Diane enters Dalmary Town, her foots rumbling the area making the locals stop. Diane turns a corner and sees some people, her hands cupped.

"Hey! Is there a-" Diane didn't get to finish her sentence before everyone begins running away?

"It's a giant!"

"That girl's humongous" A little boy shouts, pointing at Diane. However, his father grabs both him and his sister and begins running with them "No! Wait a minute! I just wanted to find out if you had a doctor somewhere in this town!" No one listens to her and they all run away, leaving behind a sad Diane looking down at her hand where Meliodas and Y/N are playe laid. Y/N in her wolf form, laying on her stomach her coat placed over the two "Captain, Lieutenant..." The trotter of hooves is heard behind Diane as Hawk and Elizabeth hurry after her.

"See! What did I tell ya!" Hawk says.

"Please, Hawk and I are more than capable of finding a doctor. Why don't you just-" Elizabeth is cut off by Diane.

"Look, I'm gonna be the one's helping them!" She says, glaring down at the two.

"B-But you-"

"How can you help if they all run for the hills the minute they see ya!" Hawk shouts, making Diane grit her teeth. She glares at them, considering before turning to look at her two friends with a soft look. Seeing that they do need help, she agrees.

"Okay, fine. Then you two go look for a doctor" Diane says. played

"A-Alright" Elizabeth stutters as she and Hawks hurry up.

"Stay here, got it?" Hawk says. Diane gently falls to her knees, looking at her two friends with concern. She uses her thumb to gently stroke the fur on Y/N's head, hoping to give her some comfort. Unknowing to her, a bug hovers behind her watching the three.

Later, Diane sits outside of a house, people around her watching her. She looks into the window, of what is the doctor's house. Meliodas lays in a bed, a bandage wrapped around his shoulder and chest, and a cool patch on his head. Y/N lays beside him, her paw now wrapped and tail placed over his body, showing protectiveness even though she's unconscious. Her red collar is placed on the small table beside the bed while her coat is laid at the bottom of the bed. Elizabeth sits on a chair, staring at the two while the Doctor stands beside her. Hawk stands behind Elizabeth while the doctor's assistant stands beside Elizabeth.

"Captain, Lieutenant..." Diane mutters. The doctor pours medicine down Meliodas's throat. The Doctor's assistant then brings a pill close to Y/N, but she growls unconsciously. With the help of the doctor, the pill was then placed into Y/N's mouth.

"This medicinal blend is my special concoction. I guarantee you it'll ease his suffering. For his dog, I'm not so sure"

"I'm sure she's fine. Thank you for seeing them, Dr Dana" Elizabeth says.

"Based on their injuries, it's a miracle that they're still alive. In addition to the rather deep sword wounds, they have burned as if they were struck by lightning. How did a child and his dog get these?" Elizabeth doesn't answer, still in denial that Gilthunder could do this. Later, the doctor and his assistant left, leaving them.

"It's because of me," Elizabeth says as she places a towel into a bowl of water.

"Huh?" Hawk asks.

"I said that I wanted to stop the holy knights, that's what led them to look for the Eight Deadly Sins, and cause this" Elizabeth begins crying, her tears dripping into the bowl.

"Easy there, Elizabeth" Hawk comforts.

"I'm sorry" She wipes her eyes "Sir Meliodas, Lady Y/N, I hope you feel better soon" She places the wet towel back onto his head. She looks to Y/N and gently strokes her head before standing up straight, hands in front of her.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Hawk asks.

"Maybe we should just stay here till they wake up," Elizabeth says, facing Hawk "We'll go to Baste Prison later"

"I'm gonna start heading in that direction right now," Diane says from outside "Once the Captain and Lieutenant wake up, I'm pretty sure they're gonna want to go there straight away and not waste any more time" Dian begins to stand up "But I can't let them do that till I know all their wounds are healed" She begins walking away as Elizabeth and Hawk come running out.

"Diane! Wait! I'll go with you!" Elizabeth shouts, making Diane stop.

