay on her side and looked around. After a moment, the sin of lust attempted to call to the sins once again.

Inside Acantha's dreamscape, she ran as fast as she could force herself to. Her lungs burned and her vision was fuzzy. Acantha could see a familiar figure, it was an old aquaintence of hers from her time within the fairy kings forest. "Helbram!" She called out, skidding to a stop at taking note of the cliff that now overlooked a somewhat peaceful forest. "Helbram! There's a demon-" she paused her thoughts when she realized the demon no longer was there. Helbram turned to her, the male fairy seeming very calm. Not even a mischevious expression he usually carried was visible. "Helbram? Why aren't you saying anything??" She questioned before feeling something spill from her mouth. Acantha coughed and covered her mouth at seeing blood, but it wasn't a normal crimson liquid. Instead this blood was dark, like an inky dark void with only the slightest shade of red. And it was thicker than blood, only a little thinner than the consistency of a sticky syrup.

Gowther was losing hope in calling for the sins to come to them and figured he would just carry her back to the nearest village. That was, until, the sounds of their names being called came from the road going North. Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting and worrying over what danger was going on while they were gone, Acantha could possibly be saved. Meliodas was the first to rush over, seeing Acantha's state. "What happened to Acantha???" He asked, his worry visible beyond compare. Merlin approached them, a frown on her face. "I apologize for not coming sooner. We had become caught up in a fight against chaos." The woman said. Gowther looked at them and used his free hand to show the spreading demonic infection, covering her shoulders and torso. "I've seen an injury such as this. But only as a memory from my creator who has witnessed this." He explained.

Meliodas furrowed his brows. "This must be Zeldris' doing. Its an attack he uses as a form of punishment to demons and other creatures he wants to see suffer. In this attack, he infuses his blade with the type of energy that is present in purgatory. It acts like a venom or poison that takes over the host, leaving them sick but not fully dead yet. It seems like this is a stage when the infection starts to leave the host trapped in a never ending nightmare. If she doesn't get treated soon... It will cause her body to decay in the most agonizing way possible." He explained. They all looked down at Acantha, seeing a thick black blood like liquid drip from her mouth. "How does she get cured?" Diane asked, sitting on her knees nervously. "Usually only an archangel could cure this with their power of purge... But I dont think any of them are available right now. If we can get to the land of the druids in time they could use purge on it... But she will still be sick afterwards..." Merlin stated.

"Where were you two heading anyways, Gowther?" Ban asked. Gowther looked to Ban. "This morning Acantha had left to go to the goddess temple. In fact. She had planned to do this for a long time. Acantha told only me that the day after Britannia will now be at peace, she will leave and go find the goddess temple. Whether it meant she would be alone or not. I couldn't leave her to travel on her own and so I joined her." Gowther stated, watching Merlin check the map they had. "Well judging by this circled location. The goddess temple isn't too far I can't teleport us there. But even so, there's a risk this goddess is not there." She muttered. They had multiple options, all with a risk.

Within her mind, Acantha only stared at Helbram, who stared back in silence. "Helbram why won't you speak-." She was interrupted by him. "You shouldn't blame yourself for everything thats going on. And you shouldn't push yourself like this." He said simply. Acantha was left confused as he continued to speak. "It was pretty stupid of you to not tell anyone you were sick. Now look, you're here watching this situation replay." The fairy boy added. Acantha finally spoke up. "What situation?" Acantha questioned, her green eyes scanning his features for any sort of joke hidden within them. Helbram didnt look away from Acantha. "The fire that wiped out the fairy kings forest." He simply put it. Acantha only had to blink once before the once peaceful fairy kings forest was now burning down in a giant forest fire. Among the flames was the red demon that had destroyed the place she once called home all those years ago.

