VOTE & COMMENT! A nice long chapter for my readers~, after my mini hiatus!

THEN

For the past few weeks, she had grown distant from everyone and quieter than usual. She had thrown herself into studies and was found more in the library than on the court. Her team had placed second for nationals after a heated game with Southbank High but they had fallen behind by the other team's buzzer shot. Anna had become a leading figure in debate, sending the school into nationals.

The holidays were also taken by a prestigious camp placement for girls her age at the Mamba Academy where she had trained relentlessly with the best of the best. After she had come back tanner and toned than her peers had seen her.

Anna trails her fingers for a book document in the Law and Economics sections of the library. Reading the binder of the book, Anna takes it out but feels the book being pulled the other way as she stops to reveal the person on the other side after she takes the book. Both of them freeze as they look at each other through the gap.

"Hey," they said as Anna awkwardly waved at Riley, the same one with that Jesse had apparently had a big disagreement the year before Anna had made friends with Jesse. Riley smiles and waves. Even though it had almost been a year the whole team could feel the tension radiating from Jesse toward Riley.

Anna hadn't talked to Riley that much, once when she had passed the ball to them during a game, and although she had never asked her roommate whatever had happened between the two of them she had neither hatred nor favouritism towards the ebony-haired student.

"Sorry," Riley chuckled sheepishly, "It's for economics, trying to find a good case study from the school-, uh do you need it?"

"Geh-, no, no it's okay. I can just go find another," she expressed before an awkward silence fell on the both of them.

"So, we've never really talked have we?"Riley brings up.

"Uh, no... no we haven't," Anna replies.

"We almost had them huh? The finals," they referred back to the game.

"Yeah, yeah. But I gotta say the team's final buzzer was a lucky shot," Anna says.

"Yeah, the shot was so unexpected, geez the look on Jesse's face," Riley chuckled catching Anna off-guard by the happy expression on their face as if they had said a forbidden word.

"Riley.. can I-, can I ask you something? And it's totally alright if you don't wanna answer or get descriptive!"

"Yeah?" Riley raises a brow.

"What-, what happened with you and Jesse, weren't you like best friends?" Anna asked but Riley simply blinks confusingly.

"Did Jesse never tell you?"

"Tell me what?" she inquires.

"Jesse and I weren't just best friends, we were together," Riley says catching Anna off-guard.

"W-what?" Anna tries to process the words.

"Yeah," Riley smiles, "We kinda grew up with each other," they explain.

"Childhood sweethearts," Anna says slowly as a flash of Akashi Seijuro crosses her mind. Riley chuckles seeing the look in the female's eyes.

"Childhood sweetheart yourself?" they ask.

"Not exactly," Anna grips her books to her chest a bit tighter. "We had a disagreement before I moved here."

"Hm," Riley smiles. "Don't worry, maybe someday you can reconcile right?"

---

Reconcile the word rings in Anna's mind as she walks to the park by herself clad in a top and sports tights. She hadn't been to the basketball park in almost months, it had been so lonely without Taiga or Alex. The predictions on who would do what in the game or who could land a certain trick before the other could. It was all gone. Anna had never realised how loud the cars driving by were or how much of a rush people were trying to places at this hour of the weekend.

Anna let her hands slide against the chained fence as she hears the sound of dribbling and shouting draw closer as she approaches the entrance. Once she does she does and smiles softly at the familiar faces warming up and laughing at each other.

A familiar male stops and smiles, as he begins to wave towards Anna.

"Hey! Anna!" West calls out as the female begins to walk toward them. West stops seeing despite the same person, an unfamiliar expression on her face and an aura that dragged behind her.

"No time no see," he smiles, dying down his loudness as she gives a laboured smile. Anna then almost falls from Luke who approaches from behind to give her a hug. "Hey, where have you been?!" Luke exclaims, "Hey where's Taiga?"

