-Jean's POV-

"Oi, horseface! We're gonna reach the observatory before you if you keep gawking at Mikasa!" Jaeger yelled at me.

Shit. I didn't even notice that he was ahead of me. I gotta hold back on looking at Mikasa, even though her hair's so pretty when it flies in the wind, and her eyes sparkle with life when she's riding, and-

I'm doing it again!

I sped up on my horse, desperate to get ahead of Eren. Taking in Mikasa's beauty would have to wait until after the mission.

I stopped my horse in front of the observatory, having reached it just before Eren and Mikasa. After that, I offered to help Mikasa down from her horse, but she got off on her own.

Why does she like Eren so much?

I walked in front of the other two, eager to display my manliness to Mikasa. Happiness spread across my entire body when I felt her hand grab onto mine, and I turned, expecting her to be scared, ready to reassure her, when the floor in front of me broke apart and created a large, gaping hole.

My mouth dropped open when I realized I could've fallen down just then.

"Be more careful, Jean." Mikasa instructed me.

I turned around again, not wanting to face her as embarrasing tears spilled from my eyes.

"Yes, Mikasa."

The three of us then worked our way around the hole on what was left of the wooden floorboards, and progressed to the second floor of the observatory.

I was astounded.

Telescopes were everywhere; both large and small, and not a speck of dust could be found in the room- it rivalled even Corporal Levi's cleaning abilities.

The side walls of the room both had long tables pressed against them, covered in drawings of stars and other things I didn't know. Maps were set up on the ceiling, some of them peeling away at the edges. The thing that really caught my eye was the center of the ceiling- one large hole had been cut out, where sunlight streamed in. Of course, at night, moonlight would come in through the opening, and stars would be viewed instead of the blue sky.

I walked to the middle of the room, my gaze fixed on the ceiling, then tripped over something big.

"What'd you do this time, Jean?" Eren questioned.

"What do you mean, 'this time' ?"

"It's a girl.." I heard Mikasa say in wonder.

I quickly returned to my feet and looked down at the sleeping figure of a girl my age. She had black hair that put even Mikasa's to shame, long, thick eyelashes, rosy cheeks, and tender-looking lips. I scanned the rest of her body, which was just as light-skinned as her face, slender, and frail. She was wearing a black dress that resembled the sky in the fact that it was decorated with small, glittering objects. Placed on her feet were knee-high black socks, and dark gray slip-on shoes.

In her arms was a pile of papers, some containing words I could undersand, but for the most part, the pages on contained words at the tops and then consited of multiple bunchings of 5 straight lines, with a weird symbols dotted onto different places. Also in the girl's possession was a messenger bag, draped over her shoulder, and filled with items, leaking even more papers and a pair of rusty metal goggles that didn't seem to be useful any longer.

"We oughtta bring her back with us, even if she turns out dead." Mikasa noted, and slung the girl over her shoulder, breaking Jaeger and I out of our deep trances.

There's something about her.. but I just can't place it..

-Eren's POV-

I couldn't take my eyes off that girl until Mikasa moved her.. I wonder why? It was probably because I'd never seen those glimmering things that I'd spotted on her dress.

Yep, that was it.

I followed Mikasa out, leaving Jean behind until he realized we'd moved on, and then had to deal with his natural need to start fights with me.

We both lashed out at each other, throwing nasty comment after nasty comment, trying to outdo each other in a verbal match.

In the end...

I lost..

I'm not good at coming up with insults, okay!?

Mikasa took the lead this time, riding with one hand on the reins while her free arm was wrapped around the girl's waist, holding her firmly in place in front of her.

We rode for hours until we finally reached the walls again, and we then entered HQ, only to be greeted by Erwin, Levi, and Hange while they were on their way out.

"Hello, Cadets."

"Hey guys!"

"Tch. Brats."

"Corporal Levi! We found a girl in the observatory outside the walls! She's still alive, and unconcious!" I announced.

As soon as I spoke those shocking words, every eye in the courtyard turned to me, including those of my superiors.

"Ah! I was hoping she'd be there! All right, I'm staying behind!" Hange exclaimed, and rode back to the HQ stables with an enormous grin on her face. Mikasa followed her, so Jean and I did the same.

Hange took the girl from Mikasa and ran off to somehwere without saying another word, leaving the three of us standing next to the horses in confusion.

I wonder.. how does Hange know that girl?

...Maybe they're related?

..They've been keeping in touch after meeting once?

OR maybe-

"Eren! It's almost time for dinner, so let's get going. Armin is waiting for us."

I was dragged away -literally- by the collar, struggling to get air into my lungs and regain my composure, while Mikasa simply ept up her pokerface.

Can't she even try to act concerned when she's killing me?!

"Hey, Eren! Don't keep Mikasa all to yourself!"

And now I have to deal with Jean's punches, too.

Well, this is just an amazing day for me...

NOT.