Fate Merveille

Chapter 23

"Adrien," she wondered as he continued walking with his hands over her eyes. "Where are you taking me?"

He laughed softly as he tugged her along, "don't worry, it's nothing dangerous."

She nearly tripped over branches and tried to figure out where they were going, "you're one to talk, you probably don't even know where you're going."

Finally, he uncovered her eyes, he showed her scenery she hadn't seen before. The soil was rich, dark brown, and moist. There was a scent scattered in the air of fresh flowers. And the leaves above them were large and shaded the area. It was a sparkling green land with the sun glinting off the water in the small river. Tiny cascades flowered into the forest and some fish jumped out as if to say "hello." It was beautiful, the best birthday gift she could ask for. She wrapped her arms around him and thanked him; he then put out a blanket for them to sit on as they ate lunch. It was summer and the days were long and warm, the white clouds passed them by as they watched the sky, and the food tasted better than ever.

Assassin sharpened her dagger as she thought about that time, it was the last good memory she had of her husband before he betrayed her. The Grail failed to fulfill her wish, or maybe it was that the world hated them. All she had left were those memories, they were etched into her mind, and she promised to never forget them. Sometimes she preferred to be alone, even if she was told it was more dangerous than being with people she hated. But it was impossible for her to make friends after she graduated; she moved out of Paris to America to continue her work and found her new relationships didn't last long. At some point, she gave up and returned home to see her friends had all moved on.

There was a searing pain she felt when she saw them surrounded by those close to them. She wanted nothing more than to live that reality. Envy, frustration, and rage, all consumed her for a while. And she despised those lingering feelings, her heart would end up shattered again, and she felt like it was no use. She had entered the Grail War to fight for a wish to have a better life, a life where she could be happy. And she got that, however, even after her marriage to the boy she loved as a kid and the people who loved her, her life spiraled downwards. People left her again and her husband spent less time with her due to his modeling career taking him out of the country.

She felt like she was cursed or doomed to spend her life in an endless cycle of heartbreak and despair. Whenever it started to rain, she listened to the pattering of droplets on the window and the torrents of sound that came with it. The sky was coated with a wet layer of grey, but the water drops reflected a small amount of light from the lamps. She watched as the water formed into puddles and ripples seemed like they were dancing, she got her inspiration back as she started drawing again and her designs started to become popular. The drawings made from her sadness were what drew attention to her, and she didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

"Hey, Assassin," Minami coughed. "Are you going to sit there looking all depressed or what?"

"Shut up," Assassin threw a chip at the master.

"Are those my chips?" Marinette asked, picking up the scrap.

"They're mine now," Assassin took another bite out of one.

"You two are the same person," Minami looked to Marinette. "Why is she all doom and gloom? And why wasn't she this way when she was a Caster?"

Marinette didn't have an answer for that, she and Assassin were the same person, however, Assassin was much older than her and knew something she didn't. Especially since Lancer was off the table as a talking point, just one mention of him was sure to lead to a civil war. Meanwhile, Arjuna was sitting at the table with a fork in his hand and poking a cake slice. He missed his brother and didn't know how to continue the war. Both only wished to fight and see who was stronger; with Karna gone, there was nothing left for Arjuna to wish for. He finally took a bite when Minami stared him down to tell him not to let it waste.