West just facepalms at his friend's question as Anna catches on and chuckles, "Taiga's moved back to Japan for his mum, he didn't get the time to say too many goodbyes-, and you never answer your phone," she jokes.

"uh, right..." Luke rubs the back of his neck as he turns his head and glares toward the entrance. "Fuck it's those pricks," he scowls as the two of them turn around to see a band of five males walk inside the court with the rest of the other people practising stop and look at the males with uneasy expressions.

West glares and walks toward them as Luke follows behind him. "What in the world..." Anna deadpans as another boy walks up to her from behind with the ball in his hands.

"What's going on?" she asks.

"There this group of guys, after the whole shakedown thing with Himuro and Taiga these guys just kinda came in and taken the whole court. We've been trying to cooperate with them by playing half court but they keep taking the ball and invading our games," he explains.

"Haven't you challenged them already?" Anna inquired.

"Yeah, we have but it's kinda hard versing Jabberwock when you, Alex and Taiga aren't around."

"Jabberwock?" Anna raised a brow.

"Yeah, haven't you heard of them yet? They're like this crazy basketball street group. They're good and all but they're too arrogant, like crazy arrogant,"

"Great," she irked as she saw an angered West being held back by Luke as the tall blonde male from the other group was saying something to him with a shit-eating grin. "Pass me the ball," Anna looked at him as he did and walked confidently to the group where she threw the ball to the blonde male's face. The sound of the ball colliding with the male's face echoed as his friends all stood there shocked as they all looked at the direction of Anna.

"Who the fuck-?!"

"Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty. Can we just stop, so we can play," Anna sighed.

The blonde on scoffed as he rubbed his cheek and looked at Anna with a smirk, "You've got some nerve."

"Don't worry I didn't waste a single breathe, call it a reflex when I see an asshole," she put her hand on her hip.

"Huh," the blonde breathed, "Well, miss," he grinned straigetning his back as Anna craned her neck upwards and scruitinzed her eyes trying to look at him. Why do I have to be so fucking short she cussed. "we're in kind of in a predicament here, you see you're friends over here lost to us a week ago, so that means this our turf now."

"Dude, it's a fucking public park, there are even sports clubs that use this court," Anna stated. "Just use half court."

"Huh! She wants us to use half court!" The tallet one with almost silver hair laughs mockingly.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" Anna looks to the male.

"Heh, Jason Silver," he replies as Anna chuckles making him glare at her, "What?"

"Was Gold and Bronze taken?" Anna subtely smirks making West and Luke stifle laughs.

"Actually yes, Gold was taken," the blonde cuts in looking at her, "Nash, Nash Gold," he lets out his hand to Anna as she looks at it.

"Pleasure," she hesitantly shakes it as she looks to the others behind him, "Are you Bronze or something?"

The male just points to him confusingly and looks at Nash and Jason and then to Anna, "Uhh... I'm Zack."

"Hey, look sweetheart," he wraps his arm around Anna, making her glare and take it off. "For today, we'll play spilt the court. You have my word," he puts his hands defensively.

"Nash what-?!" Jason exclaims but stops halfway by the blonde's glare.

"See," he feigns a smile, "I'm sure we'll get along just fine in the future."

Something tells me we won't Anna scoffs.

NOW

The snow is like a blur, it trickles slowly and gently at the start of Winter. The first few days you feel the cold, there is barely any sun and it is usually cloudy. Then before you know it begins with a soft sprinkle of snowflakes that touch the tip of your nose and then before you know it you have a crown of snow in your hair.

The female sits, against her childhood home bedroom window. Dressed in all black, her green cat-shaped eyes stare softly out through the colden window, with her moonlight hair falling softly onto her shoulder and back as she sips her cooled tea.

It had been a week and a half since she had first seen Akashi Seijuro and his team defeat Shutoku and the defeat of Kaijo against Seirin, as well as a few days since her birthday had passed. In those past few days, she had spent her time in the family manor. Alone, in the dark manor with nothing but a formal dinner with her father.

