Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I-I

- - -

It's been approximately one year since Akito became a White Knight. He was sixteen. During that one year, there weren't any wars or tension between all the kingdoms and empires. However... recently, the Soleil Kingdom has been trying to establish trade routes with the Nocturne Empire, but they were extremely defensive and reluctant towards Soleil merchants stepping foot in Nocturne territory.

Akito, being the overthinker he is, has been quite distracted the past week with thoughts about a possible war. He was prepared, of course, but that never meant he wanted a war. Taking into account the two regions' armies, things could get... very bloody. For both. And no one liked that, you kn-

"-nome! Shinonome?? Earth to Sir Akito Shinonome!"

"Huh? Oh, Tenma, it's just you. What do you need?" Akito looked up and sighed. "I was just finishing up lunch."

"…Akito, why are you eating lunch in the garden? Nevermind, that's not the point! I wanted to know if you've seen any... magical creatures recently, my friend! Specifically, dragons!" Tsukasa asked.

Akito stared at him in confusion. "Why would there be any dragons in Soleil? All I've ever seen was a small one up north, but that was when I was uh, six?"

"Hmm... I see then, Thank you, Shinonome!" Tsukasa turned and left, scratching his head.

"...What? Well, do whatever, I guess." Akito hummed and left it at that.

- - -

Considering how today was Akito's day off, he decided to head into the forest(in disguise!) to sing a bit. Singing wasn't his dream or anything, it was more of a hobby he really enjoyed. However, he would never sing in front of anyone... he'd be too embarrassed. He was probably the only person in the Soleil Kingdom who could navigate the woods behind the castle, or even enter at all, so this place was perfect for whenever he wanted some personal space. Though, said forest happened to be part of the Nocturne Empire as well, so he always stays in the southern side of the terrain.

The moment he snuck in the forest and the bustling town was out of sight, he took off his hood and started singing to himself.

♪~

A strange sound interrupted him, like multiple slow footsteps... as if he was about to be ambushed. Akito immediately froze and drew his sword, carefully following the sound to its origin, slowly maneuvering between the trees.

Soon, he made his way to a clearing, hiding behind a large tree. 

In the clearing, there was a boy his age, with two-toned blue hair and simple attire.

He accidentally stepped on a branch, alerting the blue-haired boy.

The boy jolted and immediately looked towards Akito, eyes wide, and stood up. He picked up a dagger, pointing it towards him.

”Who are you, and what do you want? Where did you come from?” He questioned.

Akito panicked and walked out from where he was hiding. “I- Sorry for startling you, I didn’t really expect to find someone else here.” he blurted. “Uh… my name is Akito Shinonome. Just call me Akito.”

“…Why did you even come here? It’s easy to get lost.” the boy said, furrowing his eyebrows. “In fact, this clearing is quite hard to find as well. I’m surprised all you have is a sword.”

“Well, I’ve been here a lot, and I come to this clearing quite often. I could ask you the same thing.” Akito stated.

The boy slowly let go of his dagger, realizing the other posed no threat. “How long have you been coming here? Why haven’t I seen you around before?”

“I used to come here a lot, but the past year I’ve been really busy, so I just… didn’t have the time,” the ginger said, scratching the back of his head. “Also, you haven’t introduced yourself yet! What’s your name?”

“…My name is Toya.” he said hesitantly. “I come here every few days and sometimes with Crimson, my dragon.”

“You have a dragon?”

Toya nodded.

Akito grinned. “That’s pretty cool. Anyways, I usually come around every week or two. Mind if I hang out with you? It’s better than wandering around alone.”

Toya shrugged. “I suppose you could.”

He sat down and patted the space next to him, signaling for Akito to come and sit. The knight walked over and plopped down next to the other.

Akito stretched his arms and reached into his bag.

“Um. Apple?” Akito looked over to Toya while holding out one of the two apples he brought.

“Ah, sure.”

- - -

The two started their conversation with simple topics, like food preferences and interests.

“What do you mean you drink black coffee!? It’s so bitter!” 

“Well, I fail to understand why you’re able to consume such unhealthy amounts of sugar and still be perfectly healthy.”

Soon enough, Akito started talking more about his disconnected family and complaining about the other knights.

“My mom was a pretty nice person, but she was always busy with her job. She was completely different to my shithead of a dad! He’s so strict and mean to my sister! My dad used to be an artist, but it didn’t work out in the long run. Too competitive of a job, I guess. But that doesn’t give him a reason to discourage my sister! Sure, she’s a bitch sometimes, but… she always saves me a slice of cheesecake. Almost always.”

“Your family seems… hectic.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t talked to them since I started knight training. Before I left though, my sister gave me a bracelet. I think she made it herself. Now I’m a knight, so I have to deal with an annoyingly loud upperclassman and a pretty enthusiastic upperclassman, who’s always in a decent mood. They’re so chaotic as a duo, and I always manage to get caught in their field of view. There’s more knights, but they don’t annoy me as much.”

