Turning Back The Clock

Turning Back The Clock: Chapter 7

Technically recommended by Crazy_Dreamer, but executed a bit differently because this was actually the original idea that gave me the desire to write this. (: Either way though, thank you for reminding me Crazy_Dreamer!

It was a very rare time that Zeldris actually got a decent amount of sleep. With always having too much work to finish at night, and being an early bird in the morning, he seldom got maybe more than three to four hours of rest.

Which made the one moment of peace given from his brain where he began drifting off at a reasonable time, all the more difficult to lose after hearing a knock at his door.

Annoyance filled him fast as he growled and stormed towards the door before opening it with equal attitude. However all previous feelings left the second he saw a sheepish, timid, little blond boy on the other side.

"S-Sorry Zeldy.. I didn't mean to wake you."

Feeling guilt over the child's dim mood he relaxed his tense shoulders fast before replying.

"It's... It's alright Meli. Why're you coming this way so late? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

The child seemed to shy away even more at that as he fiddled with his seemingly very interesting tiny hands.

"W-Well I um.. I know you're a grown up now. A-And for you it's been a really long time since we've done this, but I um... I had a nightmare and I was hoping that... that m-maybe... Um, it's okay, I-I can just go back to bed.."

It took a minute to understand what the tot was trying to say in Zeldris's groggy state, but once he thought of it, his heart clenched in absolute agony as the nostalgia hit fast.

Meliodas used to have nightmares very often. Usually related to their father hurting Zeldris or Esta which left the poor boy terrified of losing them. And those same nightmares had created an almost nightly routine of the little boy curling up in the ravenette's bed to give him a sense of safety and reassurance that his brothers were indeed safe.

It has been so long that the demon had nearly blocked out the memories, however thinking of it now, he had barely been able to sleep at all the first year of Meliodas being gone due to constantly being reminded of that memory between the two. It was part of what started his workaholic tendencies as well.

Not wanting to hurt his little brother or make him shy away even further, Zeldris called for the boy turning away from him.

"M-Mel wait! I don't mind. You can stay in here for tonight if you need to. I know you have a hard time sleeping otherwise with your nightmares.."

The child still seemed timid, but there was relief in emerald eyes as he hesitantly stepped into the room.

Zeldris knew it wasn't the action of sleeping next to his older siblings that was making his brother uncomfortable. To the little nine year old, it was a normal sense of safety. The reaction was due to Meliodas not knowing if he was okay with it due to him being so much older now. Which was why he wanted to make sure he seemed as much at ease as possible.

After all, the nerves he was facing weren't caused by the little demon, it was because of how much it was bringing back.

It was around ten the child's nightmares had stopped, which left another few years before the blond abandoned them, hence leaving plenty of time to forget all of the little nights he would try to freak out Meliodas with scary stories or how the little boy's breathing would even out and he'd cling to the ravenette's stomach in his sleep.

The memories wouldn't stop flooding, increasing even when the two entered the bed and the blond once again instinctively moved to curl his small arms around his brother's belly.

It was involuntary, but Zeldris tensed at the action, feeling almost pained by the stretching and pulling on his heartstrings by every action.

"Is this okay Zeldy? Are you sure you don't want me to go..?"

His voice was so tiny and unsure, a reaction caused by that of his brother's.

Trying to calm both his own nerves and that of Meliodas's, Zeldris took a deep breath before gently brushing his hand through the blond's hair. Something that made the tense child slowly melt.

"I'm fine kiddo. Just get some rest."

"M...Mkay."

His brother was already drifting off. This had clearly been the comfort he had needed, maybe not even just for tonight. Mel was very in tune with his sibling's emotions, so if he hadn't been sleeping well, he likely wouldn't have gone to Zeldris for it until now. Even just tonight had clearly wracked the child's nerves.

Watching the even rise and fall of the tiny boy's chest and feeling his little heartbeats from Meliodas still clinging to him so tightly, Zeldris found himself lulled into a dreamless sleep as well.

Once again reminded of how desperately he has missed the simplest things that he had blocked out with no knowledge that he would experience them all a second time.
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Everyone was on guard as the thick, magic, forest surrounding the Camelot base seemed impossible to get through. They'd turn one way and see a tree they had marked at the start once again. The same results if they turned the other way ten minutes later! No one dared to give up though.

Merlin had finally completed a tracking spell for the captain, using his lost precious item as the base for what to follow. However as soon as the sins entered the forest, the magic wore off, and the group was left to fend for themselves after the mage had uttered something before teleportimg to who knows where.

"M-Maybe this is a magic forest and it's just putting us in circles! We should try to leave and find another way to the captain."

"That was the path we tried last Diane. We were trying to get out and ended up right back here again."

"Oh.."

She sounded dejected by the fairy's gently spoken words before another idea popped into her head.

"What if you use your magic, King! If you can clear the trees, won't we be able to get where we need to go?"

"I-I can try. But I'm not sure how well it'll work here."

Taking a deep breath, the fairy lifted his hand with a flick only to have nothing happen in response. Other than an awkward silence that was, only to be interrupted by Ban's snickering.

"S-Shut it Ban! The forest is clearly enchanted by some sort of magic. Magic I'm not able to change.."

The group felt dejected again, hopeless even as none of them knew how or if they would get out.

"Please, of course magic isn't gonna work in a magic forest. We gotta try brute force! If we all summon our best attacks, it'll break in no time! Of course I'LL take the lead."

The little pink blob of fat spoke more confidently than any of the others felt, but after seeing the pig desperately throw attack after attack at a single tree trunk, they all felt their vigor come back.

Well, it's worth a try! We can't give up yet. I'm not giving up until the Cap'n is home safe and sound!

Yet even as all of them worried and desperately tried to free their captian from what they all thought a cage, none of them knew the true fate of what had happened to the blond.. or his relationship to the captors themselves..

Wrote this when I was tired so I don't know if it's very good, but I still hope you like it!

Words- 1316