[A few hours ago...]

"I'm sorry Miss Anya but we don't have much time to pick a toy before the store closes." Thorn Princess frowned.

Anya was an orphan for most of her life. She stared at the windows of toy stores and candy shops, dreaming of things that she couldn't have.

But with Mama, she's happy that she had gotten a chance.

It didn't even take long for Anya to pick a new toy. It was a brand new stuffed teddy bear.

"I like this one :D"

"Wonderful choice Miss Anya!" She clasped her hands. "Anything else?"

"(SHOCK?!) I can pick more!?"

"Well- uhh- sure!" Thorn Princess stammered. "Buying you toys makes me happy!"

Wow! So cool!"


A few hours later...

[Datetime] 0015 (UTC 2), September XX 19XX

[Location] Tempelholf Park (Berlint City Park)

Twilight adjusted his tie.

Thorn Princess gazed at the scenery.

Just two shadows walked in the dim moonlight of a hiking trail. Nothing but owls and nocturnal critters fill and chirp in the air.

Thorn Princess smiled warmly at Twilight. "Sometimes... when I eliminate a target, I take a short walk at the park at night... it helps me calm my nerves and and shake off the adrenaline."

"I can see why. This place is very soothing."

The Ostanian oak trees swayed and swooned at the autumn nightly wind. Leaves rustled from above.

Twilight saw Thorn Princess.

He saw her in the brushes of moonlight. She had a deadly smile, but it was warm and it was prideful. He didn't need to be a spy to know that she was proud to show him her side of life.

"Do you... have a place to calm down? After your missions?" Thorn Princess asked.

"No. No I don't."

"Oh... that's unfortunate. But why?"

"After my missions, I turn to my books and to my studies... I suppose the reading chair in my room is my 'place'. And then I head to sleep I guess."

"Oh... That's good. Very pleasant." Thorn Princess gazed at the sights some more.

The two continued to walk. Twilight noticed how she walked in a rhythm. Her high heels hitting the dirt path almost sounded like a musical tone.

"Do you ever get tired of your work?" She asked.

Thorn Princess gasped.

Twilight almost touched her own hand.

Now a blade was pointed at his throat.

"Agent Twilight? M- M-ma-" She quietly stuttered.

(Agent Twilight? May I have the pleasure of taking your life?)

Twilight was too slow. She was too fast.

"I- I- I-" Thorn Princess gulped. The blade was only a push away before she could kill him.

If Twilight breathed too hard then the blade would pierce his neck. He held his breath.

She retracted her needle-blade. "I- I- I'm sosorry! Sorrysorrysorrysorry!" She pulled away.

Twilight fell backwards, thumping to the dirt, he breathed heavily.

(Pull- pu- pull yourself together Twilight. Get up. GET UP!)

He searched for anything in his suit. For a weapon to give him a sense of safety or control.

He found no pistol or knife. He was completely unarmed. She was clearly armed.

"I'm so so sorry Twilight! Oh my goodness! Are you okay?! I'm so sorry!"

Twilight coldly glared. He was still sitting on the ground.

She hid her face from shame. "I-It was out of instinct! Y-yo- your hand almost touched mine! I- I thought you were going to attack me!"

"Thorn Princess..." Twilight stood up and dusted himself off.

He continued. "I had no intention. I want Anya to wake up with two living parents tomorrow morning."

"O- of course... I understand."


An uneasy truce went between them. They continued walking the trail but they kept themselves a short distance apart.

Secondly, the Ostanian oak trees swooned and swayed at the autumn nightly wind. Leaves rustled from above.

"Twilight?" Thorn Princess frowned.

"Yes?"

Before this, it had been quiet for quite sometime.

"I wanted to have a fake marriage... so that I wouldn't get reported to the police."

"...Thank you for sharing that. Thorn Princess."

"Goodness... I'm so selfish... I- I wanted to get married to save my own skin... Unlike you Loid. You got married for an important mission. You had a selfless reason."

"It's Strix. My mission's codename is Operation Strix."

"Oh... T-Thank you for sharing..."

...

...

Thorn Princess gazed to the stars. Full moon.

Twilight answered back. "It's not selfish. You just did what you had to do. To survive."

"I- Perhaps so."

"I'm sure of it."

"W-will you ever report me to the police? I- I'm a contract k- killer..."

"Of course not.. Thorn Princess."

Thorn Princess gasped. But she was taken aback by Twilight's gaze as he said it openly with direct eyes.