“Huh. They sound interesting…”

Akito also learned that Toya was, unfortunately, taller than him.

“Wait, what do you mean you’re 178cm tall!?”

“I’m not extraordinarily tall…”

“Damnit… another person who’s taller than me.”

Toya also shared some experiences he had while exploring the woods.

“One time I saw a stray cat getting chased by a squirrel.”

“A cat getting chased by a squirrel? Are you sure you saw it clearly?”

“I’m quite sure it was getting chased by a squirrel. I also thought it was weird, but it was out in the open where I could see it clearly, so it has to be true.”

After a while of chatting, Akito looked up at the sky to see that the sun was setting. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pocket watch.

Upon seeing the time, the ginger stood up and stretched. “It’s getting late, I should head back. Maybe we could meet again sometime, y’know?”

Toya smiled softly. “I’d like that. Are you able to come three days from now, at the same time?”

“Yeah, I can. That’d be nice. See ya!” Akito waved and went on his way, disappearing into the trees.

The other smiled and stood up, but saw that Akito left behind a braided bracelet made of brown and bright orange yarn. It was probably the bracelet his sister gave him, so Toya put it in his pocket so he can give it back to Akito next time.

Upon his dragon’s arrival, he climbed on and headed up north, feeling content that he had met someone new.

- - -

I-I

Chapter Text

I-II

- - -

The next day, Akito was training hard as always, when Sir Tsukasa Tenma ran into the room, slightly out of breath.

 
“Shinonome! There you are!” he shouted, panting. “I need some advice! Please!”

 
Akito paused, wiping some sweat from his face and walked over to where Tsukasa was. “Me? Why not Akiyama or Hinomori? They’re probably more reliable.”

 
“Well, Akiyama is busy, and Hinomori’s going to be really annoyed and say my question is stupid... Everyone else is unavailable.” Tsukasa said as he cleared his throat and readjusted his posture.

 
“Okay… so? What’s this urgent situation that’s got you looking for me of all people?” Akito questioned.

 
Tsukasa sighed dramatically. “So, I recently encountered this man who just looks so charming and- nevermind, that’s irrelevant. Anyways, he was practicing forbidden magic! Very close to the northern border, but still in Soleil. He saw me and ran off into Nocturne and now I can’t arrest him… is there a procedure for this or something?"

Akito stared blankly at Tsukasa. Tsukasa stared back.

 
The underclassman sighed. "...First of all, Tenma, you've probably fallen for a criminal despite what you said. We should arrest him, but he's in Nocturne. I can't help with that. No one can, we’re all knights of Soleil." 

 
"An escaped criminal… there’s nothing we can do about it now. I can’t be sure if I like him or not though… he’s certainly very charismatic." Tsukasa hummed.

 
Akito decided to ignore him and continued doing drills.

 
- - -

 
The ginger quietly sat on a bench in the courtyard.

 
One day left. 

 
Just one day, and Akito can meet Toya again.

Unlike his sister.

No one to share cheesecake with, no one to make pancakes with.

But he shouldn’t be thinking about her. He doesn't have time to be thinking about sad moments.

Though, occasionally reminding himself that she was probably still out there never hurt anyone, right?

 
Akito hesitated before reaching for the bracelet his sister Ena gave him, except he felt nothing.

…He could’ve sworn he had it on his wrist.

Akito's started getting nervous, and he rolled up his left sleeve, looking for it. Nothing.

He reached into every pocket, making sure he doesn’t miss the corners. Still nothing.

By now Akito was starting to freak out, trying but failing to stay calm.

Where the fuck is it!?

He was starting to feel sick. Everything started turning into a blur, and he was struggling to breathe properly.

Akito was suffocating from the air, and he felt like the world was ending.

The one thing he still had of his sister was gone. 

All the suffering she endured back then, all her hard work, love and care, repaid by her gift to Akito being lost.

The screaming he had overheard while in his room, the broken sobs during the aftermath, a busy mother and a shitty father.

 
He shouldn't be upset.

 
It's just a small accessory that meant nothing.

 
He was a knight now, he needed to forget and move on.

 
Why was that so hard?

 
He paused.

 
Akito took some deep breaths, and stood up. He wiped his sweat, rearranged his hair a bit and made his way back to his quarters. He had better things to do than be upset over something so pathetic.

Still, something inside him just wouldn't let him ignore his feelings.

 
He immediately shut the door after entering his room. Feeling tired and empty, he changed into his sleepwear and laid down in bed, slowly starting to cry.

 
- - -

 
Four in the morning. The sun wasn't even up yet.

Akito was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

He’s feeling better.

 
Akito almost broke down yesterday. When was the last time he felt like this?

 
He sighed. He obviously wasn’t going to rest. Even though no one was awake, Akito still got up to get ready for the day.

At least he would see Toya again. Pretty grey eyes- wait, what? Shaking his head in frustration, Akito opened his closet and pulled out his outfit for today.