It was silent, silent enough that it made Anna uncomfortable. She had been used to the noise, the chaos and loudness. She enjoyed it. She enjoyed the sound of her Taiga and her fighting, Riko scolding and the laughter of the team.

Anna pulls up her phone, as she reads the text from Emiko -Tsuchida's girlfriend- who had sent an article. Clicking the article she read the headline announced by Basketball Monthly about the upcoming game between Rakuzan and Seirin. She scrolls down to see a few paragraphs about the key players from each team.

"Hm," Anna effuses amused by the newfound attention Kuroko had been receiving. It would be a problem for the next game Anna thought, it was always a gamble but in short term, it was worth it, in the long-term, it wouldn't be, and Akashi would exploit that. She texts her back, with Emiko texting her with a question:

Do you wanna go to the game tomorrow together with me and Sato-chan?

The text illuminated on the screen, and Anna hesitantly stared at it with her fingers frozen to type anything. She was scared. Scared of the result. She didn't want to see Akashi, she couldn't face him. A part of her didn't want him to change, frightened by the fact that she would ever have to come face to face with him. But, Kuroko had given some hope. The Seirin basketball team did. They had changed the way the arrogant Generation of Miracles members saw the game from which they were blinded.

Sorry, have work she replied back. Anna smiles at Emiko's reply with a sad emoji and chuckled slightly.

"Anna-san," she hears Francine at the door. Turning off her phone Anna calls back, allowing her to come in. Wrinkles started to become more visible to the lady, thin ones. Her hair had always been the same, tied back into a french bun and she wore her livery correctly. Francine held a white-wrapped package in her hands and a soft smile on her face.

"What's that?" Anna swings her legs across for her body to face her.

"My gift, well late gift to you," the elder smiled as the female approaches her with curiosity. Francine slides the gift over to Anna, who turns on her heel and sits back at her bay window, carefully untieing the ribbon and unwraps the paper.

She brightens, as she runs her hands over the material and pulls it up to reveal the long white coat with a smart cut-out. "Try it on." Anna begins to put her arms through the sleeves and fixes the back and smooths it out.

"It's nice, really nice," she smiles walking towards her mirror and inspecting it. "Thank you. Thank you, Francine."

---

'You're not coming to the game?!' she practically could hear Taiga yell through the phone as Anna sighed rubbing her temple with her spare hand. Anna practically marched her way through the crowd, with her Maji's uniform under a black jumper with Francine's gift thrown over her.

"Taiga, we've talked about this!" Anna sighed, "Taiga look I'm about to run late for work! Say hi to Himuro for me!"

On the other end of the phone, Kagami Taiga sighs, glancing at the screen with 'call ended.' He switches to the Seirin group chat where he texts about how Anna is not able to come.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT COMING?! Riko practically yells through the text. WE'RE FRICKING VERSING RAKUZAN TODAY! WE NEED HER MORE THAN EVER!

Taiga irks, a vein visible in the corner of his forehead as he replies:

Her words, not mine. She has work she said.

Sighing, he switches his phone off and begins to walk to the park to meet up with Himuro. Taiga is the first to meet up at the spot, he looks around at the same court he usually played in. The same court he had first met Aomine when he challenged him, the first court when Anna had made the promise to Kuroko that she would get back in the game again if Kuroko could bring the players of the generation of miracles back.

'had it really been a year?' Taiga thought to himself looking at it slowly falling with snow.

"Taiga!" his nonchalant expression morphed into an excited one when he heard Tatsuya from behind clad in a large black jacket with its hood lined with fur.

"Hey!" he ran over to him, "How are you?" he quipped.

"alright. Nervous?" he inquires about his upcoming game with Rakuzan.

