Turning Back The Clock

Turning Back The Clock: Chapter 28

The sound of banging on metal rang throughout the whole dungeon endlessly. About a week ago, the sins had been ambushed out of nowhere and quickly overrun. But instead of being killed like expected, they were thrown in this dump and left to rot.

"Ban stop! Give it a rest already!"

"Like hell I will Diane! We've been thrown in this dump like trash! And I sure as hell won't stay here! Not when the Cap'n is out there alone! What if he needs us?"

"What if he's the one that turned us in?"

"Harlequin! How could you say such a thing!?""

The fairy flinched at his crush's scorn, before answering as calmly as he could, a sad tone in his voice.

"He may be our captian, but right now he's just a boy, Diane. It's clear how much he cares for his brothers, and right now we're nearly strangers to him. It could be that something happened to make him choose and he picked them."

"Well so what if he did!? What's the point in speculating over something like that!?"

"I'm saying this Ban to tell you to calm down. Just because we're in trouble at the moment doesn't mean he is. He's the youngest demon prince, not a normal child that needs the same level of protection. We need to save up our strength to get out, because your method isn't getting us anywhere."

The man was fuming, but he had to admit the fairy had a point even if he didn't like it. Their captain probably wasn't in the same kind of trouble with the demons that the group was. Well, he hoped that at least. Although the thought didn't make the knot in his stomach untangle at all.

"So.. what do we do now? Merlin can't use her magic because of the seal on the dungeon, there's probably a million demon guards protecting this place, and we don't even know exactly where we are."

The shrunken giant was the one who dared ask the question, but none of the others- not even Hawke- were brave enough to dare admit the answer.

Because when in danger, how could the mighty Seven Deadly Sins accept that there wasn't anything to do? They just had to wait. Wait and find out with time what their captures intended to do with them.

Or, unbeknownst to them, what their ally intended to do with them.

The group wasn't left alone in their silence for too long, because in the dark footsteps could be heard echoing loudly as they approached the cage, putting each of the sins on guard immediately.

Especially when the demon got close enough for them to see who it was.

"Zeldris! You insufferable demon, what do you want with us!?"

Harlequin was the first to speak, the others all agreeing with similar insults as the ravenette simply waited calmly for them to settle down. Something that took a while as a week worth of anger and frustration was let out.

 "If you all are quite done with that tangent, I need to talk to you."

"No way! We aren't going to listen to anything you have to say-"

"It's about Meliodas."

That shut Diane up quickly as she instead used that hatred to send a glare that conveyed the same message.

"What about the Cap'n? If you're just here to gloat about how you brainwashed your little brother you sick son of a-"

The man sighed, seeming fed up with all of these assumptions as he once again interrupted the oncoming rant.

"I assure you, it's not. Maybe if you actually shut up for a second and let me speak, you can find out for yourself what I'm here to say rather than assuming yourself."

Ban growled at the comment, but listened to the suggestion as Zeldris made sure the group was done before continuing.

"Well? Spit it out then!"

"Meliodas is... in danger. The spell we used to reverse his age is having side effects I believe might damage his body. I was a fool to not notice it the first time around, but after discovering his association with you all in an argument, he was reversed again and it seems like the side effects are worsening. I'm not sure what spell my brother and the other commandments used to do this to begin with, but it needs to be stopped to save my youngest sibling."

The group was silent for a moment, seemingly overcoming the shock of Zeldris asking for their help, setting down his pride, and also the blow of knowing little Mel would once again not remember them.

"Even if what you're saying is true, why come to us to help? Why ask your enemy instead of that bastard of a brother Estarossa to reverse it?"

"Because I have a feeling it will be much harder convincing the other commandments to help. And it's too much of a risk. If they find that keeping Meliodas around is no longer conducive, Estarossa won't be able to stop them from executing my younger brother to prevent another rebellion. Which is where you all come in. Even with your combined forces, there's no way you'll be able to fend off the guards we have, but if I create an outbreak. If I hold them off and you grab Meliodas and get him out of here, I should be able to rejoin you as we work together to find a way to break this spell. In hiding."

The group muttered among themselves, quiet enough for Zeldris to hear nothing but gibberish, but still loud enough for him to know that they were conferring with each other.

"What's in this for you? If we bring back our captain, we'll go back to being enemies and we'll have our biggest advantage back. How do we know this isn't some sort of trap? What do you get out of doing this other than a target on your back from both sides of the war?"

The ravenette contemplated his answer. It was what had scared him the very first time this happened. It was the same fear that made him convince himself he was okay with what had happened when Estarossa used this spell. But he couldn't live in that fear anymore. It kept him alive but took away what made him want to live: his family.

"You're right. Likely... I won't make it out of this. The commandments, if they find us, will execute me as well for being a traitor, and once Meliodas regains his memories, I doubt he'll be gracious enough to forgive me for all of the horrible things I've done... however I don't think I'd be able to live with myself knowing he died because of my cowardice. Deep down, regardless of how I've tried to fight it, he will always be my little brother before anything else. Regardless of what's happened between us, regardless of this war. And I'm done letting my fears of death get in the way of that. If I can save him... it will be worth my fate."

He half expected them to scoff at the sentiment and turn him away. Not that he would blame them. However he couldn't afford such a thing happening with his sibling's life on the line. This was the only desperate thing Zeldris could do to hope this would work. Especially after hearing the doctor say he didn't know what was wrong upon further inspection. They had to agree. They had to be willing to help him, just this once. For their captian if nothing else.

Finally, after a long, agonizing, silence, they spoke in unison two words that sent relief into his veins as he finally let out that breath he had been holding.

"We're in."

Yay! Another chapter!

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