After changing, he thought about whether or not to eat breakfast. It wasn’t really necessary, since he didn’t feel hungry. Still, Akito opened his desk drawer and opened a small box. He grabbed a small biscuit and popped it into his mouth. 

He sat down on his bed, when suddenly, someone started knocking at his door.

“Hey, Lil’ Bro? You up yet?”

It was Mizuki Akiyama, the other annoying knight who was part of Tsukasa and Akito’s squad.

“Akiyama? Uh, yeah, I’m up.” Akito said in surprise.

“Jeez, why are you up so early? It’s like, six in the morning! Anyways, can I come in?” They asked.

Akito sighed. “Five thirty, to be exact. The door’s unlocked.”

“Woohoo!” Mizuki exclaimed as they opened the door and waltzed right in. “So are you busy today?”

The ginger paused before responding. “Morning or afternoon?”

“Morning. I need you to stick these wanted posters around town, they’re for two forbidden magic users we recently discovered. Can you do that, or are you busy?” Mizuki explained.

“Yeah, sure.”

The pink-haired knight cheered. “Thanks Lil’ Bro!”

Akito walked over to grab the posters. “Please stop calling me that.”

”I’ll pass, thanks!” They laughed. “By the way, look at this girl! Their hairstyle is so cute!”

"Huh. It kinda is." He said, looking closely at the first poster on the stack.

The girl had a hood over her face, but he could see that she had long, brown hair that curled a bit at the ends.

“See? I told you! I’m always right!” Mizuki smirked before leaving as Akito sighed. 

- - -

The town was very quiet, no one was awake. At least, Akito thought. As he walked around, sticking posters in obvious places to catch attention, he saw an old restaurant owner sitting on a bench. He slowly made his way towards the old man.

"Hello, sir, may I put a some posters on your window?" Akito asked with a small smile.

"Ah, hello young man! Of course, go ahead!" The man replied, smiling right back at the knight.

Akito put the posters on the restaurant windows.

"Young man, have you ever heard of the Fallen Aoyagi Kingdom?" The man asked.

"The Aoyagi Kingdom? I've only ever heard of it a few times, but I never knew it had fallen. When did it fall, if I may ask?" Akito asked, confused.

The man sighed and leaned back. "You must have not heard. It's been eleven years, I think. Not many people lived to tell the tale, in fact, I think the person who told me about this must have passed already."

Eleven years ago? Akito was six. Could this have been related to the dragon he saw back then?

"Ah, er... Do you happen to know what led to their fall?"

"It was probably a dragon. Apparently many people saw a dragon briefly before the fall. No one knows what exactly happened though." The man explained.

A dragon? Akito also saw a dragon around that time. He simply nodded. "Alright, I'll be on my way then. Have a nice day, sir.”

"Yes, of course! Have a nice day, young man."

Akito waked over to a nearby post board and plastered a poster on it before looking more closely at the description.

Purple hair with blue strands? That’s an… interesting hair colour.

He kept heading down the streets until he found a wooden pillar covered in posters and advertisements. Akito took another poster and stuck it on there before noticing that this one had a different magic user.

This was the person Akiyama pointed out. The description said they had brown eyes.

Brown hair and brown eyes…

These features lined up with his sister, Ena Shinonome.

He shrugged it off as a mere coincidence. Ena’s hair is much shorter than this. He should hurry up so he can go see Toya.

- - -

I-II

Chapter Text

I-III

- - -

"Toya-kun~! There you are!"

The blue-haired boy was walking down the hallway, planning to speak to the queen, when suddenly Rui Kamishiro, a mage of Nocturne, ran up to him.

Following close behind was a hooded person wearing a mask and cloak, concealing most of their face. Toya hadn't seen them around before, but he noticed that they had brown eyes and brown hair.

"Hello, Kamishiro. And you are?" Toya started.

They glared at him, or at least that was what it seemed like. "That’s none of your business."

"Perhaps you could tell me another name you go by, or at least your pronouns." Toya said with a straight face.

"I probably won't be staying for that long, so I don't see a reason why I should tell you." They shot back. "Rui's the only person who needs to know because I'm staying with him."

Toya raised an eyebrow. "I believe that's not the best idea. He runs around committing crimes in Soleil and Phoenix, and he loves explosions."

"Okay, okay, let's stop fighting! Besides, I need to talk to you, Toya!" Rui cut in with an awkward smile.

They rolled their eyes. “I go by she/her.”

She then leaned against the wall and pulled out a small notebook and pen and started writing. Or drawing? He couldn't tell.

"Alright then. What did you need, Kamishiro?" Toya asked, knowing it was probably something concerning.

Rui laughed. "Fufu, I need you to kidnap the Head Knight of Soleil! He's a lovely blonde guy with orange eyes who looks like Saki!"

The blue-haired boy simply sighed. "I apologize, but I'm not going to kidnap anyone.”

Rui frowned.

“...But if you're truly obsessed with this man I suppose I could gather information on him, if that would suffice."

