Chapter Text
There was a ringing sound in her ears and Aura forced her eyes to open. “What?” Her mouth was uncomfortably dry. Everything was bright.
As her vision cleared, she saw Ludociel leaning over her and Elizabeth sitting on a chair, her eyes wide. Meliodas stood at the end of the bed, a relieved smile on his face.
“How are you feeling?” Ludociel asked.
“Water,” Aura coughed.
Almost immediately, Elizabeth grabbed a cup of water from the bedside table and held it to her lips. “Take it slow,” she advised.
As the cold water ran slowly over her tongue, Aura sighed. “I’m feeling better,” she answered, smiling up at him. “But I thought you were running out of time before you were going to fade,” she said, confused.
Ludociel sat down. “I fought. I wasn’t going to lose you. Not again. Hendrickson offered, again, for me to use his body to regain myself. I accepted.”
For a moment, Aura stared at him, processing the information. “Okay. And the others? Mael, Sariel, and Tarmiel?”
“All safe and here. Sariel and Tarmiel were offered by a couple of Holy Knights to use their bodies as well,” Ludociel said.
“And the Sins?” Aura asked, directing the question to Elizabeth and Meliodas.
They shared a look. “Yeah…a few things happened.” Meliodas gripped the bed frame.
“After we got Meliodas back, the Demon King took over using Brittania as his body,” Elizabeth said. “Escanor died in that battle because Sunshine was too much for his body. It was quiet for a little bit after that and then we had an incident with Cath Palug.”
Aura shot up in the bed, wincing. “Cath Palug?! Hold the fuck up, the Goddess Clan sealed him away. I know that, because that was just about the only Sealing I helped with!”
“We don’t know how it happened,” Meliodas replied. “But he’s gone now, Arthur took care of him.”
Eyes wide, Aura nodded. “Okay then. How long was I out?”
“Couple of weeks,” Elizabeth said.
Aura let herself flop down back onto the bed. “Glad it wasn’t a month this time,” she muttered.
“Yes, so am I, “ Meliodas’s tone said there was more coming. “But we should really talk about why you believe that your problems are so inferior to Elizabeth’s and I’s.”
“Ah,” Aura looked like a deer in headlights. She pulled the covers over her head. “No one’s home.”
There was a small chuckle from Ludociel as he pried the covers away from her hands. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice in this one, love.”
“Fine.”
And despite the overall general uncomfortableness of the whole situation and topic, Aura found herself actually believing in her friends’ words by the end of the conversation.
That night, after everyone else had gone to bed or their separate ways, Ludociel parked himself in the chair by Aura’s bedside again.
“You’re not going to leave me, are you?” she asked. Her face was turned toward the window, gazing at the stars. Her legs were tucked up against her as she sat on the bay window.
“I don’t plan on it,” he answered. Better to keep it short.
She turned her sight to him, her head leaning against the wall. “Do you believe what I said?”
“During the battle?”
“Yes.”
“I do. I will forever wonder how you had that much strength,” Ludociel admitted. He looked down, folding his hands neatly in his lap. “I have regretted that day more than anything in my life.”
“And I believe that,” Aura smiled. “I remember you begging me to come back.”
“I would have stopped and dropped everything to do with the war if it meant you would come back.”
Aura watched, sadness shadowing her face as she got up unsteadily and tottered with still-weak legs to him. She reached out a hand and cupped his face. “Ludociel…don’t blame yourself anymore. I love you, I always have, and there is nothing you could do that would make me say otherwise. I know this because although sometimes your methods were cruel, your heart was so, so kind.” She settled on the edge of the bed.
A moment later, Ludociel was kneeling on the floor, arms wrapped around her waist. “I love you,” he whispered. He lifted his face and touched, with ever gentle fingers, her cheek. “Marry me?”
Aura placed her hand over his. “Yes.”
Two months later, in front of the Sacred Tree, they were bound.
“You know, I thought I’d be nervous,” Aura admitted to Elizabeth. “I’m really not.”
The other goddess smiled at her. “Considering the two of you have spent thousands of years together, it’s like you were already married to begin with. Ready?”
Aura took one last look in the mirror that had been set up. Her dress hung perfectly, the white fabric seemingly shimmering in the sunlight. Her platinum streaked brown hair was done up in a loose burn with curly locks framing her face. Instead of the triskele symbols in her eyes, golden-flecked brown ones peered back at her. Today she was just Aura, not Aura of Light, not Aura of the Goddess Clan, not the Bane of the Demon Clan. Just Aura. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
Elizabeth smiled and disappeared, dragging in Elaine and a shrunk Diane a couple moments later. “Is everybody and everything ready out there?” she asked them.
Diane nodded. “Yep! The boys look very nice. Did you threaten them or something, Elizabeth? Meliodas has a haunted look in his eyes.”
“There were some words said in order to get them moving,” she said, smiling largely. “I may or may not have told him he wouldn’t be able to see me for a week if he didn’t get moving.”
