A/N: Hey everyone! If you're here, then you're probably, bored, a little nuts, or you just like OC's for some strange reason... Heck, maybe all three! Well, either way, I want to let you guys know before-hand that the romance in this Will Be Slow Going. I myself like the slow build-up of a believable relationship before just love at first sight. Sounds cheesy, I know, but with two guys, how on earth is Kukri going to choose without getting to know our two bachelors, hmm? ;)

Haha, anyway, I hope you enjoy!

PS: Cover by drios on Deviantart.

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina - Fearless

Chapter 1

...Fight...

...If you win, you live...

...If you lose, you die...

...Kukri...

...Fight...

"Never fear, fair lady, for I, Sir Eren of Shiganshina, will save you from the mighty dragon's clutches!"

"That's a log, Eren."

Cheeks puffed out in exasperation at the younger girl's monotone voice. "I know that! But right now, it's a dragon, so look scared!"

"No." Came the voice once again, sounding more defiant than before, if possible.

A frown marred Eren's face at his tiny friend's refusal. "What?! Why not?!"

"I want to be the dragon. Make Mikasa the princess."

"Ew, no, I don't want to kiss my sister!" Eren said, disgust making his lip curl up as Armin watched the scene hesitantly. This was going to end in a fight, like they all did, he could tell.

"Who said anything about kissing?"

"Well, the princess always kisses the brave knight, Mom said so." Eren said 'matter-of-factly', as the white haired girl, who was now sitting on the previously mentioned log, furrowed her eyebrows.

"I don't want to kiss you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's disgusting." She retorted, nose pointing up in the air as she refused to look at the confused boy. "Armin can do it."

"Ew, no!"

"Why not? Don't you want to kiss your princess?"

"I do! But Armin's also a knight, so he can't!" Eren said, grinning at the thought of finally winning the ever-growing battle-of-words.

"So I have to kiss both of you?" She asked, red eyes switching between the two boys, at which Armin flushed a bright crimson.

"U-uh, guys-"

"No! I'm the one who's gonna save you, so I get the kiss!"

"What if I save myself?"

"Wha-?"

And with that, the tiny girl stood, walked over to Eren, taking his 'sword' as she did so, and promptly beat the log up with it. Thumps resonated throughout the clearing, with 3 pairs of eyes looking at the determined girl who was showing no mercy to the lump of wood. Eren's eyes twitched with anger, Armin looked between the two with bated breath, and Mikasa simply sat nearby, watching the scene, eyes calculating as always.

"Y-you can't do that!" Eren said, walking up with Armin's stick that he has taken moments earlier, joining the girl in the beating, who was unresponsive to the second party.

"What on earth are you two doing?"

Eren promptly froze, 'sword' hovering in mid-air as he stared, open-eyed, at his father. Dr. Jeager look befuddled, eyes coming to rest on the battered log that lay behind the two trouble-makers, and then the sticks that they had hidden behind their backs, which peeked out from their slight bodies by a few inches.

"Eren wants me to kiss him."

Eren stood, open mouthed at the tiny, white-haired girl, cyan eyes wide as his father looked on with an amused gaze.

"Oh? And is this true, Eren?" Dr. Jaeger asked teasingly, crouching down to the duo's level as Mikasa and Armin hovered behind.

Eren could only sputter out denials, glaring daggers at Kukri's smug face every once in a while (Pun intended). The girl smirked slightly at Eren's red face; even she thought it was adorable when he blushed like that. She gave a subtle wink to Armin and Mikasa, at which the oriental girl's mouth twitched upwards in a rare moment of amusement.

"Well?"

"...Only 'cause she's the princess..." Eren muttered, face flushed as his father smirked shamelessly at the duo.

His father gave a chuckle, before turning around and promptly walking back through the undergrowth. "Come on everyone, Carla's got dinner ready."

Mikasa and Armin followed Dr. Jaeger, one considerably more excited than the other, but Eren and Kukri still stood, sticks grasped in their hands.

"Why did you do that?! That was embarrassing!" Eren hissed when his father was out of earshot, though he was sure Mikasa had good enough ears to hear him. He wasn't scared of being left behind, he and Kukri had been through the forest so many times he could draw a map of it with his eyes closed.

He didn't expect to feel a soft pair of lips on his cheek, however.

"Shut up and start walking." Kukri said with a frowning face, walking, albeit speedily, ahead of his. Eren could have sworn he saw a heavy blush on her face, but he didn't call her out on it, in fear of getting a punch to the face. He scrambled after her, ducking from the branch that he was sure was supposed to be aimed at him, and stuck his tongue at her from behind her back.

A hand pressed to his cheek, where Kukri had kissed him, and wiped it. He had got what he wanted, all he had to do now what make fun of her for it.