"Why, thank you, that’s perfect! I await your return from Soleil!" The mage said as he grabbed the brunette and teleported away.

That was a rather strange encounter. The stranger didn't even bother to share her name. 

However, it was already noon and he had promised to meet Akito today in about an hour. Toya should probably hurry and head to the forest, instead of heading to the queen's chambers to ask about... what was it again? Soleil? He had forgotten.

- - -

Toya slowly wandered between the trees, trying to listen for Akito, in case he had already arrived.

He was getting closer to the clearing where they met. Was he early?

Then, he heard a faint melody.

He immediately started running towards the familiar sound.

He walked into the sunlight, entering the clearing and saw a familiar ginger boy lying down on the grass, humming a peculiar tune.

"Akito. You're here before me." Toya said with a small smile on his face.

"Ah- yeah. Hey, Toya." The other sat up.

Oh, right, Toya should probably ask Akito something. He pulled out a braided bracelet and Akito's eyes widened.

Akito stood up.

"Toya, where did you get that?"

"I found it on the grass after you left last time, so I figured it was yours."

Akito reached out and took the bracelet, putting it on and pulling his sleeve over it.

"Um, thanks." He looked away, sitting back down and pulling his knees to his chest.

Toya nodded. "You're welcome. Is it important to you?"

"It was- I mean- Well, yeah. My sister gave it to me."

"My bad, I probably shouldn't have asked." The blue-haired boy apologized and sat down next to Akito.

“Nah, it’s fine, you didn’t know.”

“If you say so.”

The silence between them lasted for a few seconds before Toya decided to speak.

“By the way, I was wondering if you knew a blonde man around your age with orange eyes.”

Akito perked up. “Yeah, his name’s Tsukasa Tenma. Very loud, kinda annoying. You can probably hear him from the other side of the world.”

“Oh. That's... interesting."

"He's still kinda nice though. Good intentions, deafening laughs." He sighed.

"He seems nice."

The ginger slouched. “Yeah, I guess. Well, is there anything you want to do today?"

"No. What about you?"

Akito paused for a second before responding. "We could take a walk for some fresh air. Maybe pick some flowers?"

"Of course."

- - -

The two of them slowly made their way through the forest, venturing off to places they wanted to show each other, occasionally stopping to admire some flowers or plants.

This forest was truly magical, in ways people would never expect. Although it seems like you'd get lost easily and that every few steps you'll be transported somewhere new where you can't escape, the forest always stays as it is, and never changes its form...

...Which is surprising as Akito leads Toya to a sunflower field.

"Wow... Akito, I never knew there were sunflowers here." Toya said in awe.

Akito laughed in response. "Yeah, me neither. I was really surprised when I found this one day. Now it’s one of my favourite places."

The ginger looked back at Toya and only grinned before dashing off into the field, twirling around and laughing like a young girl in love. Toya never thought there would be this kind of side to Akito. 

It was truly... mesmerizing.

His heart felt warm and fuzzy as he chased after Akito in the field of sunflowers. He felt genuinely happy at this moment.

Suddenly, Akito was gone from his vision. He also heard a muffled laugh from somewhere, although he wasn't sure where. A game of hide-and-seek, it seems.

"I see... now where could you be?" Toya smiled. 

He saw some movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head to see a gently swaying sunflower, out of sync with the others. Akito isn't good at this game, is he?

Softly laughing, he slowly snuck up on the plant. "Akito, I wonder where you could be? Perhaps..."

Toya reached out to the sunflowers in front of him and pushed them apart, kneeling to get a good view at what was below the sea of gold and yellow.

"...Here?"

And there he was. A familiar ginger boy staring right back at him with a playful smile.

"Aw, you got me! I thought I hid pretty well though, how did you find me?" He sighed.

"It was obvious. The sunflowers were moving in a different direction than the rest, and I also could've just ducked down from the start and looked for you down here."

"Right... So why didn't you?"

"It wouldn't be fun that way."

Akito smiled in response. "And that's why I like you."

"You like me?"

It took a moment for Akito to process what he just said.

"Eh? Of course! Um, as a friend. You're a really good friend!"

At this point he was blushing so much he couldn't even look at Toya. He covered his face with his hands and looked away. Toya also blushed a bit, slightly embarrassed about asking that question.

"Oh. I- well, it's getting late. How about we head back? We can meet again in a week. How does that sound?"

Akito finally decided to look back. "Yeah, that- that's fine."

"I'll see you around, then?"

"Mhm. Bye!"

The ginger stood up and waved before he started jogging south. 

Toya's heart fluttered as he stood up as well, watching as the other ran off. Was Akito always this attractive? He shrugged it off, slightly embarrassed at the thought.

It doesn't matter if he's in love if Akito doesn't love him back.

They don’t like each other, right?

- - -

I-III

Chapter Text

I-IV

- - -

Morning came. The birds chirped and sang happily, but it didn’t make any difference to a certain ginger’s mood.

