'There's something different about you.' Nerobasta peered down at you.

You tried to look innocent. 'Oh really?'

She nodded slowly.

'Well, I don't know what it could be,' you said, leading the way outside. The gardens in the Celestial Realm were as perfect as ever. There wasn't a blade of grass too long or a tree with a single spotty leaf.

Nerobasta sighed. 'Oh, come on, [Y/n]. Everyone's heard the rumours.'

You ignored the way she looked at you even as your shoulders stiffened. 'Please, enlighten me.'

The words came in a rush. 'Ever since you've started spending more and more time in the human's world, people have been talking. And I don't just mean about your clothes.'

'My clothes?' You laughed lightly. So your dresses had gotten shorter, big deal. The way Meliodas looked at you meant you weren't going to stop. Besides, Sariel was showing just as much leg as you were and Nerobasta had always favoured lower cuts.

'But that's not all.' Nerobasta stopped walking. She looked around before grabbing your arm and pulling you behind a nearby marble pillar. Her voice dropped to a whisper. 'They say you've been ... cavorting with a ... with a ... Demon.'

'Cavorting with, huh? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?'

'So it's true?'

You started walking again. 'Maybe.'

Nerobasta was frozen for a moment before she hurried after you. 'But you're a Goddess! You shouldn't be sullying yourself with lesser races. Especially Demons. They're just beasts, filthy and insignificant. They—'

'Have you ever met a Demon?' you said quietly.

'No.' Nerobasta's lip curled. 'And I hope I never do. Unless it's on the field of battle when I will destroy every one that dares face me.'

You looked at your feet. 'I see.' It was quiet for a moment. 'I should get going. I have somewhere to be.'

But Nerobasta caught your wrist. '[Y/n], listen. I – We're friends. So I'm asking you, please stop this. Every time you come back home, you change. There's a darkness growing inside you. This peace is ending. The Supreme Deity herself says so. If you don't stop now, then it will hurt more later. And what's the alternative? To abandon your friends and family? Your entire race? To give up your life?'

Nerobasta's face held an emotion you had never seen on her before. It cut your sarcastic remark to pieces. So instead you held her hands and tried to smile. 'Thank you.'

And you flew away.

The sound of the rushing river calmed you slightly. You had flown right to the edge of the Celestial Realm – the very last floating island. The only thing past here was clouds. It was a place not many people came.

'There's something different about you,' said a smooth voice.

'Hello to you too, Ludociel.' You didn't look away from the sky. His footsteps got closer.

'I can't quite put my finger on what, though,' he continued as if you hadn't spoken. 'It's almost like there's a darkness growing inside you.'

'So I've been told.'

'Speaking of darkness, how is that little friend of yours? Meliodas, right?'

Now you looked (glared) at him. 'Don't pretend you don't know his name.'

Ludociel just smiled. 'How long did it take him to heal after our last meeting? I seem to recall a lot of blood ... and a missing limb.'

'Not as long as it took you to recover. This is the first time I've seen you in weeks.'

Ludociel's smile disappeared. 'The Supreme Deity gives me many missions. I don't always get the pleasure of cleaning up your messes.'

You scowled.

He smirked. 'Well, I must be off. Give Meliodas my hatred, won't you? Or don't. I suppose I can give it to him myself soon enough.'

Ludociel flew away before you could say 'fuck off'. You still said it though, even if he didn't hear. It didn't make you feel better.

Feeling more rattled than you had after speaking to Nerobasta, you started pacing. If Ludociel was going on more missions, if your mother was announcing the end of peace, then everything was certainly going to become difficult. Not like it was currently easy, what with Ludociel's regular attacks and the slow but sure estrangement of your friends. But your time with Meliodas meant you had been happier than ever before. And you weren't going to give it up.

Without your realising, your thoughtful pacing had brought you to the bank of the river. You stared at your distorted reflection. You didn't look different. Well, you hoped you looked happier. That your eyes were less dull. But whatever Nerobasta and Ludociel had seen was invisible to yourself. Or it was something that eyes couldn't see.

So you settled yourself cross-legged on the grass. Your hands rested lightly on your knees and your eyes closed. Immediately, you were bombarded with life. Every single living thing that called the Celestial Realm home was a light that danced before your eyes. Some were bigger and brighter than others but they were all cold. You turned your focus inwards and found your own life. Maybe it was your imagination, but it felt slightly warmer than the others. Your lips twitched. Good. Could that have been what Nerobasta and Ludociel felt? There was nothing else different and you were just about to conclude that must be the case when you felt it.

Somewhere inside you was a tiny speck of darkness. You frowned and looked closer. The darkness wasn't alone. It was tangled with some light, forming a sign of life you had never seen before. It was beautiful. Was this yourself changing? But no. You looked closer. This life wasn't your own. It was separate to you but still somehow within you. A life within a life. You reached out to hold it. It didn't protest. It felt natural to hold it in your hands. You wanted to protect it. But what could it—?

Oh.