She knew that it was spy manners, to charm his victim and tell complete lies. But of course not. Why was she worried that Twilight would ever report her to the SSS?

She supposed that she just had to see him say those words with her own eyes.

"Okay..." Thorn Princess whispered.

She smiled and repeated. "Okay..."

Thorn Princess gasped.

Twilight had gotten closer. "STAY BACK!" She screamed.

Her blade made a sharp ringing sound as she unsheathed it. It's pointed towards Twilight. "I- I- I can't control myself! Stay back Twilight!"

...

They stared at each other. Her blade still pointed at him.

...

"You don't trust me." Twilight said. "I don't we'll ever trust each other anymore."

"Yes..." She softly admitted.

She lowered her blade. She continued. "B- but I'm sorry... I shouldn't be pointing something at y- you."

Twilight had been used to getting threatened at gunpoint.

"If we want to continue this arrangement then we'll have to learn to live each other. At the very least. Agree?"

"A-a- Agreed."

Thorn Princess' life flashed before her eyes whenever Twilight moved closer to her. The Garden would always discuss skilled and accomplished fighters as part of her training.

They were assassins after all, they were expected to seek and eliminate individuals like Twilight

They said that spies were highly dangerous and never to be trusted. They said that they were like real-life sirens who lured you in with sweet words and warm smiles before dragging you to your death.

Assassins were direct and confrontational. Point to a target and an assassin will kill them shortly. But spies were elusive. A spy can have a fake daughter and lure you into a loving marriage. He can claim his reasons for a secret 'mission' when his plan all along was to catch a Garden assassin out of guard and eliminate her.

Thorn Princess' life flashed before her eyes. Back then she did this all for Yuri. She became an assassin to pay the bills and give Yuri a happy life.

But now she wants to do it all over again.

For Miss Anya.

"I- I'm scared. T- Twilight."

Twilight frowned. He knew what she meant. He was scared that Strix would fail too.

"Me too."

"I'm scared that if we continue this arrangement, then were going to fight. We'll eventually fight each other... and it will be b- b- bloody." Thorn Princess stammered in fear.

"We don't have to do it today. We don't have to fight next month, or next year. We don't have to fight at all unless we choose to." Twilight reasoned.

"I- Of course."

Twilight gambled. "I have no weapons. I didn't bring any for tonight's outing. I'm not here to hurt you, Yor. I just want to enjoy the place where you calm your nerves. I want to get to know the real side of you."

Thorn Princess blushed embarrassingly.

(This is it! I will use the honeypot!)

Twilight continued. "I know that you only come to this place whenever you killed someone. But just for tonight... we can break that rule."

He smiled. "So- Thorn Princess w-"

"Stay back." Thorn Princess glared coldly.

Twilight was taken aback. "Oh- I- I apologize."

Thorn Princess timidly hugged her shoulders. "I- I'm sorry I invited you here... you're right. I only come to the park whenever I killed people... I- In a way I expected one of us was going to die today..."

Twilight couldn't read her face or her posture. For all his years of spy training, he couldn't read someone like Thorn Princess.

She continued. "Please forgive me." Thorn Princess moved closer to Twilight and presented him her weapons. A sign of trust.

Twilight gripped her two needle-like blades. He examined the tool that she so thoroughly maintains everyday.

"Y- You can hold onto them for tonight... so I don't try to point them at you... it's very rude of me to do that..."

Every fibre of her Garden training is screaming for herself to stop this charade and kill him.


Anya had picked more out more toys. She even picked out a bag of candy from the cashier counter.

Anya looked so happy while she carried her bag of toys home.

Thorn Princess smiled beside her.

Thorn Princess had never feared for her life. She was never afraid of dying.

When her parents died, it became her responsibility to take care of Yuri, and in a post-war Ostania there were no jobs for yet another orphan.

She either had to sell her body or put her life on the line. So she chose to risk her life and spill blood.

"Mama! We should buy a gift for Papa!" Anya smirked.

Actually, for a time, she was scared. She was scared of dying during her first few missions. She couldn't die, not when Yuri was waiting for her at home.

But when the first payments came in. Yuri had enough money to live comfortably, if she every died.

Then she didn't get scared anymore. Knowing Yuri would certainly live happily.

She didn't know how she was still alive by being an assassin. Most assassins either give up or die after 1-2 years of constant work. But she knew that had no other place in the world other than to kill or be killed.