~SnK~

"So, Eren, what's this I hear about you wanting Kukri to give you a kiss?" A feminine voice teased from their position at the sink. Eren turned to his father, eyes flashing angrily in the dying light from the window. Once again, his face heated up at the accusation, at which his mother pinched his cheeks.

"Dad!"

"Come now, Eren, you're a growing boy, and your mother should know about these things." Dr. Jaeger responded, glasses glinting as he grinned mischievously at his son.

"That's right, and this is definitely something you should have told me earlier!" Carla said, ecstatic that her son had finally taken an interest in girls. Eren was glad that was not the case, however. If his father had mentioned it while the six of them were eating together, he was almost positive he would have choked on his bread. Thankfully, Armin and Kukri had left about half an hour ago, and Mikasa simply sat reading a book.

"Hmph." Eren scowled, crossing his arms stubbornly at the accusation.

"It's true; he said it right to her face." Mikasa said, voice monotone as ever. She hid her face behind her scarf when Eren turned his heated glare to her, but at this new revelation, Carla's eyes widened, a grin spreading across her face as her son flushed pure red.

"Shut up, Mikasa..." He muttered as his mother gave a squeal of excitement.

"So what happened? Did she?" She squeaked enthusiastically, auburn eyes scanning her son's face for an answer.

"No, from what I can tell, she flat out refused." Dr. Jaeger denied, Mikasa nodding along with him, having already witnessed Kukri's stubborn behaviour towards Eren's demand first-hand.

"Aww." Carla muttered, almost pouting, though Eren stayed silent.

My secret. Our secret.

~SnK~

"I have something I have to tell you."

Eren and Armin halted their conversation to look at Kukri, and Mikasa's unfaltering stare bore holes into her skull. Something was wrong, they could tell just by the tone of her voice. Like Mikasa, Kukri was usually monotone, but her last words held an almost frightened tone, setting off alarms in the trio's heads.

"What is it, Ri?" Eren asked when their footsteps halted altogether, eyebrows furrowed as he muttered Kukri's nickname. The two were possibly the closest of the group, personalities so similar is was almost funny, so it was no surprize that he looked the most concerned of the three.

"I'm... leaving Shiganshina."

A pregnant pause resonated throughout the street, before Armin opened his mouth to speak.

"W-what?" He stuttered, shocked at the tears that threatened to fall over the white-haired girl's pale cheeks. Kukri never cried, never. Something was terribly wrong with her.

"And I might not come back." She continued, eyes falling to her feet, the only sounds being the chirps of nearby birds.

"Are you kidding me!" Eren yelled, cyan eyes glinting dangerously, at which the three around him stared shocked at his angry tone. "You can't leave! Why!?" He demanded, grabbing hold of Kukri's arm, grip tightening till it was almost painful.

Kukri frowned; she knew he would find it hard, they were best friends, after all, but she thought he would take it better than this. "Madam Lutece died yesterday."

Eren's throat choked; Madam Lutece was the woman who took Kukri in after she was found wandering the streets nearly 4 years ago. At only 4 years old, Kukri was, no surprize, scared and confused when Madam Lutece found her. With no parents that she knew of, Madam Lutece took the tiny, albino girl in, longing for companionship after her husband died the year prior, fighting off Titans as a member of the Survey Corps. She had originally lived in Wall Sine, but moved to Shiganshina to get away from the memories of her deceased husband. Kukri was, in a way, a blessing to the lonely woman, who promptly became a mother to the fair-haired girl.

"Suicide." Kukri muttered, having gazed upon the scene that her foster-mother left. The previous night, she had walked in to their house to see Madam Lutece hanging from the ceiling. Needless to say, she was horrified, and ran out only to run into Dr. Jaeger who was finishing his nightly run at a sick man's house.

~SnK~

"Madam Lutece? Are you in here? I brought those leeks you wanted, they're good ones, too. Mr. Onigiwara said they'd be good for that soup you wanted to make."

Tiny feet, covered in black slip-on shoes that she had shoved on before she left this morning, padded through the hallway to end in the kitchen. The house was abnormally quiet, and Kukri's eyebrows furrowed as she put the bag of leeks on the counter alongside the other vegetables that were strewn about. Normally, Madam Lutece would greet Kukri as soon as she entered the door, unless she was asleep in her room upstairs.

Naturally, that's where the albino girl went next, knocking respectfully on the door. Hearing no answer but still seeing light from the room, Kukri decided she would shut the curtains, to allow for a better rest. It wasn't normally what she'd do, but Kukri knew the woman wasn't getting enough sleep.

The anniversary of her husband; Claude's death was coming up, and recently Madam Lutece had been crying herself to sleep, only to reassure Kukri the next morning that she was fine.

