The Captain's Second Half (Meliodas)(On Hold)

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Celeste closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before opening her eyes and unclenching her fists. "Yes, Meliodas. I'm listening." "So will you?" Meliodas asks her. Celeste looked down; to anyone, it would appear to be a consideration, but to Celeste, she was trying to figure out what conversation they were having, and then it clicked. "Yes, I'll speak to my brother." Celeste sighs and smiles at him. "Great!" Meliodas grabs Celeste's wrist and pulls her in for a kiss. The Goddess is initially taken aback but melts into the kiss, wrapping her arms around him.

And then, the scene changed.

Meliodas stood with his back towards Celeste, his arms crossed as he stared at the horizon. The tension in his shoulders told her everything. She's lived through this moment once before. "Meliodas?" Celeste calls softly. He turned, and his green eyes, filled with warmth yet regret, met hers. "Celeste... You mean so much to me, you know that, right?" Meliodas asks her. She knew what was coming and where this was going. She begged heaven before and pleaded for the fates to be changed, but this was a trial, and she had no control over it.

"I met someone." Meliodas exhaled slowly. "Elizabeth." Celeste says quietly. Meliodas nodded. "I don't want to hurt you, but she needs me. And I--" He pauses and hesitates for a second. "I love her, Celeste." "Fell in love by accident, my ass!" Celeste screams in her head, remembering her conversation with Meliodas about this. Those words struck deeper than a blade. She was an Archangel. She was supposed to be above that kind of pain.

She could only watch as Meliodas stepped forward, placing a gentle hand against her cheek as if she could break at any moment. "I never wanted to push you aside. But I can't ignore what I feel for her. And I know you'll be okay. You're strong, Celeste. You've always been." Strong. That word. She's heard it thousands of times. But what good is being strong if it doesn't stop her from feeling this?

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"You're an Archangel, yet you can't keep a mere Demon at your side?" Ludociel, although his eyes were closed, was staring into his younger sister's soul. "I..." Celeste tries to speak but looks away, feeling tears in her eyes. "Can't say I didn't warn you." Ludociel gets up and walks over to his sister. "I mean, of course, he was going to leave you. Anyone can see it. He was using you to get higher up in the Goddess ranks. First, he goes for the younger sister of the Leader of the Archangels and the Strongest Archangel, then he moves on with the daughter of the Supreme Deity." Ludociel circles her.

"It's not your fault. You were just stupid and gullible." By that point, Celeste was in tears. Her chest was rising unevenly, and sobs escaped from her as much as she tried to keep them at bay. Ludociel stops before his sister and pulls her in for a hug. But that was just the beginning.

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Elizabeth had just received the goblet from Zaneri to begin her trial. She stares at the goblet long and hard, about to focus her power on the goblet, when a sound stops her. She pauses, thinking she was mistaken, but she hears it again. It was the unmistakable sound of a sob. Elizabeth looked back at the Demon and Goddess; their eyes were still closed, but Celeste had tears running down her cheeks. Her fists were clenched, and sobs racked her body.

Beside her, Meliodas grunts and screams. "Lady Celeste! Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth tries to run to them, but Zaneri stops her. "You have your own test now; it's not the time to be worrying about others." Zaneria simply tells her. "Yes, I get that, but Lady Zaneri, listen." Elizabeth looks at the Druid. Celeste and Meliodas' pained screams filled the room around them. "I've seen them go through a lot, but I've never seen them in such pain or sorrow. Just what kind of horrible test are you putting them through exactly?" She asks. "A living hell." Zaneri replies.