You don't remember right now, but I do

by Jinx-Jade (Trial_and_Error)

Summary:

It's been a few years since Marinette left Gotham to rejoin the Order.

She trains hard and dives headfirst into her responsibilities as Grand Guardian. She does well with her duties but not with her attempts to not to think about him

Notes:

A lot of information isn't specifically labeled, so I did it in the end notes, for anyone who gets confused.

Step. Palm. Grab. Flip.

 

*Thud!

 

Heel kick. Step back.

 

Turn.

 

Again.

 

Slower.

 

Step. Palm. Grab. Flip.

 

*Thud!

 

Heel kick. Step back.

 

Turn.

 

Again.

 

Faster.

 

Step. Palm. Grab. Flip.

 

*Thud!

 

Heel kick. Step back.

 

Turn.

 

Again.

 

The process of taking down student after student continued, over, and over again. The guardian did not once hold back as each pupil hit the floor.

 

It was the same pattern. The same sequence of attacks. The speed and strength of each attack were the only changed variables. Each round of attacks was custom made for the pupil the Guardian was facing.

 

Step. Palm. Grab. Flip.

 

*Thud!

 

Heel kick. Step back.

 

Turn.

 

Again.

 

Most of the students laid still on the matted ground, knowing that once their back hit the ground and the pain of a heel to their gut sunk in, they were considered 'out' for this training exercise. The vast majority of the pupils were used to the harsh treatment and those who were not were left to curl up in pain on the floor until the match was called.

 

The guardian continued the exercise until there were no more students to take down.

 

Step. Palm.

 

Block.

 

Step back.

 

Faster.

 

Step. Palm. Palm. Palm. Grab. Flip.

 

Marinette braced for the landing, arching her back to let the lower half of her body hit the mat first. As if she had just flopped down onto the floor to sit, knees bent, as she let her shoulders hit the mat next.

 

*Thump bum.

 

She laid flat on the matted floor, flexing her core as she quickly let out a steady breath.

 

Heel kick. Step back.

 

The Guardian looked over the people in the room, assessing them before nodding his head as he made eye contact with her.

 

"All have done well." The guardian informed them, and so they did because if the guardian said they did well, they must have.

 

"That is the end of today. Rest as you wish." The guardian instructed as the students got back up, helping the newer recruits to stand if they were unable to do it on their own.

 

"Yes, Guardian!" Came the collective response from the pupils, and with that, he left the room.

 

Marinette stayed on the floor, ignoring the strange looks she received as she waved off the new ones' concern as she stared up at the ceiling, not quite present mentally today. Blue eyes had appeared in her dreams again, and they hadn't been her own. They had been cold, distant, and hurt, but oh so warm and caring. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to him but know that he has probably moved on already. It has been years since she entered the temple. He doesn't remember her. He can't remember her while she was in the temple. It was part of the Order's protection magic.

 

"That is just Ari. She is not new like you." Tif, a fellow senior guardian in training, informed the apprentices, drawing Marinette out of her head for the second it took to register that her new name had been spoken.

 

They continued to give her a weird, worried look, and Marinette continued to ignore them. She moved her arm from her side up to her face, covering her eyes with her forearm. 

 

“They are gone now,” Tif said after a long-drawn-out silence.

 

With a sigh, Marinette removed her forearm to look around the room, and sure enough, they were all gone. Marinette looked back at Tif and the hand that she was now holding out to her. She silently took the hand, dusting off as she stood up.

 

“Your thoughts on this class?” Tif asked as they began walking out of the room, falling a few steps behind Marinette, nine and a half inches behind and to the left of her to be exact.

 

Nine and a half inches. A seemingly random number that happens to equal around the same length as nineteen finger widths. One for each Kwami her soul has touched and now fell under her protection. One of many old etiquettes the Order saw fit to bring back with the revival of their organization.

 

“Some would do well to be healers, not fighters,” Marinette answered honestly.

 

“Of the new ones?” The senior guardian in training asked as clarification.

 

“Some yes, but some old. A list will be made.” Marinette informed her.