"Sort of," he rubs the back of his neck. "Himuro listen-, uh..." Taiga tries to find the words to say. "I'm sorry about what happened in America, but I still wished we could be like-"

"That's enough," his friend cuts, "I should apologise to you. I'm sorry for everything Taiga. Let's play again someday," he takes out the same chain and ring from his pocket he had bought for them as kids and puts it on. "As rivals and brothers. I'm going to watch the game," he walks up to him and puts his hand on his shoulder.

"Let me see you become the number one player, bro," he says in English.

---

"Hirose-kun!" she could hear her manager call out as Anna popped her head to the side with her manager looking at their employee in the storage room.

"Yeah?"

"Could you try to fix the tv? The customer said that it was having connection problems," she asked.

"Okay! Just give me a sec!" Anna replied as she ripped off the band-aid packet and wrapped her second band-aid around her finger. "Stupid fryers," she muttered, making her way to the counter's exit and turning to the right. Her eyes were met by two boys, perhaps around her age looking at the back of the screen as if they knew what they were looking for.

"Do you even know what you're doing Ogiwara?" a boy with short black hair inquired mockingly at his friend with brown hair clad in a navy jumper over a green hoodie.

"I'm trying my best here! I wanna watch the game!"

"Are you guys okay?" Anna politely interrupted the two's banter as the 'Ogiwara' person froze and sheepishly chuckled.

"Uh, the screen just started getting really fuzzy and stuff and sort of lagged," he said stepping back down from his seat as Anna went to expect it. "You see we're trying to watch the high school basketball game, it's the finals."

"Oh, that one. The second quarter should be starting soon," she checked her watch quickly before trying to reconnect the wire.

"Hey! You know too?!" Ogiwara exclaimed jubilantly.

"Y-yeah," Anna tried to turn on the tv. "My school is playing. I was kinda supposed to make it but I have my work." Pressing the button in the corner of the television the sound of the game broadcasted had returned.

"Success!" Ogiwara cheered as he returned to the seat and had become clearly invested. Anna, chuckling a little at how much his face had made her reminisced her Teiko days when she along with the rest of the Teiko of miracles would all bundle around the small television in the storage room for basketball that was used for watching replays to watch NBA and international basketball league games.

Her eyes return to the screen, Rakuzan's blonde number seven scoring a layup. She watches them reset but her eyes are glued to Akashi whose eyes follow Kuroko with calculating eyes. What could be thinking next? Anna frowns.

"He can't shake him off!" Ogiwara anxiously says, referring to the Rakuzan number five player marking him with Kuroko still unable to shake him off. There's something wrong says to herself, he should have been able to shake him off by now with his lack of presence. Even still with the average player.

An understatement it was to say that any player playing on Rakuzan's starting line-up was ordinary. But so far, he was. Possibly, Anna thought Akashi was definitely hiding something. But so far on the court he was ordinary nor stand out. In fact, he barely has any presence-

Her eyes widen in shock after figuring out as she returns her attention to the screen where number five had stopped Kuroko's misdirection pass as if it was any other ordinary shot with ease as he passes it to number five who goes into a fast break and scores.

"he replaced Kuroko," Anna stood horrified, "he made his own phantom sixth player like it was nothing... a tool."

---

It was an understatement to call Seirin all lost with hope. The second-years are all tired and the non-regulars of first-years who have barely played have all finally been given a chance to defend against Akashi and his formidable team.

Tired and anguished, Taiga turns to his blue-haired friend whose eyes are fired with determination and sparked with anger. He begins to say something but Taiga doesn't seem to catch what Kuroko had said.

"Hm?"

"I want to win!" Kuroko declares loudly standing up, unfamiliarily to the Seirin basketball team who are all taken back by the usual quiet team member. "I made Anna-kun a promise, my friends a promise. Everyone is relying on us. Even if it's possible, I want to become the best in Japan! Everyone who genuinely loves basketball is relying on us!" He turns to Riko, meeting her to eye level.

