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"(Y/N)? Are you here?" Akaashi shouted.

He stood at the front of the hollowed-out log where a certain ice witch lived. Or, now, once had lived.

After shouting out into her home, he moved to open the door. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door opened.

It was definitely not how he remembered it. There were no candles that lit up the room, nor were there any signs that someone had lived here for a while. The bed, where he once slept, was made, but looked as if no one had slept in it.

The few books that were on the shelves were now gone.

There was no sign of life.

Akaashi squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. "No...I'm too late." It had only been a few days since their last encounter, but he thought that after she dealt with the knights, she would return home.

During that time, he tried reasoning with the king, but it had gotten him nowhere. Akaashi would have come earlier, but he landed himself a night in the dungeons for speaking out towards the king.

He sighed and sat down on the familiar bed. A light coat of dust went into to the air as he did, which was further evidence that no one has been here for a while.

And he wasn't sure that anyone would return.

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Akaashi walked through the dark forest. He could only sneak out of the palace during nightfall. In his hand was a piece of crystal that (Y/N) had given to him a few nights before. As she said, it guided him home.

But ever since he left, and went back to his normal ways, the hours seemed to grow longer and the days seemed like years. There was something missing.

As he went deeper into the forest, the crystal in his hand grew hot and brighter. Akaashi furrowed his eyebrows and started walking the way he came. The light grew dimmer and colder to the touch.

He stopped walking. A low humming sound radiated off the crystal as if it was alive. A twig, cracking under the pressure of someone's foot, made him draw out his sword and raised it.

"Who goes there?"

Nothing but the sound of forest creatures could be heard.

"Come out and show yourself!"

He was turning slowly in a circle, the crystal, still humming, lit the way in the direction he was facing.

"I didn't think you would keep it," a voice said from behind him.

Akaashi turned around and swung his sword like he was trying to decapitate someone. The hooded figure ducked away from the attack and stepped back. Thrusting and arm out of their cloak, they raise a hand and a steady stream of ice spilled from it, aimed at the sword.

His mouth gaped opened and the sword fell from his hand on to the ground making a clink sound as it dropped.

The white cloaked figure raised her head and the hood feel back around her shoulders. Akaashi's eyes looked up to see the same (E/C) eyes.

"(Y/N)?" Akaashi let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. Relief flowed through his body making him clam. (Y/N)'s okay. She is alive.

"You know," (Y/N) said, her voice laced with amusement, "it is considered rude to try and decapitate someone when they are trying to talk to you. I just thought you should know. Before you go and decapitate someone else without reason."

Akaashi was at a loss for words. He didn't say anything. He took a step forwards and wrapped his arms around her. "You're alive."

"Clearly."

He held on to her for another second before pulling away. He kept his hands on her shoulders as if he were to let her go, she would be gone with the stars in the dark night of the sky.

"I'm sorry that I left you. I know that I shouldn't have, but I did it anyways. I'm a coward," he said. Akaashi couldn't meet her eyes. He was afraid that if he did, he would only see disappointment. "You should send me away. Or freeze me."

"And why would I freeze the person who has been looking for me?" (Y/N) questioned. "I'm the one who told you to go, as you recall. If you hadn't, the both of us would probably be dead."

He nodded. He still believed that his actions were cowardice, but it was reassuring hearing the words come out of her mouth.

"I wondered, by the way, what exactly did you do to them? The knights? You didn't kill them did you?"

"Of course I didn't kill them," she scolded, "you asked me to kill them once and I said no. I kept my word. I am not a killer. And if you must know, the other knights of their kingdom are probably still trying to find a way out of being frozen. They might have a mild case of hyperthermia, but that is all."

A small smile broke out on Akaashi's face and he laughed. (Y/N) joined in on his laughter with her own.

After Akaashi had left, she brought the knight where she thought they would eventually be seen and left.

After a moment of silence, Akaashi asked the question that had been in his mind ever since he left her home. "Where were you? I went to your home, but no one was there. I thought that you had left."

"I did."

He stumbled backwards. "You what?" he asked shocked.

(Y/N) nodded and gave him a small smile. "I left. I knew that once they unfrosted their knights, they would go searching for the person who froze them. And eventually other kingdoms would have caught word of it and would lead a search of their own. They would have found me, so I had to go."