"Ugh… Please just shut the fuck up."

The birds paid little mind.

All Akito could do was groan and get up, rubbing his eyes. He was not looking forward to today. At all. 

He barely got any sleep last night, and it was all because of a random guy he met a little while ago. A very charming and handsome guy, Aoyagi Toya. He showed up in Akito's thoughts last night and refused to leave, giving the poor boy the worst case of insomnia he's ever had in the past few years. That would most likely affect his work ethic today, and he was not in the mood to get his pay lowered because of this.

Sighing, he sat up and stretched, starting his morning routine like always.

- - -

The way he smiles is so sweet… his hair looked so soft too… 

Wait, what?

Wasn’t the objective to forget about him? Akito has to do something about this, this is seriously starting to drive him insane. 

Is there anyone who he could talk to? Someone to ask for advice? Hmm…

Tenma is a horrible idea. He’ll never leave Akito alone.

Hinomori would probably give Akito a confused look and/or tell him to fuck off. That’s not a very good idea either.

Poor Len needs a break from everyone and everything and also 20 more hours of sleep.

He has talked to Yoisaki once and never again. He probably shouldn’t ask her.

Mizuki... Actually, that's not the worst idea… but he feels like they won’t leave him alone either.

…They’re probably the best option he has right now.

- - -

Akito walked into the royal garden after seeing a blur of pink.

“Akiyama!" He called out.

“Huh? Oh, hey lil' bro! What's up?" They looked up from where they were sitting.

The ginger stood in front of the other and hesitated. Should he tell them? Is this a good idea? Should he just change his mind and leave? Well, he’s already here, so…

Akito sighed. “Listen, Akiyama-” 

“Call me Mizuki.”

“-Mizuki. I need help. Advice, actually.”

A smirk appeared on Mizuki’s face. “Oh-ho-ho, does the grand almighty Sir Shinonome need help? Hehe, I’ll assist you in any way! Take a seat!” They patted their hand on the empty space on the bench they were sitting on.

“Whatever. So, how do I say this?” He sat down, shifting away from the other.

“Don’t feel rushed! It’s my off day today, so I have all the time in the world.”

“So, there’s this friend who met this person, and they always feel really safe and warm with them. Like, uh, they like everything about this person. Yeah, I don’t even know.” Akito leaned back in frustration.

“Oh! Well then, assuming this person is you, you’re in love. That’s it.” 

“What? Why would you assume it was me?”

Akiyama beamed. “I’ve had enough people ask me for advice to know what ‘there’s this friend’ means.”

He glared at them. “…Fine, it’s me. I can’t forget about them at all, and for some reason, I’m always eager to see him."

"Ooh, seems like someone's in love!"

"Shut up!" Akito buried his face in his hands, embarrassed.

After a string of laughter and multiple rude remarks thrown at Mizuki, they paused, a blank look appearing on their face. Seeing this, Akito was concerned.

“Um. Akiyama. Are you…?”

Mizuki stared ominously into the other’s eyes. “Lil’ bro, do you know what this means?”

“No…”

They smirked. “The Great and Almighty Sir Shinonome is in love~!”

And with that, The Great and Almighty Sir Shinonome had enough and stood up.

“You know what, fuck it. I’m not dealing with your shit anymore.” He said as he walked away.

“Aw man!”

- - -

"Akito! Akito!!!"

The knight spun around to see Sir Tenma, out of breath and looking panicked.

"Hey, you look... yeah okay, what happened now?" He raised an eyebrow.

Tsukasa stood up straight and composed himself. "Her majesty wants the knights to gather in the throne room. She says it's important! Really important! And she looked serious, Akito! The Queen, with a serious and frustrated face!"

Akito could hear the nervous shaking in the other's voice, despite him being loud as always. "Did you get Akiyama and the others?" If Queen Azusawa was looking frustrated, then he should hurry. 

"Yes, now hurry up! What if someone declared war on us!?"

The thought sent a chill down his spine. War would mean that he couldn't see Toya again, which would be... bad, to say the least. 

"Alright then, let's go." Akito said as he walked down the hallway to the throne room. The head knight quickly rushed in front of him, worry in his eyes.

"Sir Tenma, where are you going? We're here already."

"Eh!?" He turned around to see a finely decorated door. "Ah, how could I have missed this? Come on now, Akito, let's go!"

This was worse than he thought.

As Akito pushed open the door, he saw that the others, including Akiyama and Hinomori, had already arrived.

The Queen gave a small smile. "Thank you all for coming so quickly. There are important and confidential matters to discuss. Len?"

The small knight opened a scroll. "Y-yes, Your Majesty. We received word from a Nocturne messenger that they are declaring war on Soleil. They say that after much negotiation from Soleil, they are still unwilling to open trade routes or form an alliance and since we have been very persistent, they decided that they’ve had enough are planning to attack tomorrow at sundown." 

Tenma called it, Akito thought. At the same time, he heard Akiyama gasp beside him.