Acantha slowly turned to see the fire and her eyes slowly went wide, almost as if she had to process it all. "Elaine is in there somewhere. Those fairies you had befriended are in there somewhere." Helbram was eerily calm. "Helbram... Hey... Why are you so calm.... How can you be so calm???" She went to look at him but he was gone. There was screaming and crying from within the forest. Acantha ran off into the flames to try and save her friends and aquaintences. Smog filled the air and left the nymph unable to breathe or see properly. "Elaine! Where are you?!" She called out, rubbing her eyes to try and clear them. "Dammit... I can't breathe..." She mumbled, coughing up more fluid. Acantha looked at the sky and saw the red demon approaching the tree of life, where Elaine must have been. "I need to get to her... To help her..." She blindly ran through smoke and fallen trees.

After gaining many scrapes from running, the hot dirt turned to a liquid watery emptiness. The sounds of water splashing around her ears silenced along with the tragic event of the forest fire. Acantha opened her eyes and only saw the dark vortex of the water that encased her. It was like she was sinking down, the light above her getting darker, and the water getting colder against her skin. 'I don't remember falling into water that night. I just ran until I couldn't anymore...' she thought to herself, glancing down at the empty void below her. There was a set of glowing red eyes that seemed to get bigger the closer it got to her. She could faintly make out a pitch black creature of purgatory coming right at her. In a strike of fear and adrenaline, Acantha tried forcing herself to swim back towards the light that glistened and flickered above her. 'What the hell is that?!' Acantha screamed in her head. It didnt even seem like an aquatic creature.

The sins had decided they would be going to the druids of Istar. It was their best bet, assuming they would even be of help. Meliodas held Acantha in his arms while Gowther did his best to slow the sickness that tried to corrupt Acantha. Luckily it didn't take long for them to open the gate to the realm. Once the gate was open and the druid realm was visible to anyone to enter, the angelic sisters who protected the land immediately went on alert. Zaneri seeing Meliodas and the others and calming down. Jenna seemed much more disturbed. "Well I know you all didnt come to chat. What's wrong? You all seem way too tense." She questioned before being presented with Acantha.

Meliodas didnt exactly want to leave Acantha's side but knew if purge was used against him, it could do more harm than good. Gowther explained the situation as the druids listened, taking her into the mountain to purge the infection while the sins all sat around outside near the large lake surrounding the realm.

When Acantha managed to escape the watery depth she once was in, her surroundings were different. Instead of the fairy king's forest, she was in a giant plains land. It was still nighttime as the full moon was shining brighter than ever. "I hope that thing can't leave the water... Whatever it is..." She tried to calm herself down and decide on what to do. "I just wanna rest now... My whole body hurts..." Acantha whined, laying on her back in the grass and looking up at the moon. "At least its peaceful..." The girl said to no one in particular. Her eyes started to feel heavy and she slowly closed them before they shot open. Acantha quickly sat up as her throat burned. It felt like smoke was filling her lungs before making its way up her throat and escaping her mouth in a chokingly thick smoke like substance. Even though the feeling of it practically suffocating her on the way out was painful, her body felt relief and her mind was at ease. The thick smog of dark and malicious energy floated up before thinning out and dispersing into nothingness.

It was silent between the sins, tension filled the air. Diane looked at Gowther. "Did Acantha ever tell you why she was going to leave without us knowing?" She asked sadly. Gowther shrugged. "She didnt directly tell me, but I read her inner thoughts and it seems like she didnt want to bring you all along because of how happy you all seemed to finally be worry free and be able to settle down." He explained, pulling his knees to his chest from where he sat in the grass. Meliodas put his arms behind his head. "Thats a silly thing to think after the deal me and her made. I told her that if she helped out the sins that we would help her with her search." The blonde sighed. Diane grumbled a bit about hoping Acantha lives before seeing King floating silently and seeming deep in thought.

"Aww don't worry King, I'm sure Acantha doesn't hold any grudge-" King cut the giant girl off before she could finish. "Its not about that... Its the fact that despite being in such a state, Acantha still pushed through and fought with every bone in her body. Even though she was practically dying from that corruption, she hid it so well. And I was dumb enough to accuse her of not being loyal to the sins. I feel like an idiot knowing Acantha could have died any minute of our argument. And I wouldn't have had any chance to apologize or make up for it..." He spoke.

There was the crunch of grass from behind the entire group. "Even if I had died, I wouldn't want you to feel guilt..." Acantha said.
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Word Count: 1900