King Of Fighters Fanfiction X Dead Or Alive

Night stroll

As soon as Saiki saw Adalene approaching, he fled. He ate his dinner quickly and decided to go out.
"Is it okay if I come too?" Elisabeth asked. "I have nothing to do for the night."
"What about Ash and that girl?" Saiki asked.
"Don't worry, I'll watch over them," Jacques offered, coming in with a tray tarte tartin amd marons glaces. "I'm going up right now to deliver these."
"Good, but don't overfeed Ash," Elisabeth said. "As it is, he thinks exercising is 'bothersome'. At this rate he'd be five times his size by the time he's thirty!"
"Probably not," Saiki said with a grin. "Genetically, our family is very skinny. No matter how much we eat."
Elisabeth snorted and followed him out after grabbing her coat. Saiki didn't really look like he was bothered with the cold. Which was pretty ironic since he thought Ash was leading him into an ice dungeon when he simply brought him to the mall.

Elisabeth and Saiki strolled around the peaceful streets of Montmartre. Most of the passers-by thought that Elisabeth was just walking around with Ash.
"Ash told me that you're the last remaining descendant of your family," Saiki began as they casually walked. "Did you ever think of getting married?"
"I don't need a man in my life," Elisabeth said as she walked beside him. "I am much too busy to think about marriage. What's important for me now is to take care of Ash and help him get settled in his life. That's all I want right now."
"What about you?" Saiki asked. "Wouldn't you want the Blanctorche name to thrive?"
"I can do that without marriage," Elisabeth said. "Science makes it possible for it to happen."
"But would your ascendants have wanted that?" Saiki asked. "I don't think I ever wanted Ash to live a scientifically fake life."
Elisabeth stopped short. Saiki looked at her questioningly.
"What did you say?" Elisabeth said, confused. "I didn't quite hear you. Could you repeat that?"
"I said, would your ancestors have wished that?" Saiki said again. "Would they want you to live a scientifically fake life? With no life partner? I don't think I ever wanted Ash to have a life like that."
Elisabeth looked a little frustrated, but remained calm.
"What are you trying to tell me?" Elisabeth finally asked, beginning to walk again.
"I'm saying that you should find a guy suitable for you," Saiki said, walking beside her. "A guy that you'd be happy to spend the rest of your life with."
"Are you trying to hit on me?" Elisabeth asked, slightly disgusted.
"What? Heavens, no!" Saiki quickly said. "I'm just telling you this because I don't want you to spend the rest of your life as a lone wolf. Believe me, I've seen it in my own timeline. I used to be like you when I was younger, and I saw what happens to me if I spent my life alone."
"What happens to you?" Elisabeth asked curiously.
"I end up living my life as a hermit," Saiki said, watching the tar glisten under the headlights of a moving car. "And I was miserable. Apparently, I wished to change the past, but was too afraid of the consequences if I did."
"And then?" Elisabeth asked, interested.
"I died alone," Saiki said, remembering the memory of seeing himself like that. "I wasn't even that old. It felt painful to see that version of myself. But I made a promise to myself to change that timeline when I returned to present time."
Elisabeth looked thoughtful. She felt sad hearing the story of Saiki's alternate timeline. If he hadn't changed his decision, Ash wouldn't have been born.
"So you successfully changed it," Elisabeth said finally. "What happened to you in the future of this timeline?"
"I don't want to know," Saiki said with a grin. "Even if I can control time, I want to have the thrills of life."
Elisabeth nodded and continued walking with him. Saiki watched her hopefully. Did he manage to successfully brainwash her?
"So what are you gonna do?" Saiki finally asked after what felt like hours worth of silence.
"I don't know," Elisabeth said with a sigh. "I have to think. I need to decide carefully."
Saiki nodded with a sigh.
They walked silently. Elisabeth watched their shadows as they walked. Even Saiki's shadow resembled Ash.
"I'm still amazed by how those centuries-old genes could be carried so perfectly into Ash," Elisabeth said, turning to Saiki. "How could Ash perfectly resemble you, I still don't know."
"Why do you say that?" Saiki asked, amused.
"Normally children would have a blend of both of their parents' faces," Elisabeth explained. "But Ash... it's like it never happened. It's like... his lineage only followed the genetics of your direct descendants."
"Oh come on, there have been some changes," Saiki pointed out. "Like his hair. His hair is a little yellow compared to mine."
"Yeah, but still..." Elisabeth said, confused. "It's just so... mesmerising."
Saiki chuckled slightly and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. The cold was starting to have an effect on him. He kinda regretted not wearing a coat.
"By the way, I wanted to ask," Saiki said. "Did Ash have any other siblings besides you?"
"I wasn't a sibling of him to begin with," Elisabeth said. "His family was my family's close friends. I was an only child, while Ash wasn't."
"He had a sibling?" Saiki asked in surprise.
"Yes, he did," Elisabeth said, remembering their happy days before the fire. "He had a sister. She was a little older than him, and easily gets really with him. That's why Ash was always closer to me."
"What was her name?" Saiki asked. "What did she look like?"
"She looked just like Ash," Elisabeth said, remembering the young girl. "Same hair, same face. They both look just like their mother. Her name was Annette. Annette Crimson."
Saiki nodded thoughtfully.
"So Ash wasn't my only descendant of this generation," Saiki said finally. "Wish I could stop the fire..."
"I wish I could too," Elisabeth agreed with a shrug. "But it's too late."
"But maybe it isn't," Saiki said. "But if I changed that, there may be many things that have changed now, and we may not like the consequences."
Elisabeth agreed to him.
"It's like that movie," Elisabeth said. "Even if they change one small thing in the past, they may be a big consequence waiting for them in the future."
"Yes..." Saiki said. "But if you already know the consequence is bad before it happens, you can still change it."
They passed Place du Tertre and saw the entire BOF team collecting bags from one of the street artists.
"Wonder what happened there..." Elisabeth pointed with a chuckle. "I bet they were so awestruck by the street artist's work that they actually made him draw heaps of them!"
They went towards them to say hi.
"Let me guess..." Elisabeth said with a grin. "You guys fell in love with the street artists' art?"
"Yep!" Terry said, holding up two full bags of paintings. "It's on discount too."
"Oh?" Elisabeth said in surprise. "Usually they charge more for tourists. They give discounts now?"
"Only for us," Iori said with a grin. "Cause we're popular."
"I see..." Elisabeth chuckled. "Well, glad you're enjoying this country."
"There's so much more to explore," Krizalid said excitedly. "It's a good thing we're planning to stay here for a while."
"Oh and Miss Blanctorche," Iori suddenly said. "We're playing at the Opera House next week for the Fête de la Musique."
"That's great," Elisabeth said. "We'll be sure to be there."
They said goodbye and walked back to the Blanctorche mansion. Ash and Adalene were in the living room, watching television while Ash gave her a manicure while talking.