The door creaked open as the tiny girl put one foot into the room, the other following shortly after. Kukri's eyes rose to meet the woman who hung from the ceiling, swinging back and forth softly, with her neck tilted at an uncomfortable angle. The rope she hung from was tied in a loop, which rested around her neck as her feet hovered about 8 inches from the wooden floor.

A breathless gasp escaped Kukri's lips, and her ruby eyes widened to the size of dinner-plates as she stared. One step back. And another. Then many.

She ran out the door, feet splashing through the puddles that the rain had left in its wake. Tears streaked down her face, as she sobbed. Why? Why did she do it? Kukri was no fool, she knew what happened to Madam Lutece was of her own accord, her own choice, but it still confused her. Compared to the year before, she was doing so well coping, that Kukri thought it was getting better.

She didn't even notice when long arms caught her running form, and clutched her to their chest. It was only when the person began to speak, that Kukri opened her eyes, screeching to the heavens.

"No! Let me go! Let me g-!"

"Kukri, calm down! Tell me what happened!"

Several people along the street opened the curtains of their windows to see what was going on, and Dr. Jaeger himself took the moment to look over the frightened girl. Holding her at arm's length, he took in her tear-stained , paler-than-usual face and runny nose. She looked like she had seen something horrific.

"Kukri, please tell me what happened."

Choked sobs still escaped the albino girl's mouth, but she looked at the man and he assumed she recognized him, though in her frantic state he couldn't be sure. "It's Madam Lutece! She- she..." Her words trailed off, cheeks red with the biting cold of the night air.

For the first time in his life, Dr. Jaeger didn't know what to do.

~SnK~

"I'll be leaving tonight to go to Wall Sine. Madam Lutece's cousin has taken custody of me." Kukri continued, face emotionless again as she remembered the previous night, and how the Garrison had taken down her foster-mother's corpse from the rope that Kukri burned holes into.

"You'll visit, then, won't you?" Mikasa asked, face as emotionless as the girl beside her.

"When I can, yes." Kukri responded, thankful for the older girl's distraction.

"You're talking about this like it's already decided!" Eren yelled, once more gaining attention from passer-by's.

"Eren..." Armin started, blue eyes wide as he hoped he could calm the furious boy down.

"No! It's not! We can take you in, mum, dad Mikasa and I, we'll be your family!" He bit out, pleading for his friend to stay. He didn't know what he'd do if she truly left.

"It's too late, and dangerous. It would take a while for you to get custody of me, and in that time, I could be kidnapped and sold off." Mikasa knew what she was talking about. As an albino, it was more than likely that she would be stolen and sold, especially in Shiganshina. Wall Sine truly was the best place for her, and if Madam Lutece's stories of her cousin were true, then he would also be the most qualified to protect her.

"What will I do without you...?" Eren choked out, tears of his own beginning to trickle down his cheeks as the thought of never seeing each other again hit him.

"Everything. You'll make new friends, I know, and you'll always have Armin and Mikasa." She said calmly, refusing to look at her friend's tear-stained face.

"How can you be so calm about this!? You're leaving! Do you hate me?!" Eren asked, hurt that she wasn't as upset as him. Heck he could even see sorrow in Mikasa's eyes.

"Of course not, stupid." She muttered, finally looking at his with large doe-like red eyes.

"Well... I hate you!" Eren yelled, throwing her arm away from his grasp and turning away, running as far as he could. Kukri felt a sharp stab of betrayal stab through her very being, heart breaking at the sight of yet another person voluntarily leaving her.

Armin also looked at his friend of many years, who ran off without a second glance, before switching his gaze to the girl, even smaller than him, who's eyes were once again at the floor.

"Kukri, I'm sure he didn't mean it, he's just upset, is al-"

"Take care of him, will you? His anger will get him killed someday." Kukri muttered, the betrayal of her best-friend making her eyes harden as she looked at Armin and Mikasa, who just stood, one open-mouthed at their friend's words. Her jaw was clenched, and Armin saw whatever child-like innocence she had be locked away, never to be unlocked again.

A pregnant pause followed, before Mikasa nodded, a solemn look on her face, and with that, Kukri walked off, turning a corner to escape from their view.

At that moment, Armin's voice failed him, because he knew that would be the last time he ever saw the young girl with not a care in the world.

~SnK~

A/N: So, what did'ya think? Good? Bad? Horrible? (Probably...) Oh well, feel free to leave it in a review, if you want!

Levi: I wasn't even in this chapter... :/

Me: Well, get used to it, we've still got a long way to go! ^.^

Eren: Why u do dis? :'(

Me: Because I'm evil, that's why. ;)

Kukri: Stop being such a crybaby, Eren, man up.

Eren: :'(

Me: See you guys in the next Chapter! ^.^

Aisaka-chan, signing off.