And frankly she didn't quite cared.

But now. With Miss Anya. She's scared of dying again.

That same prickly feeling, that if she died, she wouldn't get to see Miss Anya's face again.

If Thorn Princess died, she wouldn't know what would happen to Miss Anya, would she get sent back to the orphanage for being too traumatized by her Mama's death?

Would she continue be a pawn for this Operation Strix? With her dead Mama being replaced like a broken toy?

Would she be rewarded for succeeding Operation Strix? Or perhaps she's sent back to the orphanage? Or taken in as a child soldier/agent for Twilight's organization.

"Mama... what are you thinking about?" She was too young and puzzled with the idea of death.

"Miss A- I mean. Anya. You are so so so... precious. Thank you for giving me a chance to be your mother."

"Oh. Huh. You're welcome!"

"Let's go Miss Anya! Let's buy a gift for-


"Twilight. Can you tell me more about Operation Strix?"

"My target has children enrolled in Eden Academy. The only way I can get to him is for Anya to achieve 8 Stella stars."

"Can I eliminate your target? Who is it?"

"That's not my mission. I'm afraid that will only make things worse. It could start another war."

"Isn't that good for you? Isn't that Westalis wants? I'm willing to help. Twilight."

"You're wrong. I want peace."

A knife hit a nearby tree. They are standing by the lake.

Twilight threw another one of her knives. It hit the tree with a thud and embedded into the bark.

Thorn Princess smiled as she observed his knife throwing skill.

"My turn?"

"By all means."

She proceeded to recollect her weapons and prepared to throw them. She kinda wanted to impress Westalis' greatest spy.

Thorn Princess threw it.

The tree was split in half.

Birds that were once sleeping flew into the air out of fright.

She smiled at Twilight.

"That tree. Could still be your target. You only need to ask."

Twilight stood there as she walked to get her knife.


Peace. I want peace.

The half moon shined brightly at the surface of the lake. Critters continued to chirp and cheep.

The waves ever so slowly contracted and contorted. Kissing the surface of the nightly sandy shore.

Thirdly, Ostanian oak swindled and danced at the autumn moonlight breeze. Softly bladed leaves gently shake from above.

Twilight did get peace. As he sat down next to Thorn Princess at a reasonable distance.

Not too far. But not too less.

It was almost time to head back home. But as for his mission. His 'date' mission. He believed it was a success.

He learned a lot about who Thorn Princess truly is. And they had somewhat rebuilt more of their trust.

The lake waves tickled his bare feet. Thorn Princess yelped at the cold water.

She giggled. He smiled.

Thorn Princess smiled back. "Thank you... for coming to this place. It's very nice, don't you agree?"

"Thank you for inviting me."

(Now is your chance to do another honeypot Twilight. It would be very beneficial to be on Thorn Princess' good side!)

...

Twilight looked at the lake again. He found momentary peace.

(She doesn't deserve to caught up in this. I can't do it. She's a trained assassin. She wouldn't fall for such blatant manipulation.)

...

Twilight glanced at the woman beside him. The more he learned about her. The more he became intrigued. The more he wants to know about how she became to be. To become who she is now.

At least Twilight could now sigh. This date was successful. If they continue to go out on more dates, they could be more comfortable again back then when they didn't know each other's identities.

(She is... an accomplished operative. As a professional, I have come to respect her. I'm glad the mission turned to be a success and we can finally accept our differences.)

She caught Twilight's glances and she blushed. Red crept to her cheeks.

"T- Twilight..."

"Yes?"

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Of course. Ask me anything you want." Twilight smiled.

(The mission is already a success right?)

Thorn Princess stuttered. "S- sorry. Actually. It's more of a confession..."

"What is it? Thorn Princess?" He gazed into her eyes.

(Did I honeypot her...)

Thorn Princess stared timidly at Twilight's eyes.

She took a deep breath. "Even after going through so much... as husband and wife... even after going through this outing... I'm still scared Twilight."

"You don't have to be."

"I'm scared because no matter what. I swear that one day we will eventually fight... One day one of us is going to die and one of us is going to have that blood in our hands."

"Yor..."

"Don't lie Twilight. Please don't lie. Please. You have to admit that we'll fight each other one day. It's just one simple phone call or coded message away before we're told to kill each other..."

Twilight was speechless.