"A-and... well... they say they have no fixed objective for this battle. The Queen of Nocturne says that she is partially doing this for her own benefit and for the benefit of her people."

Queen Azusawa nodded. "Thank you, Len. This means we are to complete all necessary preparations by tomorrow morning. The people of our kingdom have been notified to evacuate as well. Now, due to the size of their army, we must separate you into smaller divisions and equally divide our strength. I have already gathered the other knights earlier as you few will be leading the troops."

There was a slight pause, and Hinomori used this chance to ask a question. "Your Majesty, may I ask if each division will be primarily assigned to a specific enemy target?"

"Yes, let me explain," she started. "Head Knight Tenma, you and your troops will be set to attack the Violet Alchemist. Although you are the Head Knight, you are skilled in deflecting magic.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Tsukasa replied.

Queen Azusawa nodded. “Dame Hinomori, with your keen eyes, we will need you to fight the enemy spy, whose identity remains unknown.”

“Understood.”

“Dame Akiyama, your magic makes you a fine support, however, I believe that your powers can counter Nocturne’s top assassin, therefore you will be leading your own division.”

They simply nodded.

“Sir Shinonome, your physical capabilities and independence in battle make you our best soldier for fighting against the Dark Knight. They say he is the strongest and leads the troops, so are you willing to take him on?” She said, switching to a softer tone at the end.

Akito hesitated. He definitely isn’t the strongest of everyone in the room, yet… Was he really ready for this? “I… am willing to do so in order to protect our kingdom.”

He suddenly really wanted to take back that sentence.

”Are you sure? You will be fighting alone.” The Queen added.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Okay, he really fucked up.

- - -

It has only been one day since Akito and Toya’s last meeting. One day.

After the announcement, Akito quickly changed and headed into the forest faster than ever, praying that Toya would be there, at their usual meeting spot. 

This could be their last meeting.

He wanted so much for this outing to become a routine, to get used to seeing a familiar and welcoming face, to never let go of the feelings he felt whenever he saw Toya.

By some miracle, a blue-haired boy was sitting in a patch of grass, appearing to be troubled by something.

“Toya!” Akito called as he walked into the clearing.

The other looked up. “Akito? What are you doing here?”

“It’s fucking complicated- ah, fuck it.”

“Huh? Wh- Akito!?”

The ginger ran and tackled Toya to the ground, embracing him tightly.

“Toya.”

“Akito, is something wrong?”

He didn’t lift his head from Toya’s shoulder blade. “I’m sorry.”

“…Why are you sorry?”

“I don’t think I’ll see you again.”

The arms around him loosened and then tightened. “What do you mean, Akito?”

“I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

“That’s completely fine.”

Toya also wanted to tell the other that he’s leaving as well, but he can’t find a reason to tell Akito, seeing him in such a vulnerable and upset state. The both of them would only feel guilt.

“Hey, Akito, let’s sit up, alright?”

“Mmh, sure.” The knight pushed himself up, sitting upright. 

The timely silence was becoming increasingly awkward, yet both boys found themselves wanting to savour this moment, longing for more. Was this really goodbye? 

Akito was the first to speak up. “Do you want to sing with me?”

Caught off-guard, Toya almost said yes. “No, thank you, I’m rather bad at singing. I would love to hear you sing one last time though.”

“If we somehow meet again, we can sing together.” The shorter said before standing up and stretching. “What kind of song would you like me to sing?”

“I’d like to hear you sing your favourite song.” Toya cheered up a bit.

A laughed escaped Akito’s lips. “If you say so.”

He backed up a bit, making space for himself. He imagined he was on a stage, with no one in the audience except for Toya.

He took a deep breath, and started to sing.

To Toya, every note was perfection. Akito’s voice was simply beautiful, melodic and something he wanted to be able to hear for the rest of his life.

To Akito, his voice was as good as it could get, and he’s proud of it. Because this is his song, a song Akito made, with his own feelings, tailored for his voice, with lyrics that capture all he wants to express.

This is what he wants to say, along with anything else, to the world.

On his stage, to his audience, face to face, heart to heart.

To Toya.

…

“Akito…”

“Toya.” He whispered, out of breath.

“That was amazing…”

“Thanks.”

“I… I really like your voice, it’s beautiful.”

Akito blushed. “No, it’s… I guess it’s nice.”

The only member of his audience smiled. 

“Also, your voice is…” Toya couldn’t hear the last part.

“Hm?”

“I think your voice is really pretty.”

Now it was Toya’s turn to turn red.

“Oh.”

After about 30 seconds of awkward silence had passed, the blue-haired boy spoke up.

“Akito, can I do something?” He asked.

“Sure, go ahead.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Akito found his embraced in a tight hug from the boy in front of him.

The hug was quickly reciprocated.

“I’ll miss you, Toya.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

Akito pulled away and laughed. “You know, you didn’t need permission to hug me.”

“I didn’t know if you were okay with it though.”

