//turn on music for more vibe
(Trifas, Romania, 1994)
(i)
Asura dragged her body out of the blazing rubbles. Her surroundings engulfed in flames. With little magic she has, she felt no trace of living beings. Only her in the Goddamned place. She finally did it.
"Master, why?"
She looked forward, squinting her eyes at the feet of a familiar man. No, a fading being. She held back a laugh as she looked up.
"They deserve everything. Everything they have done to me. To them. They deserved to-"
"It costs you everything"
"Yes."
The being said nothing back. His blue eyes is that of sadness and pity. "This will not change anything-"
"But it will all be whole again! If I could just see them again, start over-"
'But you will forget, by then I will too' the being thought silently. "You do know what is fated can not be changed. All we did is that of destiny. Accepting it with peace is all we could do" he continued.
"Shut it" Asura bit back bitterly. What does an enlightened hero knows? He live his life without fear, privileged in his own way.
"If only I could change your way... surely-"
"What is fated cannot be changed" Asura warned mockingly "Ironic isn't it, for you wishing for it too. Yet it is not fulfilled in the end has it not?"
The being- the hero- nod solemnly. It was his first time wishing for something, but perhaps the grail deem it unworthy. He is named for charity after all. Wishing nothing but loyalties, values and virtues, is what makes him now.
"I do believe fate would will us to meet again"
Asura said nothing. She felt nothing but hints of regret, yet she is too proud and perhaps, too afraid to admit it. And as the being disappeared, she closed her eyes, giving in to the excruciating pain. Her body then grows limp, pale, as her soul vanishes.
Her vengeance however, is still aflamed, even through her dead still eyes.
----
(Akasha: Land of the Gods)
(ii)
The Goddess of Fate, Time and Death, watched the unfolding scene silently as she felt the anticipating eyes of the Gods. The God of Destiny, Space, and Rebirth clenched his fist and lunge it up in the air, satisfied with the outcome.
"It seems that once again, the world will continue existing" Destiny said as he pranced around the heavenly clouds "We owe it all to your son, Surya"
Surya, who have been watching silently, nodded, unsure of how to respond. He shared the same conflicting gaze of Fate, who had begun to take her leave. He nodded at Fate, understanding her growing concern.
"Although I was a bit worried at your son's foolish wish to the Grail. Surely, if it is fulfilled we have no way of stopping it" Destiny continues, shaking his head "Grail's power is beyond us, only the Supreme God knows why it did not fulfill your son's wish"
"He was late" Surya finally said, shaking his head "He made the wish after the demon child had hers granted... The Grail did not hear him"
Destiny fell silent while the other Gods nodded in agreement.
"Concerning indeed" Destiny commented darkly "Surely, we must be cautious for it to not succeed in the next cycle"
"We have no rights to meddle in such matters" Fate exclaimed warily. Destiny gave her a side glance, one could easily notice the glare he was giving, if not for the chuckling that followed soon after.
"We do not, dear Fate, but surely the other Gods could" he said, turning to the spectating Gods. The Gods nodded in agreement.
"We could, and we will," one of them said "The continuing existence of the world is our collective responsibility"
"And this is the best way, surely you do not have to be reminded of it- right, Fate?" Destiny asked, his tone almost malicious.
"Of course" Fate nodded, holding back the venom in her words. 'Even so, however best it may be' she thought 'This road they thread... is not the only way'
------
(Akasha: Chamber of Fate)
Fate looked through the scrolls of fates in her mind. Asura, and the Son of Surya- Karna, had been the main topic of concern in the heavens for a few cycles of years. Most Gods, however, have not yet realize, that things have changed. Asura's fate was not to cross with the Son of Surya in any way. However, using an extensive amount of power, Fate was able to alter one part of Asura's destiny. Of course, it was all at the expense of Fate's power and her title as the "Goddess of Change." It was not willed by the Supreme God after all, for a God to rule over change. Change is a powerful gift bestowed by Him to the Mortals, including that of Asura. However, as foolish and forgetful mortals are, who ironically may be destined to be so, they take their gift for granted, eventually losing their power and control over it.
"Which explains the cycle" Fate muttered as she recall her powers. However, she has yet to understand the reason why she was bestowed with the power of "a single change" by the Supreme God. Yet, without much knowledge, she decided to use it to alter Asura's fate and in turn- Asura's destiny.
'Why is it not working then? Why does her destiny remain the same?' Fate asked herself. Did she make a mistake when she replaced Asura's servant with Karna? Did she really have no power to meddle with her destiny?
"Why the long face, Fate?"
Fate looked back and found Surya appearing in front of her. Surya let out a small smile, before making his way towards the distressed Goddess, concerned. "Karna wished for something, I think that in itself should have changed something in the-"
"The Grail did not fulfill it"
Surya sighed. It is peculiar to see that the Goddess of Fate, despite knowing all of Fates, have no power in determining its fixed outcome. It was a shared trait by the God of Destiny, who knows all destinies, which are mostly consisted of "cycles" and "karmas," yet have no handle in determining its exact outcome.
"I used my power of Change, Surya, but it did not change their destiny" the Goddess finally expresses. Surya said nothing and continues to listen. "And we Gods could only watch- even if we meddle now, it would only be part of the current flow of fate and destiny. We have no power to Change it- only THEY can"
"And in them we shall believe" Surya stated, emphatizing with the Goddess. "I see the change in Karna, Fate, he did not wish for anything in previous cycles- this is the first time he did"
'Of course' Fate thought 'Karna was paired with a different master before that...' but of course, Surya have no way of knowing that. Only Fate remembers the previous cycles, the rest, even the Gods, have their memories altered as an impact of Fate's power of Change. Despite so, Fate fills in Surya with the details of her plan to save Asura through alternative paths of fate, at the exchange of his blessings to place Karna in the picture of her plan. Surya agrees for he had long been concerned with Asura as he recalls the bitter fight between the Devas and Asuras. Asura is the manifestation of the Asuras, holding their devastating karmas and mounting vengeance. The child is born for tragedies, yet the Gods calls her born out of kindness and priviliges- such they refer, for their sick sense of "forgiveness."
"Asura should be burned in hell and fated for neverending torture- but the Supreme God gave her life back- as a human mortal! That is a gift in itself!" he recalls Destiny's words "And to participate in the great mission of continuance! She should feel honored!"
Perhaps, in a way, Surya saw Karna in Asura. He emphatized with the boy's tragic life, his sacrifices, yet he admired his selflessness and virtues. Karna readily accepts his fate, seeing only the bigger meaning of the whole picture. Asura on the other hand is born out of vengeance and is destined to repeat it. As her sins accumulate, she is a ticking bomb for destructions- which in this case deemed necessary by most Gods in oder to keep the world going. While Karna accept his tragedies as fate, Asura seeks to continuously fight it, only to find herself with more sufferings.
Asura wants Change, but she have no control over it. Such is her weakness. Like any other humans, she is clueless of such power, ending up only in blind efforts. That is one reason why Surya approve of Fate's decision to use Change. Asura was trapped and Fate's Change is the only way.
//To be continued
Image sources:
(i) https://lparchive.org/Fatestay-night/Update%2092/
(ii) http://codegeass.wikia.com/wiki/Sword_of_Akasha