Akaashi stayed silent. It was all his fault that this had happened. If only he didn't ask (Y/N) to show him her powers that she would be able to live in her own house.

(Y/N) took Akaashi's silence as a chance to keep going. "I only came back when I felt the crystal. I knew you had returned to the forest."

"I'm sorry," he said. He didn't know what else to say.

(Y/N) shook her head. "None of this was your fault. Also, that kind of brings me to my next point," she said. A great smile and grown on her face and she looked up to Akaashi with hope in her eyes. "I want you to come with me. Get away from this place and start a new."

He started at her. His heart pounding in his chest. Leave the kingdom? Leave his home?

"I know that must be more than I can ask of you," (Y/N) said. Her voice still laced with hope. "I'm leaving at nightfall tomorrow. If you wish to join me, meet at the my old home when the moon is at the highest point. No later. I'll be waiting there until then."

Akaashi nod. (Y/N) smiled at him and backed away. "If I don't see you, then it was an honor to be acquainted with you."

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Akaashi and (Y/N) departed a few hours before the sun had come up. He jogged over to where he tied his horse to a tree. He untied the the knot, climbed upon the horse, and rode back to the kingdom.

"Akaashi! Where have you been? You were out all night," one of the other knights asked.

"I was...out on night patrol," Akaashi said. He had never lied to another knight before. There were like a brotherhood (and sisterhood, but there were limited female knights). None of them had secrets.

The knight scrunched his eyebrows together. "You weren't on the list though. It was your night off."

"Well...I...heard that there were some witch activity and volunteered to go."

The knight nodded to himself like he was processing the information, and then her turned his attention to Akaashi and nodded to him. "Okay, but we are on night patrol tonight. Maybe we'll find some witches."

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Maybe we'll find some witches. After eating, Akaashi ran up to his room and locked the door. Every knight had a little room on the last floor of the castle, the floor above the dungeons.

He didn't have much in the room. A few books, a candle, clothes (that was not armor), and a bed. He grabbed the bag that he used when he went on overnight missions and packed it. Packed everything and anything that belong to him—which wasn't much.

Akaashi sat on the bed and stared at his backpack. It was a bit overfilled because he didn't normally bring books on overnight missions, but this wasn't a mission. This was his life.

He laid on the bed and waited for nightfall.

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Akaashi told his commander that he felt sick and couldn't go on the patrol. The Commander said no. Then he told him that he went on patrol last night with another group, and surprisingly he glared and walked away. Akaashi took that as a yes.

A little after the night patrol left, Akaashi snuck out and stole a horse. And with that, he rode out of the castle and into the forest.

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(Y/N) sat on her bed for what would be the last time. She waited. (Y/N) wanted Akaashi to come more than anything she wanted right now. Her hand were folded in her lap. She knew if she didn't, then the room would probably freeze.

Then there was a knock at the door. (Y/N) stood up and straightened out her cloak. Her chest felt light, she thought that he wouldn't show. She walked over to the door and turned the knob.

"I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show," she said and looked up.

(Y/N) stumbled backwards. Standing in front of her door were five knights. Knights that had their swords raised and were about to attack.

"Grab her."

The knights rushed forward. (Y/N) raised her hand and ice shot out of it like lightning. The room filled with cold mist and it was silent. (Y/N) drew her hand back and the mist went to the floor and disappeared. In her living stood five frozen knights. There was so much ice on them that you couldn't see their bodies, just the shape of what a person would look like.

She looked around the room and screamed. No knowing if she had killed them or not. She covered her mouth with her hand walked out her former house.

(Y/N) fell on her knees as tears streamed down her face. The sound of a horse galloping through the forest echoed.

Akaashi found (Y/N) on the ground right in front of her house. "(Y/N)!" Akaashi called. "I'm coming with you. Let's go!"

She didn't move.

"(Y/N)?" Akaashi jumped off his horse and ran to her. "What's wrong?"

"I...I...killed them," (Y/N) whispered.

"Who?"

She pointed to the house. Akaashi, without leaving her side, he glanced into the house. He saw the heel of a frozen person and understood what happened.

"We have to go. There are people following me. I'm really sorry, but we have to go," Akaashi whispered. His voice was firm but gentle.

(Y/N) nodded and let Akaashi help her up and onto the horse that was waiting for them.

And they rode off out of the kingdom.

Somewhere far away where they would both be safe for the rest of their live.

Not once did they turn back.

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