“I literally hugged you 30 minutes ago!”

The both of them burst into laughter.

Toya was the first to say something once they had calmed down.

“...Well then, I hope to see you again someday, Akito.”

“Yeah. Me too.” He said with a bitter smile. “My friends must be wondering where I am, so I’ll get going now.

The other gave an understanding smile, and the ginger boy ran off into the woods, leaving a blue-haired boy behind.

- - -

I-IV

Chapter Text

I-V

- - -

Afternoon hits, and the kingdom was still busy preparing everyone and evacuating citizens. Knowing he could die in the following hours, or days, Akito felt like everything still passed by too slowly.

As he cleaned his room in an effort to preserve as many of his belongings as possible, he almost tripped over a book when his thoughts rewinded back to the previous day, when he sang for Toya.

Thinking back on it, maybe that was a terrible idea that could have led to self-deprecation, pure embarrassment, and internal battles with thoughts at 2am. Going for a walk in the courtyard would be nice, actually.

So, he leaves his room and walks.

- - -

Akito feels... dead. Not in the way where he can't feel anything physically and is unconscious, but in the way where nothing feels as real as they used to be. Smiling feels more tiring, crying feels extremely tedious, and anger just doesn’t exist within him anymore. What time is it? He can't keep track. 

Fighting a strong soldier, someone possibly stronger than him or all of the knights combined…

He’s going to die. He’s sure of it.

He hasn’t even gotten the chance to see his parents one last time, or even gotten a single clue as to where Ena might be.

I’m such a shitty person, he thinks. Going on a suicide mission and throwing away all that I have and-

“Shinonome.” A soft voice from behind snaps him out of his thoughts.

He turns, greeted by gentle blue eyes looking into his. “Yoisaki. Is something wrong?”

“No, but I was wondering if you were okay. You seem upset.”

Akito grimaced. Was it that obvious?

“It’s okay if you don’t feel like talking about it. Would you prefer to wander around and clear your head instead?”

“That would be nice.”

Yoisaki smiles at him and starts to walk. Akito follows.

They chat for a while, leisurely strolling and occasionally stopping to admire a few flowers.

“Shinonome, what are your favourite flowers?” 

He looked at her. “Sunflowers. Why?”

“I see. Sunflowers represent loyalty, strength and happiness.”

“That’s quite nice.”

“However, I perceive them a bit differently. Sunflowers are always facing the sun, chasing its light. Even when the sun has set, it remains in the position where it last saw the sun. Once the morning arrives, the cycle repeats itself, on and on, until the flower wilts.”

Yoisaki pauses her steps, deep in thought. “Desperately chasing what they desire, what they need. Patiently waiting for it to return after its departure. Again and again, every day, they do not break out of this cycle. Maybe out of obligation to live, maybe simply because they want to. It reminds me a bit of you, Shinonome.”

Akito looks in front of him. They’ve made their way to the sunflowers. Those vibrant yellow petals, their longing gaze towards the sun.

He bit his lip. “Devotion, patience and determination, huh.”

“I suppose so.”

The knight beside him… they’ve only talked a few times, and very briefly, too. Yet, she was reading him like a book, diving between the lines, seeing through every fiber of his being.

“Well, I’ve told you my favourite flower. What are yours?” Akito asked.

Her face melted into a bittersweet expression. “I’m really fond of carnations. They symbolize love, and remind me of my mother.”

“What do you think they represent?”

A small gust of wind swayed Yoisaki’s short hair. “Love, memory and hope.” She smiled.

“Sightings of Nocturne soldiers have been reported! All knights are to prepare for battle immediately!” A guard shouted, quickly passing by the entrance of the garden.

The white-haired knight frowned. “I guess this is it for our stroll.” They looked at each other.

“Good luck, Yoisaki.” Akito hesitantly said, his body already on the verge of shaking from the adrenaline.

“You’ll need it more than me. And… please, call me Kanade. If we ever meet again.”

“Likewise. Thank you, Kanade.”

- - - 

At the city gates, Akiyama is subconsciously scratching their shoulder and Tenma is visibly stressed when Akito sees them.

He pulls himself onto his horse and gives them one last look before they part.

I’ll be back.

He’s met with bittersweet and hopeful eyes.

We know you will.

And so he leaves, his horse galloping faster than any other.

- - -

Akito rides along a clear, wide path, once a popular trade route.

You will die. You will not make it out alive.

Looking up, Akito sees a dark figure in the sky, a silhouette resembling that of a dragon. When it closes in and briefly drowns him in a shadow, he tightly pulls on the reins and jumps off from his mount, hand on the sheath of his sword.

Even so, put on a performance deserving of the Heaven’s attention. 

The crimson dragon lands, and it’s not much taller than him. 

The knight unsheathes his sword, charging towards the creature in front of him, jumping in an attempt to strike the rider on its back and–

–Two shades of blue. The figure rolls off the other side of the dragon just in time and Akito’s sword clashes loudly with the dragon’s spine.