"Coach, please," he pleads as Riko briefly looks at score, Seirin behind by twenty-five points. Riko sighs as she looks back at Kuroko with serious look dancing like flames. "When you're this far behind... no sport is more boring than basketball-"

Kuroko gets up, wiping his tears as he confidently walks onto the court shocking even the Generation of Miracles who thought he wouldn't return back to the court.

"-but that's only if... the game ends here!"

The substitution is officially called, with the audience mixed with surprise and eager emotions on the return of Seirin's 'original trickster.' Akashi walks up to Kuroko with a mused look and asks "surely you're not so optimistic that you think you can still win?"

"It's not like that," he relies on his former captain. I fight because I want to win, that's all. We play because we love basketball right?" he says as Akashi is taken aback by those words and the look in Kuroko's eyes triggers him.

'I got into basketball because of you Sei!' A first-year middle schooler Anna laughs, 'I love watching you play because you love basketball right? You play it for you!'

His eyes widen catching Kuroko off-guard but returning his determined look to Akashi who frowns, "I won't run Akashi."

"I see," Akashi says defiantly, "Your conviction is meaningless."

---

"What's happening now?!" her out-of-breath voice quickly made her seat next to her new acquaintances just coming from her first shift and onto her break. Her eyes immediately dart to the score to see it in bold neon red eighty to sixty-two in favour of Rakuzan, with two minutes and thirty-seven seconds left of the third quarter.

Hearing the rapturous cheers from the crowd, and Seirin the camera turns back to the game with Rakuzan's number seven with the ball and guarded by Izuki. Foolishly, he passes it to Rakuzan's number five with Kuroko dexterously intercepting the ball and passes it to Taiga who scores.

The tides are beginning to change Anna relieves, At least they might be able to catch up. But she begins to swallow her thoughts with Akashi seeming to take the lead and ignoring his blonde teammate. The red-haired captain begins to face off with Taiga, who is in the zone with his full-range defence.

But Akashi hardly flinches, only defiant eyes screaming 'weak' to Taiga as he shoots just before Taiga's range and scores. The game goes on, with Seirin beginning to fight, managing to score a few points and with being less than twenty points behind.

"What in-, what in the world is Riko thinking?" Anna deadpans seeing the match-up between Mibuchi and Koganei. But, she takes back her words once again as Koganei seems to match Mibuchi's moves, with Anna guessing by instinct, as he messes up the trajectory of Mibuchi's 'Heaven' shot but unfortunately on the rebound goes in.

"damn it!" Ogiwara exclaims fully invested by the game.

"He almost set the trajectory off," His friend adds.

Koganei manages to keep up with Mibuchi by a hair, but knowing its always down a thread in a game like this it could still make a difference. The Seirin second-year just manages to jump in time to block Mibuchi's shot but with the height difference Mibuchi barely shoots it in, with only by the rim allowing it to fall in the hoop.

"How is he doing that?" Ogiwara asks as Anna replays Mibuchi's stance frame by frame.

"Hold on!" she exclaims with her eyes widening in realization. Ogiwara and his friend turn to her with a curious look on their faces. "I know how it works!"

"What do you mean?" The brunette asks.

"All of his shots, during my shift I've been thinking about it. Like any player when they shoot their centre of gravity shifts. But with void, being blessed with height number six courches really deep than the usual player does. Of course, being one of the tallest players here, not one is caught off guard by how deep he crouches before he jumps. It's fast-paced but number six only extends his legs enough and stops till after his opponent has fully extended their legs."

"Then he quickly recoils and takes the shot, pulling a foul," the ravenette finishes her explanation. "It must have been hard to perfect that at such a fast pace," they return their heads to the screen. "Looks like number four has figured it out," the trio watch Seirin's captain return to the court after the third-quarter break.

---

There had always been a terrifying aura about Akashi Seijruo. In fact just to say that was an understatement to anyone who presently knew Akashi Seijuro. His senpais respected him with the uttermost respect, the school cohort obeyed his every word and the staff with cowering praise saw him carrying the school with pride.