 

Tif gave a nod of her head that Marinette could just see out of the corner of her eye. While it was difficult to watch people’s body language when they were behind her, she adapted and learned that the reason they stood to one side at the same distance they stood behind was to make it easier for her to keep an eye on them.

 

“The elders will be told,” Tif said with a bow of her head, two fingers, the index and middle, being placed over her heart in respect before taking her leave.

 

Two fingers over one's heart. A sign of respect to not only her, the Grand Guardian, but also to the two Kwami the gesture represents. Creation with fortune, and Destruction with Ill fortune, respectively. A gesture to represent the dual natures of the Kwami as well as that they are two halves of one whole.

 

“Ari! Ari!” A child called out her chosen name in the temple. Everyone who lives in the temple has a chosen two-part name. Their first being two, three, or four letters. While the last was usually four to nine letters. Outside the temple, they use what is seen as 'normal' names and identities that match their ethnicity

 

“Ari! Come eat with us!” The children of some Guardians asked as they ran up to her with no regard for or knowledge of the rules and etiquette they were breaking.

 

“I will.” Marinette agreed easily, catching the eye of the mother nurse that was supposed to be watching these children.

 

“This is fine,” Marinette said to the mother nurse as the children pulled Grand Guardian past her.

 

The mother nurse hesitated but nodded, leading Marinette and the children back to the nursery for their meal.

 

Marinette smiled at the young children as she sat down with her plate of food. Some of them broke off into their own groups while others surrounded her, asking question after question in an attempt to keep her attention on themself.

 

“Ari! When I become a guardian will I get a shiny tag like you?” One of the boys asked, pointing to the silver locket Marinette had attached to her neckband that everyone in the temple wore. The color of the band signifies what your job is. The jobs range from healers, fighters, protectors, caretakers, young ones, and more, all with their own color.

 

Without realizing it, Marinette’s hand had come up to hold the silver pendant.

 

“It is a memory gift,” Marinette informed the boy with a gentle smile.

 

The boy's bright, excited smile fell away. He reached over and grabbed her hand, patting the back of it as if to reassure her.

 

“What a beautiful memory.” He told her, the other children were all giving their own feedback on how nice her memory is.

 

After a few more minutes of talking with the children, the mother nurse gathered them up and began to help them get ready for bed. Marinette said her goodbyes and left the nursery. Her hand once again came up to hold the silver locket. She unclasped the oval pendant from her neckband and gently opened it as she took a deep breath.

 

On the inside were two photos, both of which had been taken by a retired member of the Order.

 

On the left, is a picture of a younger her doing homework as Bruce just watched her with a smile.

 

On the right, is a screenshot from Wayne tower’s rooftop security cameras of the sun setting, two people standing near the edge, just holding each other.

 

She smiled and let out a shaky breath as her head fell back against the nursery door. She hoped his training had gone well and that he had become the hero she knew he could be for his city. She hopes that he stays safe and alive.

 

As she let that thought go back to the farthest corner of her mind, she connected her locket back to her neckband. She really did need to thank Alfred for the memorable gift.

Notes:

Marinette is the Grand Guardian.

Once you begin training in the temple, you can't leave until you have completed the training for one of the jobs. You can switch jobs whenever you want. If you can't complete training you can just stay at the temple, but if you really want to leave, your memory will be wiped.

If you thought they were speaking weird- they were. They aren't speaking English, so what you're reading is essentially the 'translated' version.

There are only 19 miraculi/Kwmai total (because it makes my job less complicated).

The old Order has a lot of etiquette rules that Marinette is trying to follow to the best of her ability.

2-4 letter first names with 4-9 letter last names that are considered sacred within the temple, and only to be used in the temple.

A Mother nurse is a 'caretaker' or 'babysitter' who watches over children while their parents a busy. Parents spend time and care for and about their children here (unlike the LoA).

Neckbands have specific colors for specific jobs. You CAN earn more than one neckband color, they'll just give you a black neckband with an X sewn in for each color in the color. (they are essentially job ID cards made as chokers).

Memory gifts are usually the last gift you receive before entering the temple from the people in the outside world before they forget about you.

The outside people can't remember people who enter the temple, WHILE THEY ARE IN THE TEMPLE.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of A promise is a promise