He hears a short whistle, and the dragon takes off, forming a strong gust of wind that almost knocks him off his balance.

Across the field stands a figure wearing dark armour, an intricate sword in hand.

He had grey eyes, and an unmistakable head of blue hair, one side light and the other dark.

Toya. The boy from the forest, the boy he held dear to his heart.

Akito’s chest tightened, panic flooding his world. Taking a small step back, he slowly parted his lips.

“...Toya?”

“Akito.” The other said, expression unreadable.

Akito let out a nervous laugh. “Y-you're not the one I’m supposed to be fighting right now. There’s no way.”

That’s not Toya. That’s not him.

“I am.” The other knight unsheathed his sword, slowly approaching. “And I will do anything for the empire, even if it means killing you.”

“No, no, we can talk this out, you don’t have to do this, Toya! ” He yelled.

Toya hesitates for a split second before taking another step. This time, he quickens his pace and dashes towards the ginger, and Akito steps back just enough to leave no more than a small graze on his cheek.

“Fuck- What’s gotten into you!?”

Nothing. He’s never considered you close enough to care.

He’s cornered. A few more steps back and there’s a tree. In front of him is someone raising his sword, about to kill him, and he risks exactly that if he tries moving to the side.

Instead, he raises his blade.

Metal clashes against itself, and Akito drops to the ground, rolling to the side. His sword does not follow.

Before he can fully get up, Toya is on him, sword at his neck. “Let me pass through, and I will spare your life.”

Akito huffs. “You can’t possibly think to behead a friend, would you?”

He can. He will. You know that you mean nothing to him.

“…This fight hadn’t lasted as long as I expected.”

That’s not an answer. He doesn’t care.

You’ve disappointed him. You weren’t a worthy opponent.

The knight in front of him holds his weapon with both hands and raises it.

This is as far as your story goes. It ends here.

Close your eyes, it’ll be okay.

He lets out a breath, closes his eyes, and tilts his head back ever so slightly.

“I love you, Toya.”

He hears someone’s breath hitch.

His head is pulled and bashed on the ground hard enough to knock him out, and suddenly there’s a sharp pain in his side.

- - -

The world is enshrouded in darkness once again, yet no longer a rehearsal.

- - -

I-V

Chapter Text

um. hi there. it's me, astral (the damned author)

with all due respect as you guys are my lovely beloved readers, im going to first apologize for the horrible cliffhanger you guys got. you did not deserve that suffering.

what i really want to say, is that i'll be discontinuing this fic. yes, the dreaded announcement you probably saw coming but still didnt want.

let's be real: i havent updated in a few months and i'm not going to leave you guys for a whole year again, and i REALLY just CANNOT find the motivation to finish this. its ironic because i had huge plans for this and now its all going to shit.

thats it for the tldr! you can leave now but if you want to stay and hear(see???) me explain myself, then go ahead. feel free to skip everything after this, man.

its december. i submitted my university applications last month. im (hopefully) going to university next year, yippee!! wish me luck!! the problem is, my chemistry and english grades from last year were terrible so now im retaking the course online which means more work on top of existing work at school. it doesnt help that i'm trying to get into visual arts and im currently working on new pieces for my portfolio since my existing works are shit!

why can't i stay on top of normal amounts of school work you may ask? well!

teachers:

- we have a total of 3 fucking teachers in a SCHOOL of 20 PEOPLE!!! 

- the teacher with the most authority is the most unorganized

- he literally lost our physics test marks at some point (found it again but still) (also i totally failed that test)

- law teacher assigns us 20 pages of reading and annotation a day or 2 before its due (which isnt that bad on its own but like.)

- law teacher is ALSO english and history teacher who actually knew nothing about law or history prior to the school year

- everything is due on mondays and thursdays????????????

online courses:

- i have to take a final before the end of jan so i can submit all my fucking grades. this is only chem btw

- oh yeah did i mention that before the final i also have to write 10 mini essays. for chem.

- 13 assignments, a midterm and a final for english lol. all before the end of jan.

- ITS THE END OF FUCKING DECEMBER

oh yeah did imention that my mental health is plummeting like a bungee jumper whose cord broke. yeah no im not coming back up

also, regarding the pjsk fandom in general:

i might stop posting pjsk content of ao3. writing already takes a lot out of me despite my passion, as i was never really a writer :( (my ideas are not being done any justice) and the state of pjsktwt, pjsktt and just the fandom in general really unmotivates me. i've been pretty inactive even on twt!!!

i'll definitely still be on ao3, just not in this fandom. maybe i'll be elsewhere??? :shrug:

i'll post one last chapter to clear up akito's death or wtv and if you guys want, i'll share my plans for how the rest of the series was going to go. please give me your opinion

and hopefully, if you guys are lucky enough, i'll come back to this next year!!! yippee!!!!!

bye, this was fun while it lasted! oh, and thank you @TransmascToya on twt if they're still there...