“Harsh,” Aura laughed.
Elaine put a finger to her cheek. “Ban wasn’t hard to get moving.”
“Neither was King,” Diane said. “But whatever. You should see Ludociel. I never thought as an Archangel, he would look like a hot mess. Mael’s been trying to calm him down for the past twenty minutes, but I’m pretty sure he gave up. And Bartra looks bored.”
Aura’s laughter was restarted. “Hilarious. Otherwise?”
Elizabeth answered this time. “Sariel and Tarmiel looked bored, but they’re excited, I know that. Drole looks like a statue, Gloxinia gave me an eyebrow raise that clearly said that we need to hurry up, and then Gerheade hit him.”
“Ah yes, sibling violence,” Elaine smirked.
“Indeed,” Aura laughed some more. “The Holy Knights?”
“Haven’t started anything yet, actually,” the fairy responded. “They’re being very well-behaved. I think that Meliodas had a word with them. And speaking of brothers, yours somehow convinced Zeldris to come. I was surprised. He and Derieri weren’t a surprise, and neither was Gelda, but Zeldris showing up was a twist.”
Aura shook her head. I love everyone, she thought. “Come on, let’s get going.”
Her two bridesmaids, and her maid-of-honor, Elizabeth, nodded. Elaine gave the signal that the ceremony was about to start by sending a gust of wind that picked up a shower of flower petals on the ground and tossed them into the air, letting them shower again onto the ground. At this, the guests started making way towards seats and at the altar, Meliodas, Ban, and King rearranged themselves, Mael patted Ludociel on the back with a smile and placed himself at the end of the aisle. Bartra straightened and held at ready a small book.
Diane went out first, followed by Elaine, and then Elizabeth tossed a bright smile at Aura before going out. In the last second before stepping out for the crowd to see her, Aura let a true, genuine smile spread across her face. I’m not nervous, but well aware that this is life-changing. Memories started coming to her mind unbidden.
She took her first step.
First meeting Ludociel.
She took her second step.
Seeing him smiling for the first time.
She took her third.
Him bringing Mael to meet her for the first time.
Aura took her fourth step, eyes trained on Ludociel.
Their fight and Ludociel begging her to return.
Her fifth step.
Their arguments.
The sixth step.
The battles they fought side-by-side at.
She took her seventh step.
Our past does not define our future.
She took her eighth.
I won’t leave you, not again.
Aura took her ninth and final step before facing Ludociel.
I love you.
Bartra cleared his voice before speaking. “I understand that you made your own vows?”
Ludociel and Aura nodded simultaneously.
“From the moment I first met you six thousand years ago,” Ludociel started, “I knew one thing. I would protect you and cherish you forever. Your kindness is the most beautiful thing about you and your heart is the strongest. I love you for every part of you, and I will let nothing come in the way of that. You are one of the most important things I have in my life. I love you, Aura.”
Aura blinked tears out of her eyes. It’s time. Her soft voice flowed over the area, enrapturing everyone. “The first thing I learned was to trust you. The second thing was to have faith. It was tested so many times, through battles of all kinds and even though we were parted for three thousand years, I never lost faith. I left once, I don’t plan on ever doing so again. I want to spend the rest of how many days we have with you. I love you so, so much, Ludociel.” She didn’t need to turn around to know that Elizabeth was crying and so were many of the guests.
There was a beat of silence before Bartra continued. “You may place the rings on each other’s fingers.”
Ludociel slipped a delicate gold ban onto her finger, the gems glittering. Aura echoed his movements, slipping the thicker gold band on his finger.
“You may kiss the bride,” Bartra said, before backing up.
Ludociel cupped her cheek and their lips met, binding themselves together and sealing the marriage. When they broke apart, Elaine giggled and flew up above them, using her wind magic to stir up the thousands of white flower petals into a swirl.
A gift for them all, Aura thought. I can combine my ultimate healing power with Flood. So she did. She raised her hand, performing her greatest act of magic and called out, “Flood!” A wave of sparkling light crashed into the world, every particle containing an amazing amount of pure healing power.
Happy with her gift, Aura let her forehead rest against Ludociel’s and a smile spread across her face.
This is good.
(10 Years Later)
Aura watched in contentedness as two small children ran around in the grass, playing with Mael. She leaned against Ludociel. “Leo and Dawn are having fun.”
“They are. When did you say that Elizabeth and Meliodas would get here?”
“Soon,” Aura shaded her eyes from the sun. “They were going to come with the rest of the group. It’ll be good for these two to have some fun with Tristan and Lancelot.”
“Yes, indeed it will be.” Ludociel leaned over slightly to press a kiss to the top of her head.
Life was good, the world didn’t have any pressing matters to attend to, no overpowered gods wanted to fuck with them, so Aura smiled. I may have ended up getting killed too soon in one life, but I gained more than I ever thought I would with my second chance.
Thank you.