A/N: Insomnia breeds 1 AM walk through the snow. 1 AM walk through the snow breeds melancholy. Melancholy breeds this one-shot.
On a side-note, I love this couple and am determined to see someone besides me write something for it. Until then, I'll just be standing on this ship by my lonesome.
Where there used to be two sets of footprints, now there was only one.
This little detail really shouldn't have bothered her; many times couples, even married couples, ended up breaking apart and falling away. She may not be a member of the human world, but she had been observing it for so long that she knows their habits and customs.
But this couple was different.
Every time she saw them walk past, their arms were linked together, chatter was light and plenty, her head typically rested on his shoulder. They were a happily married couple by every account of the word. Sometimes it even got to the point where seeing them, so happy to simply be in each other's company, would stir an odd feeling within her chest - a decidedly human feeling that someone such as her shouldn't have.
Yet despite all this, there was only one set of footprints.
Since she had first noticed the couple living out in her domain within the woods, she had never seen the two of them apart. Every Sunday when they headed into town for church, it was together. Every time the man had to run into town to care for a sick individual, she went with him. Every time she headed into town for some impromptu shopping, he went with her.
For there to be only one set of footprints, something terrible must have happened.
She allowed her eyes to wander down the trail that the footsteps left in the snow. Although she had come across this trail time and time again, she had never allowed herself the luxury of following it. Most of the time when she found it, she simply made the snowstorm within the wood fiercer, attempting to erase away the traces of their existence as quickly as possible.
But this time, she allowed the snow to calm as she stood next to the singular trail of footprints - she stood where the other set of footsteps should have been. Her eyes wandered to look at her own feet. Her feet would never be able to make any sort of mark in the snow.
After all, what use did a snow spirit have for footprints?
The longer she stared at her feet, the more she felt the all too human emotions stirring within her chest. Working quickly to quell them, she sent a strong blast of cold winter air at the area directly below her feet. A fine powder of snow flew into the air before gently settling back down into place. The only thing that was different was that there was a slight dent in the snow. The change was so minute that it was most likely unnoticeable to the human eye.
But she saw it; she saw the mark that indicated she had been there.
She took a step; another blast of air; another dent was made.
The laborious process continued as she followed the trail that wound seemingly aimlessly through the woods. Her eyes never left her feet as she continued to create her artificial footprints; the artificial evidence that spoke of her existence. The more her steps mounted in number, the more she felt the unnatural emotions flicker within her chest.
Her walk stopped short when she reached the end of the trail. It was only then that she allowed her eyes to travel up from her feet.
The trail had lead her too a small cabin. On the outside, it looked warm and inviting; anyone that happened upon it would instantly think to seek it as shelter from the cold. However, on the inside, there were no lights. Everything was dark and cold, as dead as the snow that surrounded her. Not bothering to continue to mark her presence, she made her way to one of the windows. He breath turned instantly to frost as she peered in and tried to pierce the darkness.
She could see nothing, not even vague outlines.
She pulled back from the window and once more returned to the trail of footprints. Snow was already beginning to accumulate in the small dents she had managed to make. This caused the human emotions to flare within her chest once more. What she was feeling now was so different from what she felt when she looked at the happy couple, but there could be no denying it - it was foreign and unnatural. What she was feeling was something no spirit should ever feel.
This knowledge did nothing to quell the feeling, instead fueling it and urging it to a higher intensity. For a moment, it felt as if her entire body was filled with fire. It melted everything it touch as it raged uncontrollably within her.
Her head suddenly snapped up and the snow, which had been a gentle dusting up to this point, suddenly intensified into a raging storm. All of the heat that flowed within her concentrated at her very center before she sent a blast of vicious air at the solid door of the cabin. Without any form of ceremony, the door flew open, causing cold air and snowflakes to rush into the cabin.
The heat suddenly drained from her body as she felt a wave of exhaustion passed over her. The snow responded in kind, relaxing once more into a slow, lazy pace that required little of her attention. Her legs felt weak beneath her and the corners of her vision were being eaten by the darkness of exhaustion.
