Levi knew this day would come. It's fitting that the sea, his source of life, be the cause of his death.
Drowning is nothing like he expected. He's an adequate swimmer but the current pushes and pulls him till he can't tell what's up or down. His muscles ache and his vision starts to dim. Soon Levi can't think about the situation at all. All he knows is his burning lungs and the water's icy embrace.
Suddenly sweet, sweet oxygen is breathed into him. Without thinking Levi grips his savior with ferocity. He starts to relax and opens his eyes again.
The sight he sees nearly gives him a heart attack. It's Petra Ral, his navigator from 2 years ago. She was smart, gorgeous, and could go from saint to demon in 1.5 seconds. They had been lovers, why she put up with an asshole like him he'll never know. But she had drowned with the rest of his crew, at least he thought so.
"Petra?" He whispers and surprisingly his voice is clear despite being underwater.
"Yes it's me Levi," He spots a golden fish tail where her legs should be. "Now listen carefully, they still need you out there I'm-"
"I saw you die, what the fuck happened?" Levi interrupts her, too shocked to care.
"It's complicated-" Petra sighs, her copper hair now long and a swirling mass. "-the world is so much bigger than we could ever imagine. Somehow, Auruo, Erd, Gunther, and I are alive! But that's not important, what's important is your life."
At the moment, Levi's life seems not that significant. He's found his squad, his family, why should he go back when his loved ones are here?
"Levi?" God she's the reason why he doesn't want to go back. All he wanted was a life with her, and now he has that chance! Even if he had to cut off his own legs and grow a tail, he'd happily do it to be with Petra again.
"Levi listen to me." He turns and sees hazel eyes blazing as fiercely as he remembers. "I know it's tempting, why go back to the surface if all that awaits is death and destruction?" He opens his mouth to ask how she knew, but he's cut off. "Regardless for me please," Lightly she presses her lips to his forehead. "Survive."
Water rushes around him and soon he can feel hand anymore. Frantically, he tries to reach her, but Petra's nowhere to be found. But he has no time to despair for a strong hand pulls him out of the water.
Mike lifts him into the row boat where survivors crowd around him. Levi doesn't respond, all he does is try to breath again and wonders why his cheeks are wet, though the rest of him's dry.