"I don't want you getting under my foot," She says, as Hawk and Elizabeth looked up at her "I mean, just look at that tiny body and those skinny arms. What could you possibly do to help me?" Diane pauses "The only things your good for a princess, are changing the washcloths you put on the Captain's head, and making Y/N feel comfortable. Being their little nursemaid is all you for"

"Is that any way to talk to her!" Hawk says "Just because she can't throw people around and shake the ground when she walks doesn't mean she's no good!" Elizabeth gasps, looking to Hawk in surprise "Come on!" Diane then snaps her head to Hawk, giving him a deadly glare. Hawk then shivers in fright. Elizabeth then tightened her fist.

"I want to do something, anything to be of some help to Sir Meliodas and Lady Y/N. They're hurt. And I know its all my fault, I've just caused them trouble. But for my sake, they try to-" Elizabeth is cut off by Diane's foot-stomping down in front of her.

"Now don't kid yourself! It's not like they risked everything for you!" Diane shouts "They're like that. Always were. It's who they are. Trust me, I should know"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Elizabeth asks.

---Years Ago---

"It was back when I left my home town and started travelling on my own. I got into some stupid argument with some knights along the way"

Diane stands, cross-armed, looking down at some knights who are standing around a hole in the road. They look up at her, swords drawn.

"You monster!" A knight shouts "And now you must pay!"

"Uhh, yeah right!" Diane says, bending down, hands-on hip "Come on. You're the ones who did something wrong, drawing your swords on a cute girl"

"We don't see any cute girls here, you giant!" Another knife shouts, pointing his sword at Diane.

"Go back home!" Another shout sat on the ground.

"As if there's any difference between boys and girls things like you!"

"Screw you," Diane says "Pretty big mouths for a wimpy race that's only powerful in large numbers" They all get into a defensive position.

"Alright"

"We've heard enough!"

"He's right!"

"Die!" The knights all begin to charge on Diane only for one of the knights to be kicked away by a yellow-haired boy, making the knight hit a tree.

"W-Where'd this kid come from?"

"You attacked us knowing we're the Order of the Golden Wheat?"

"You guys should be ashamed of yourselves, a bunch of men ganging up on a girl like this!" He says as Diane stares down at him with wide eyes.

"You bastard. Do you want those to be your last words!" Meliodas then punches the knight and the rest all lift their swords before being cut off by a big growl and the fierce snapping of jaws of a wolf. Y/N takes a step forward, her sharp teeth showing.

"Retreat!" They say, leaving Diane with the two. Meliodas strokes Y/N's head, making her stand down.

"You should be safe now," Meliodas says, turning to face Diane. Y/N poofs into her human form, staring at Diane with a smile "They didn't scare you, did they?"

"Or hurt you?" Y/N asks.

"What?" Diane asks.

"That was the first time in my life that anybody ever asked me if I was scared or hurt. And they said that to a girl who was so much bigger than they were. I can still remember it so clearly. It was something I never experienced before. I felt the same size as the boy and girl right in front of me"

"I know it wasn't true. But for a moment, I let myself believe that. I'll never be as small as you princess or as dainty. I can't fit in that building, so I can't even tend to their injuries. But there's one thing I can do for them, fight with everything I have. That's about it" Elizabeth places her hand on her chest, looking down sadly.

"As for me, I wish I had the power to fight the holy knights. A power to call my own. So I can save my loved ones" Diane begins playing with her hair nervously.

"I wish...I can be small as you..."

"Lady Diane..." They then hear something from afar and look up to see a cloud of blackness coming their way.

"What's that?" Elizabeth asks.

"It's coming from Baste Prison," Diane says.

"You think maybe storms coming?"

"Don't tell me it's that guy again?" Hawk says.

"No, it sounds different," Diane says, looking up at the cloud.

"It's can't be...Insects"

"Even worse, it's a huge swarm of poisonous insects!" The insects start spewing acid over the town; buildings and statues melting. Hawk and Elizabeth run for cover.

"Is this an attack from Baste Prison!" Elizabeth asks, whimpering when she feels an insect fly past her.

"That means a holy knight is behind this" Hawk looks back "Diane! We're gonna leave these guys to you!" Diane, just stood there, looking up at the insects before crouching down, crying out.

"Bugs are the one thing I can't stand!" Both Hawk and Elizabeth stare at her, shocked by her confession.

"Whaaaaaaaat!" They say in unison.

【Ａｓｐｅｎ】

11/04/2020

Last Edited:29/09/2023