The score is 88 to 78 in favour of Rakuzan within the last nine minutes of the fourth quarter. The uncrowned kings, on the other side of the court, as they try to catch their breaths, panting heavily with their captain looking like he didn't even break a sweat.

"Mibuchi," the captain says catching Mibuchi's attention instantly. "The four of you will go during our next attack."

"What?! Sei, what do you..." Mibuchi exclaims but stops as their eyes widen from the terrifying look Akashi gives making them bite his tongue.

"Run." Akashi orders as Mibuchi passes the ball and the four do what they are told like robots.

Like a bullet, the ball manages to shoot down the court with Akashi passing it to number seven breaking within a second. Everyone's attention is driven down the court but Riko, Hyuga and Kuroko all stop, shocked to see Akashi not even moving from his position on the other side of the court.

Kagami makes the steal, going into a fast break towards Akashi as he only stands there. Foolishly, he assumes he can score with a meteor jam right past Akashi but thinks wrong as when Kagami is right about to make the jump Akashi anomalously steals the ball from just standing there with his arm. Skidding, Kagami recovers and looks back up at Akashi he only declares defyingly of his strength to Kagami whose eyes widen at Akashi whom has entered the zone.

Kagami scowls and chases after Akashi barely keeping up with him as he dribbles circles around him throwing him off balance as the rest of the team barely even holds off against him. It was like a thunderstorm, Anna had described his playing style when they were in Teiko together. His playing style was so elegant yet menacing but no one could keep their eyes away.

The game continues to play on with Akashi being in the zone those who are seated in the stadium watch in awe at the captain's dominance on the court and those standing opposed to him on the court are terrified and anxious as they try to stop Akashi's fast break. Kagami only tumbles forward, falling for his crossover as even Rakuzan's coach is shocked at his player's antics. He had abandoned his teammates for the sake of winning.

Kagami, angrily in thought is interrupted by his teammate Kuroko who approaches him. "Kagami-kun," he says.

"Kuroko?" he looks up.

"Why don't you give up?" Kuroko says in a casual manner making his friend's eyes widen along with his teammates.

"Why would you say that now, Kuroko?"

"I'm not telling you to give up on the game, I mean give up on fighting alone," he clarifies, "I said I was counting on you, but it could be too heavy of a responsibility. If that's the case, let me help you carry it."

"I can handle it myself!" Kagami exclaims, "I'm almost-," he stops as he sees the look in Kuroko's eyes. He's right, crying at the door of the Zone won't open it, we've got bigger things to do he says to himself and nods at Kuroko.

"Fine, I accept your help."

---

'The tide changes four times, there are two low tides and two high tides. But no matter what the tide is never at rest' Coach Shirogane had first said to Anna when he had called her in for the first time about the upcoming game back in Teiko. There are great heights and losses, falls and comebacks. 'A good game is a restless one,'

Anna didn't know why she had recalled that memory whilst finishing up her shift, as she took a seat next to her new acquaintances. In fact, she never really got what Shirogane said till now. At Teiko, they would always win, it was always a rise for them and never any setbacks.

She turns her attention back to the screen where Akashi manages to stop Kiyoshi's dunk and head into a fast break. It's over she told herself with a hopeless expression dancing in her eyes as the camera tracked the player down the court.

Kuroko and Kagami go in for the double-up defence. What are they doing? Anna furrows her brows, they're not double-teaming him with Kagami in front? And Kuroko can't keep up with Akashi and Kagami. And even if Kuroko is focusing on Akashi he would see what he's going to do.

Akashi as predicted passes Kagami through a two-step crossover but is met by Kuroko, who had got there before him as if he was waiting for him. Anna's jaw drops with her eyes in pure shock. "How?!" she exclaims like a madman.