Your eyes flew open. There were tears on your cheeks. Your palms started to glow. Did you want it to be true? Did you not? Either way, you pressed your glowing hands to your stomach. A tiny gasp escaped your lips. It was true. A tiny life. Light and dark.

You were pregnant.

Being in the human world usually calmed you down. The messiness seemed so much more like what life was supposed to be. But not right now. Right now you were sat on a log, chewing on your thumb nail and bouncing one leg. The sounds of the forest barely registered in your mind. There were only your racing thoughts.

You were pregnant. It was unbelievable but also undeniable. After all, it wasn't like you and Meliodas had been especially careful. But that was because you both believed that it was impossible. Hadn't you spent your whole lives being told that Goddesses and Demons were incompatible? But then again, you tilted your head pensively, what was the point in believing that when it clearly hadn't been true when you had fallen in love with Meliodas. But the supposed impossibility also meant this was something you had never discussed. You had never pictured yourself as a mother. After all, it wasn't like your own relationship with your mother was the best.

And now there was a whole other person starting to grow inside you. You looked down at your stomach. It betrayed nothing. Bizarre. Just like the child would grow to be. No such being had ever existed. What would they become? Surely their life would be difficult. How could you bring a life into the world knowing that it would be destined to be shunned? But – your frown softened slightly – you were starting to grow rather fond of the small spark of warmth. And Meliodas—

You froze with a gasp. Meliodas. What would he think? What if—?

'Hey.'

You shrieked and fell off the log.

Meliodas laughed. 'Didn't mean to scare you.' His hands were warm on your arms as he helped you to your feet. 'Are you—?' His question and laughter stopped as he saw your face. 'What happened?'

'No – nothing. I—' You smiled slightly. 'Sorry. I missed you.'

'I missed you too,' Meliodas said slowly, his eyes searching yours. 'Now will you tell me what's going on?'

You chewed your bottom lip. You should tell him. But the words wouldn't form. No matter how frantically your mind put together the sentences, they all fell apart in seconds. There had to be some way to make this easier. So, making your decision, you took a deep breath and held Meliodas's hands tight. 'Will you do something for me?'

'Anything,' he said immediately.

'Go to the theatre and wait for me there.'

'But—'

'There's something I need to check,' you said. 'I won't be long. And then I'll tell you everything. I promise.'

Meliodas's face softened. 'Okay.' He brushed his hand down the side of your face, leaving a trail of warmth that sent goosebumps down your arms. 'I'll wait for you.'

You burst into the Records Hall, chest heaving. The people there looked at you and away again quickly, turning to whisper to their companions. You ignored them and hurried to the back rooms. If there was any information about a Goddess-Demon child, it would be there.

'Wait, you can't— oh, Lady [Y/n]. My apologies,' the guard stammered. 'I didn't realise it was you.'

'Don't worry about it.' You waved a hand. 'I need access to the archives.'

The guard swallowed. 'I'm afraid I cannot ... without proper authorisation – that is, I mean—'

You drew yourself to your full height and narrowed your eyes. 'Are you questioning me?'

'No—not at all, my lady.' The guard stepped to the side, trembling. 'Do you require further assistance?'

'No. Thank you.' You shot them a smile and squashed down your guilt. This had to be done.

The archives were cold and empty. Your footsteps echoed and your breath hung in the air. The ceilings were high. This room was full of shelves, each one packed with books and parchments and scrolls. You stopped at the first one and sighed. Time to get started.

Time had long since slipped from your grasp. There were no windows in here, no changing of the light to alert you to its passing. Your eyes were starting to itch with tiredness and your fingers were freezing. But you kept reading, scanning the words for any clues or hints. Nothing. Nothing. Always nothing.

You shoved the scroll you had just finished back onto the shelf with a huff. Only one row left. You flicked through page after page. You were eager to finish, knowing Meliodas was waiting for you. But you also dreaded it because if there was nothing, no help, then it was up to you to find the words to say.

Only one scroll remained. Its parchment was yellowed with age and it crinkled as you unrolled it. Its words were printed in a scratchy font, some of the ink beginning to fade. They formed a collection of little rhymes. You frowned as you read. Most of these words made no sense. Chastiefol. Undead bandit. Liones. Lostvayne. Whatever they meant. The very last stanza caught your eye.

When blood of light and blood of dark

join together in one heart

a fatal clash – friend on friend

the longest battle to finally end.

So be it told that at her birth,

it did not only shake the Earth.

It shook the heavens, it shook the seas,

brought the mightiest to their knees.

And with her aid, all war will cease

and Britannia will finally know peace.

'Blood of light and blood of dark,' you whispered. Goddesses and Demons perhaps? And if they joined in one heart ... Your own heart started to beat faster. You turned the parchment over, but there was no more writing. 'No. There has to be more!'

'Is everything all right in there?' the guard called.

'Yes. Sorry.'

You looked back at the scroll. There, right at the top, was another line of text. It was written in a different hand than the rest. You brought it close to your eyes and read:

What follows are the words of the Goddess Taliesin who went mad after speaking to "a lake of great magical power". His words have been preserved for posterity but should not be regarded as fact. Taliesin spent his last days rambling in verse and died shortly after completing this scroll.