Tears started to flood her eyes. "Remember when you told me I could end our marriage and I can take Anya and give her a better life? I- I- I want to do it now. I'm scared that I'm going to die and s- she won't have someone who will take care of her..."

Thorn Princess pleaded to Twilight. "Please- Please Loid... I want to see her grow up in a normal life. I'm going to quit my assassin job and raise her as a normal mother! I want to watch her grow up and find a normal boy to marry! I want her to work at a normal job and live a normal life going to the grocery store and visiting museums!"

It was the life that she never had. But it was what she gave to Yuri. Now she wants to do it again for Anya.

"Loid?"

"LOID!"

Loid fainted.


Twilight woke up. When his eyes opened, he found himself laying on the grass, his eyes pointed towards the night sky.

For a moment, he thought he had died. Thorn Princess could've easily killed him.

(Did she ditch me in the woods?)

Twilight looked to the moon. Judging from its position. 4 hours had passed.

Twilight had slept for 4 hours. He grasped his hair in frustration. So many things were going so so wrong.

And for all his efforts, Operation Strix was doomed.

He sat up and kneeled to the ground. Angry at himself, angry at his failure.

"Oh- T- Twilight! You're awake!" She peeked out from the trees.

"I apologize for that... w- why did you wait for me?"

"Of course I did! W- why did you faint?" She got closer and sat across from him.

"I- I barely had any sleep."

"Oh- umm... why? Is it because of spy missions?"

"No." Twilight sighed. "That's not why... I just can't sleep... Ever since we found each other's identities, I've only had half an hour of sleep every night."

He stared at the far away lake now, he continued. "I stay up, sitting in my armchair with a gun at my lap, staring at my door, watching if you are gonna open it and try to kill me in my sleep. I never really trusted that an assassin was there at the next room. My training wouldn't let me sleep and the half hour sleeps I get was when my body collapsed and I fall limp on my armchair."

"H-Half an hour of sleep for 2 months?!" Thorn Princess gasped.

Twilight coldly stared at the lake.

She frowned. "I- I- have trouble sleeping too... Ever since I learned you were a spy. It's hard going to sleep knowing you have so many weapons in your room... Knowing how my wall couldn't stop a bullet going through it..."

"I wouldn't do that."

"O- Of course you won't! I doubt you'd do it... But I'm still so paranoid... I'm trying to push through my worries and try to sleep more."

"Yes... I should too."

"Please Twilight. For goodness sake, you need to rest too."

(She could've easily killed me when I passed out.)

"Alright. I will." At his response, she smiled.

He asked. "But... why are you scared? You said something about that earlier."

...She frowned.

"I'm scared of dying... knowing that I might miss Anya. That I might never see her grow up."

"If you died for the sake of the mission?"

"I don't want to die for the sake of my mission."

Twilight eye's dazed off. "It's our duty... to lay our lives for something greater than us. For a purpose. It's a great honor."

Thorn Princess was annoyed. He sounded like he was brainwashed by Westalis. "I don't want to stay in this career anymore... I enjoyed killing the scum of the Earth but I realized that there's more to life than just work and purpose. There's family and peace, that's what I want to die for."

"And what if we gave ourselves the chance to retire? There's no other people who could take our place. What if another pointless war had broken out knowing that if had stayed in our places, we could've prevented another stupid war?"

"So what Loid? So what? Let the scum of the world destroy each other in a war. Let them be greedy and start a war so they can earn more money or take more land! I have Miss Anya to take care of, I will take care of her and I promise to die trying to protect her!"

Thorn Princess stood up, she was almost begging to get his permission to take Anya.

She continued, whispering. "Y- You can die for Westalis if that's what you want. You can die for your spy missions. If that is the life that you want. B- but there is more to life than just work! There's family and peace!" She pleaded.

"I don't want to die for my mission. And I don't want to die for Westalis."

She wiped away her tears. "Oh- Then... why do you go through so much suffering? Why do you live your life in a lie? In a fake marriage? Why do you put up with half hour sleeps? W-why?

...

She whispered. "...why?"

...

"I don't do it for Westalis... I just want a world... where kids don't have to cry. And I will not let another goddamn war make a new wave of children into orphans."


Anya walked happily home with her bag of toys and treats.

Thorn Princess and Anya had gone to the store and picked out out a chew toy for Bond and a new kitchen apron for Papa.

The sun was almost setting now. Soon it was going to be dark so they headed home.

Anya was very pleased with herself, she felt like Santa Claus with the gifts that she and Mama bought.