Ogiwara only smirks with Anna looking to him for an explanation. "It's an old move me and Kuroko used to do when we were on the same basketball team. When we couldn't keep up individually with a faster player. Kuroko wasn't looking at Akashi, he was looking at his friend, he was predicting his friend's movements," he explained.

"So not only that Kuroko used his vision as bait but-," Anna trails.

"He had a lot of trust in friends too," Ogiwara's friend chuckled softly. "The tides are turning."

---

The moment Kuroko was able to swipe the ball out of Akashi's hands, was the moment Akashi Seijuro realised he wasn't invincible. Through all the years of pain, of those years of people leaving him one by one he had built this wall around him that he had thought would never crack.

From the very start, it was his mother, his rock that was never really there from the start. As much as she did try to be that last string she wanted to be, her health had pushed her back. But, on one faithful afternoon this young, confident, free-spirit girl had come waltzing into her son's life and changed it forever. And just as she had hoped, he still had someone for the next few years.

By the time in Teiko, he had his team members, but as time slipped like a shadow throughout the day no one could really be truly there, to be with him. Every string was slowly cut as the Generation of Miracles changed and finally, that final string was cut when Anna hadn't shown up the next day.

Absolute he laughed to himself. He slumps, slumps with his head down as Mayuzami only scoffs at the sight of the fallen Emporer of Rakuzan. "After everything you said, this all you can do? I don't think so. You're nothing like the man I met on the roof.

In fact who are you?"

Something triggers Akashi from inside. Who am I? Who am I? Flashes of his childhood go by, the pain, the suffering everything.

'Seijuro' a familiar voice calls out as he turns around his eyes widen as he takes a step back. Stepping into the light was the same eight-year-old Anna he had first met on that same afternoon, the same one that was loudly looking for her cat and the same one that he had caught when she had fallen from the tree.

'Wh-?" he could barely say looking down at the girl with his eyes softening at the familiar features.

'This isn't you Sei,' she says as his eyes draw downwards.

'This was always me, everything has built me to this current persona,' he replies.

'Silly Sei,' his eyes widen at the sound of the familiar chuckle and nickname, 'You're just looking at it wrong. Someone was always there for you. You just saw the wrong side of things.'

Seijuro looks back to see the similar moments, but with someone. From his mother hugging him, to his teammates-, and most of all Anna. Being there and the sound of her laughter and comfort. 'Anna-' he turns around only to find himself, his other self sitting before him.

'Our guilt will stay with us forever. I thought it couldn't hurt to lose, but it doesn't. You've never been alone Seijuro, everyone has been there for you from the start, you've just always dismissed the fact.'

Seijuro with a satisfied look walks away as he halts and smiles to the eight-year-old Anna who stands there.

'Thank you, Anna, thank you for everything. I won't disappoint you again.'

---

For the longest time, Anna knew Akashi Seijuro the best. She could describe the old Akashi's smile, the satisfied smirk or when he was thinking. She knew his favourite food tofu soup and that he hated pickled ginger and seaweed in his soup. She knew his true laugh because every time she got flustered or did something that made her annoyed he would laugh softly at her.

But most of all she knew his eyes, how calm they could look and you would never know if they were staring or calculating. When she arrived back in Japan from America and saw Seijuro's picture for the first time she didn't know who it was and refused to know them. But the moment she had seen those same eyes, the sound of her chair being abruptly pushed back from her standing up and her eyes drawn in pure shock to nostalgia.

"Sei," she breathed out the name as her head slowly turns to Ogiwara, "I need to go."

"Go where?!"

"I've got a promise to fulfil, and I always keep my word."

EVERYONE READY?! IT'S FINALLY COMING!

HOW DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA REACT TO ONE ANOTHER?!

WHAT ABOUT ANNA MEETING JABBERWOCK? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ANNA'S INTERRACTION AND NASH. WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THEM?

Comment what you think!

VOTE & COMMENT!