The words of a madman. The only hope you had. You looked back at the last verse and read it again, lips forming the words, and committed it to your memory. With that done, you rolled up the scroll and carefully slid it back onto the shelf. It was time to tell Meliodas.

Night was just beginning to fall when you reached Heaven's Theatre. The first stars watched as you landed. Meliodas smiled as you made your way to his side, but it seemed automatic more than anything. His eyes, the way he held his body, all betrayed his worry. You licked your lips.

'Sorry it took so long,' you said, taking his hand in yours.

'Three days,' he said. You stared but he only looked at your joined hands.

Three days. You had spent three days pouring over parchment. Meliodas had spent three days in this abandoned place waiting for you. 'Sorry,' you said again, voice barely a whisper.

Meliodas shook his head. 'I would wait a thousand years for you.' Finally he met your eyes. 'Did you find what you were looking for?'

You shrugged one shoulder. 'Sort of.'

'And?'

You opened your mouth but no words came out. His face. The most beautiful face you had ever seen. The face you saw when you closed your eyes. You had seen every emotion on that face, but you couldn't predict what it would show when you told him the truth. But you had to tell him. You'd promised.

'Tomorrow,' you said, burying you face into his shoulder and twisting your fingers into his shirt. 'Please. Let me have tonight.'

'Okay,' Meliodas said, barely audible.

And the two of you settled down to sleep. Meliodas's breath slowed and evened. You stared at the stars and they stared back, as inscrutable as ever. Tomorrow everything would change.

You paced back and forth, kicking rubble as you went. You could feel Meliodas's eyes following your path but didn't look at him. Instead, you kept your gaze fixed on your hands. Now. You had to say it now.

'Okay.' Your voice was kind of shaky. 'So I found out the other day. It was – I was ... Well, Ludociel said—no, Nerobasta said it first. But I didn't believe them, you know? Especially Ludociel. He's such an ass. You remember what he—'

'[Y/n],' Meliodas interrupted, one corner of his lips twitching up, 'as much as I like hearing you call Ludociel an ass – and believe me, it's a lot – I think you're getting off topic.'

You blinked. 'Right.' But as you looked at Meliodas, your breathing got faster and your head started to spin.

Before you could make everything worse by falling over like a prat, Meliodas pulled you over to the stone benches and sat you down. Then he knelt in front of you and took your hands.

'Breathe,' he said. 'Deep breaths. Whatever it is, we'll face it together. Okay? Just like always.'

'I'm pregnant.' The words burst out before you could think.

Meliodas froze.

Now there was nothing blocking the way, everything came flooding out. 'Nerobasta and Ludociel said there was something different about me. I thought they were just saying that because, well, they're prejudiced. But they were right, Meliodas. I felt it. There's something ... someone with your and my powers ... inside me. So I went to the archives to see if there was anything like this before because, well—' your laugh sounded wild '—I was kind of freaking out. But there was nothing until I found some sort of poem by some mad Goddess. Which was frustrating. And now I'm telling you and you're not saying anything. Please say something.'

'I can't believe you said that.' His lips barely moved.

'Said what?' Your heart started to pound ever faster.

'That you were kind of freaking out. You were having a full-on meltdown. I thought you were sick or dying or something.'

Your laugh was slightly hysterical and it stopped quickly. 'You ... you're not mad?'

'Mad?' Meliodas's eyes flew to yours. A wide smile started to grow on his face. 'No, definitely not. Absolutely petrified, yes. And completely, utterly ecstatic.'

The tears that had been in the corners of your eyes finally broke free. You sobbed and laughed, hands shaking. Meliodas's hands dropped to your stomach. He was being so gentle.

'So in there is ... is ...'

'A baby.'

'Our baby,' Meliodas corrected, still beaming.

You wiped your eyes and nodded. 'Our baby.'

'[Y/n]? [Y/n], wake up.'

Your eyes opened slowly and you blinked up at Meliodas. 'Huh?'

'Hawk's wandered off somewhere. I was gonna ask if you'd seen him, but—' he smirked '—guess not.'

'Sorry.' You sat up and stretched. 'Didn't even realise I was falling asleep. What are you doing?'

Meliodas had crouched in front of you. He reached out and ever so gently brushed his thumbs across your cheeks. 'You were crying.'

You blinked. 'I was?'

He looked at his ring and back at you. 'Bad dream?'

'No idea. Did you see anything?'

Meliodas's eyes were unfathomable and for a moment you thought he wouldn't say anything. 'No.' He stood up and held out a hand to you. 'Come on.' Both your hands were resting on your stomach for some reason, so you reached up to take his hand. 'This tavern isn't going to build itself.'

~~~~~

Hellooooo everyone!

In case it was unclear, the last section is set just after the Sins were run out of Liones. 

Hope you're all doing well and staying safe 💕💕💕

EDIT- forgot to say you can thank @Mysterica for this chapter! thanks for the idea 💕