Yet she remained standing there, staring at the black hole she had just seemingly created in the cabin. Another emotion stirred within her heart; this one was far quieter, making her feel fluttery and as if she wanted to run away and stand there forever all in the same breath.
A few second later, she was reward for her violent outburst by the sound of footsteps. The fluttery feeling intensified as she listened to the proof of the individual's existence. The footsteps stopped abruptly as a figure filled the doorway.
It was the man - it was Leon.
What had happened to his wife?
She found the answer almost instantly - it was clearly painted on Leon's face. His eyes were rimmed with dark circles and blood-shot. His hair was disheveled and the beginning of a beard dotted his chin even though he always kept himself clean-shaven. His shoulders hunched down and everything about his posture spoke of a man who had given up.
His wife had died.
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze as she registered this information and Leon simply stood in the doorway. The moment ended abruptly when Leon slammed the door close and once more retreated into the darkness of the cabin.
Rather than attempt to burst the door open once more, she allowed her eyes to wander to where she had made her artificial footprints. The snow had already covered any trace of her passing. Another, more bitter, feeling filled her chest as she asked herself a question she had been avoiding since she began this journey.
What had she been hoping to achieve?
A companion? A friend? A lover?
Answers? Explanations? Understanding?
Maybe all of those things. Maybe none of those things.
But it didn't matter. Whatever her goals were, she hadn't been able to achieve them. She couldn't give him the warmth he needed; she couldn't give him the comfort he needed; she couldn't even hold him in her arms.
She was a snow spirit; all she could give was indifference and death.
Listlessly, she followed Leon's footprints back the way she had come. When she reached the point where she started following the trail, even Leon's footprints have been erased. There was no longer any evidence of either of their existences.
How long did she stand there, just staring at the place where his footprints had once been? She couldn't say; time and the measuring of it was a human invention which was to be used exclusively by humans.
But it must have been quite some time, for when she heard the tell-tale crunch of snow being compressed by boots, the hazy sun was just beginning to rise. Human emotions driving her, she turned her head to see who approached.
It was Leon, dressed in his Sunday best, undoubtedly headed to church. His head was down and his gait, which usually spoke of life and vigor, was somber and clipped. The only sound that filled the woods was the sound of his singular footsteps. The glib chatter that usually accompanied his passing was no where to be seen. The absence of this familiar sound only seemed to intensify the sound of his footsteps.
Her surprise was so great that she didn't even move out of the way when Leon passed right through her. She swiveled her body to watch his continued path before he descended down a hill and out of sight. Now that she lost sight of her, she once more answered to the foreign emotions in her chest and followed him down the path. Her courage failed her when she attempted to stand next to her; she resigned herself to hanging a few paces back from where he walked. When Leon reached the edge of the woods, she watched him proceed into town. She wanted to follow him, but she knew the town was out of her domain.
Instead, she simply waited all alone by the woods. She waited for the other lonely soul to return to her.
She couldn't do much - she knew that - but she wanted to try. She enjoyed hearing Leon's laughter; she enjoyed seeing him smile; she enjoyed hearing the light tone he used when he chattered aimlessly. Maybe she herself would never be able to give him these things, but there was one thing she could do - one thing only she could do.
About an hour later, the doors to the church swung open and Leon was one of the first people to exit. He ignored anyone's attempts to speak with him and instead made his way towards the woods. She was waiting for him this time. As he began to walk, she fell into step beside him. For every step he took, she sent a small blast of air into the snow, creating her artificial footprint in the snow.
Their trail wound together through the woods; the solid steps of a human and the ephemeral traces of a spirit.
Maybe she could only give indifference and death, but there was one kindness she could do; she could ensure that he was never forced to leave his singular set of footprints in the snow ever again.
Even if he never knew she existed, she would never allow him to walk alone.
Years later, the sound of two sets of footsteps filled the dark woods. Laughter chased away both the cold and the dark mantle of night; light chatter rang amongst the barren branches, causing them to rattle.
She allowed herself to fade back into the woods, a completely human smile adorning her face.