Fury filled Meliodas as Estarossa entered the room he had been dragged to by the guards. 

"Meli, you have to understand-"

The demon wasn't able to finish as a pillow was thrown at him. Then another one. A vase, a few books, toys, anything within the blond's reach was thrown as the child continued his tantrum. 

"Meliodas, stop -"

"Meanie! Jerk! Monster!"

The little demon hurled every insult he could think of short of cursing as the other watched with a blank look while dodging the items thrown at his face. 

It was a solid ten minutes until Meliodas stopped. Mainly because he ran out of things to throw and say, but the glare he sent after was still enough to convey his mood. Although it didn't seem like Estarossa cared as he walked towards the boy with that same blank look on his face. 

"Are you done?"

"You've never cared about me, have you?"

Ignoring the miserably said comment, the man took that as a yes while Meliodas hugged his knees and hid his face in them.

"I need you to tell me something Meli, it's important."

"Go away..."

Knowing his brother wouldn't listen, the boy said the command barely loud enough to be heard, but even if his sibling did hear, he acted like he didn't and continued to speak in that calm tone. 

"I need you to tell me about when you met the sins. When, and where."

"Go eat rocks."

"I don't believe that's an answer. Tell me now Meliodas."

"It's not like you'll listen to whatever I say anyway, you'll only hear what you want to hear. Just like always."

"Like always? Have you been regaining memories, Mel?"

"Dran doth grarhlam."

The curse directed at Estarossa in demonic tongue definitely caught the man's attention as his calm demeanor fell for only a second.

"Meliodas!"

The boy in question didn't even look up, unphased by the lecturing tone.

"You're going to kill them, aren't you? The sins?"

The boy was crying, he could tell by the shakiness in his voice. Regaining his composure, Estarossa sighed out his frustration and spoke evenly once more.

"I have to, Meliodas. I know you don't understand why, but I have to."

"You're right, I don't understand or believe that you "have to". I just think you're a selfish coward! You're doing this because you're afraid of them telling me all of the horrible things you've done! You're doing it because you can't bare knowing that I'd rather be with them over you! But maybe if you ever bothered to ask me why I'd rather leave, why I'd rather be with them over my own brothers, I wouldn't want to leave to begin with!"

"Meliodas-"

"NO! You don't get to talk anymore! If you want me to answer your stupid questions, you're going to shut up and let me talk for a minute! And you're going to LISTEN! Really listen to me, just this once. Especially since I know you're about to erase my memory again and I won't have the knowledge to say this later. Okay?"

"And you'll tell me what I want to know?"

"Yes."

"Fine, you have five minutes."

The blond didn't waste any time as his rant started, heartfelt, raw, and filled with three thousand years of sorrow pouring out in this one moment. 

"You've NEVER understood what it is to be a family! You've never respected me or cared about what I have to say! Do you know why I love the sins so much? Why I would die to protect them, and the other humans? Because humans know what it really means to be a family! They mourn together, they laugh together, they live together, and they die together. They build their own families off of love and respect and courage that I know you'd never have for me if it came between you and your duty versus you and me."

"That isn't true-"

"My time isn't up yet Esta, so shut your mouth! I never want to hear you try to deny that fact, because guess what, brother? That actually happened! You asked me if I've been regaining my memory? Well, here's your answer! Do you know what's been on repeat in my mind since the moment you threw me in here? The moment I asked you- no- BEGGED you to spare the humans! To come with me and live life with me peacefully! No fighting, no more wars, no more death. And do you remember what you said? You told me that if I chose them over my own kind, I would be a traitor and would be treated as such.  That I would no longer be your brother. Instead, I'd be your enemy. Do you remember that Estarossa? Is it coming back to you who REALLY struck first? Because it wasn't me, dear brother. No. You were selfish, and you were a coward, and you chose duty over family. But you know what? I guess that makes family who you choose versus who you're related to, because I would never do that to you. I would never do that to my family."

"Oh really? And that's why you attacked the palace to give the human's time to flee. We lost hundreds of soldiers that day because of you."

Cold emerald eyes looked up, the tears gone and replaced with an angry look Estarossa was hoping he'd never see again from the boy.

"Like I said, humans pick their family by who loves them, not by who's related. And you had already made it clear by that point that you didn't love me, Estarossa. And that I was no longer your kin."

The words had hurt more than Estarossa had ever expected to be in his lifetime, but he forced his shaking composure to come back as he repeated his earlier statement.

"Your five minutes are up, Meliodas. When and where did you meet the sins?'

"I'm not saying another word until you swear you won't kill them."

"That wasn't the deal-"

"Well then I guess we're both liars. But I'm still not saying anything until you swear on the Demon King's name you won't harm or kill them if I tell you this."

Estarossa was not a fan of this ultimatum. Especially since swearing on their father's name was binding. The demon would die if he ever broke this oath.

"You have to swear as well to tell me all that you remember and all that you know about the sins. And... not to fight the process when we use the spell again."

Estarossa wasn't sure what hurt worse, seeing the defeated look on his younger brother's face, or the fact that he didn't act surprised that his brother was going to do this to him again.

"Fine. I swear on the Demon King's name if you agree to these terms, I will cooperate. "

"Then I do as well."

Meliodas kept his promise as he spoke, while Estarossa tried his hardest to ignore the piece inside of his soul that felt broken away by what Meliodas had said to him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The memory haunted Estarossa every day after the day Meliodas's mind was wiped a second time, but the wounds only seemed to have salt poured into them by what was happening now. The sins had escaped with Meliodas to a place the man could not track, and the one responsible was the only brother he had left: Zeldris.

He wasn't sure what emotion welling up inside of him was the most prominent. Anger, betrayal, grief, fear, or disappointment. Although regardless of which took top billing, all were there and mixing together in a way that made it hard to look as composed as he needed to when dealing with a second traitor situation.

"What do you hope to gain by taking us on, Zeldris? You know father will not be as kind with you in comparison to Meliodas. Not when you're the second son to betray him."

"I'm well aware, brother. Though I think you're wrong when you say my fate will be worse than Meliodas's. What you've done to him can't be tolerated anymore. Give any excuse you want, but we both know that this is wrong. This is just an excuse to cover our mistakes, not fix them. And Meliodas shouldn't pay for the sins we've acquired. I'm done hiding from it any longer. And if that costs my life, it'll be worth it to save his. 

Estarossa was confused by that. Meliodas wasn't dying. In fact, them erasing his memory was the only alternative to death! So why would Zeldris say something so foolish? Why fight to turn their brother back into an enemy?

Estarossa was growing more and more confused by his brother's motives, and it showed as it gave the ravennete the perfect time to strike with the demon's guard down. Yet instead, he didn't fight at all. No, he ran past the man, towards the exit. 

Shit! He's getting away!

Of course, the commandment knew he should've rushed after the traitor, but something made him hesitate. Perhaps simply a slow reaction time to the other's movements, but that didn't seem to be it. No, instead what made him stop was... confusion? Bewilderment? No, that wasn't it either. The feeling was deeper than that. It was... guilt. Guilt from the buried knowledge that... Zeldris was right. 

Word count 1525