Thorn Princess watched her skipping along the sidewalk, she hummed a happy tune for Miss Anya.

(Oh... Miss Anya...)

Anya saw another kid on the street.

Thorn Princess stopped. She gasped.

She wanted to keep Anya safe, the other kid looked poor and dirty. What if he tried to rob Anya?

Anya paused. Her mood instantly soured. But before Thorn Princess could stop her. Anya ran to the poor kid.

He was an orphan.

Thorn Princess saw Anya run to the orphan. She didn't realized that Anya could be emotionally distraught, it was an emotion she never saw in Anya.

And yet she saw her.

Anya gave the orphan her new toys, all her candy, all her new treats, she was teary eyed, but she gave them to the kid with a smile.

She gave him everything except for the apron and the chew toy.

"T-Thank y-you... A-Anya..." The boy cried.

"Your welcome."

Anya looked back to her Mama and she smiled at her too. "Mama... if it's not too late... can we go to the toy store again and buy a new teddy bear again?"


"I want a world where kids don't have to cry. That is what I'm fighting for. That is the purpose I'm going to die for. That is the only peace I ever wanted."

Fourthly, There was the Ostanian oak, it swayed and swooned at the twilight breeze. Early autumn leaves had already turned orange and started to fall from above.

Thorn Princess didn't kill to save anyone but herself and Yuri.

She felt so foolish, so selfish, compared to what Twilight wanted all this time.

Twilight collapsed and laid on the grass.

He sighed. "I- I can start over. I can start Strix over." He said to himself.

"L- Loid... please... you don't have to hurt yourself for your mission... you don't have to be p- perfect... or continue suffering..."

"I have to. For the sake of the mission."

"To save people?"

"Of course..."

"T-To save Westalians?"

"Everyone."

She felt so selfish.

It was almost sunrise. The moon was disappearing into the horizon.


"Miss Anya? Why did you give your toys to that child?"

Anya smirked proudly. "He looked poor."

"He knew your name... Is he a friend from school?"

"Not from school. But he is my friend. He always cried himself to sleep ever since his mama and papa went missing because of the police."

"Oh... well, that was very nice of you Miss Anya."


"L-L Loid..."

"...Yes? Thorn Princess?"

"Forget what I said..."

They started walking home together.

She smiled. "I'm staying. Miss Anya and I will stay."

"What changed your mind?"

"I- I- I want to help you! In your mission!"

He sighed. "You staying as my wife is all the help I need."

"I'll stay! Of course I'll stay! But I- I want to help you in Operation Strix. Whatever I can do... I'll do it!"

Twilight didn't know if he should faint again or celebrate.

He cracked. "Yor... I'll have to think about it... b-but.. please stay..."

"Okay!" She smiled. She was such a crybaby, tears flowed through her eyes again.

Twilight pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. They were still hesitant to being so close, but they knew that whatever emotions they had were genuine.

There was no deception between them. From then on for tonight, the two of them weren't spies or assassins. Ever since they were children, not one night had passed where they weren't performing their work.

She wiped her tears with the handkerchief and blew her nose. She smiled embarrassingly at Loid.

"Sorry..." Yor apologized for her manners.

They continued walking home.

"It's okay." Loid smiled.

They passed through the trees that Yor had split in half earlier. Yor was kinda worried that the SSS was gonna investigate this scene later.

Loid smiled. "Yor? May I have your weapon?"

She blushed as she handed a needle to him.

He had tried throwing it earlier. It had perfectly hit the tree and stuck to the bark. But it had been put to shame when Yor tried next and had split the tree in half.

Loid smiled. He had finally gotten more sleep. He finally got more energy.

Yor gasped.

Loid threw her needle, perfectly mimicking Yor's stance, perfectly memorizing the way she catapulted it through the air.

The tree was split in half.

Birds that were once sleeping flew into the air out of fright.

He smiled at Yor. Almost smugly. To say that he could do it too.

Yor was shocked at first, but she knew she had a little butterflies in her stomach.

Twilight turned around and went to fetch her weapon back. "I don't know if they'll allow this. But if so, I'm excited to work together, Yor."

[END OF CHAPTER 4]

i put a little more effort into this chapter lol, hidden meanings and stuff. Its a turning point in my story tbh. so go ahead guys, eat your heart out. Im cooking up some peak fanfic right here

thanks for the attention lmao. I read all the reviews