wings.
Mikasa had quickly discovered that lives were short.
Especially in a world as cruel as her's.
Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she'd always known that. She'd known it from the moment her father had been stabbed in the gut, the moment her mother had been killed by an axe in the head―the moment Eren had killed those two men, and then she'd stabbed the other through the back. The moment Carla Jaeger had been picked up by that Titan.
The moment Trost had been attacked and Armin had told her of the death of his entire squad―except Eren.
Armin.
As her feet touched the ground, quite silently, she looked to where he lay in a pool of his own blood.
The handle of a knife protruded from his stomach―blood everywhere. The shadowed figure of a man stood over him, looking quite satisfied.
Mikasa would charge, but she wouldn't do any damage. She was already dead―a ghost, if not for the wings protruding from her back.
"H―Help!"
Eyes wide, she directed her attention to Armin. The man turned and fled.
Coward.
Mikasa nearly followed.
But Armin was right there, dying. She could remember herself dying.
An Abberant had smacked her out of the air.
It honestly wasn't like she would've survived, although she wished she had.
She'd collided with a tree, neck snapped. Just like Petra Ral. As she'd pulled herself away from her body (if that's how you would describe it), her mother had been there.
Carla had been there, too―and Grisha, and her father.
They had held her, told her how wonderful she was, how she didn't deserve to be with them. That she should still be living and then stairs had appeared before them. Spiral stairs, white marble, and bathed in soft light.
One by one, they climbed up the steps.
She was the last one.
Mikasa honestly couldn't imagine what it'd be like to be without them, and so when she'd felt the tug, she followed it.
It led her to Armin.
The intelligent blonde who'd stolen her heart, who lay in a pool of his own blood as Eren and Levi and Hanji ran into the room.
Eren knelt beside Armin, the latter raising up his hand. Eren grabbed it. Held onto it. Tears leaked out of the corners of his brilliant, dazzling green eyes.
"Armin."
How could one word―one name―be filled with so much emotion? So much care, so much regret?
"Eren," Armin croaked.
"Hush, Armin," Hanji said at last, kneeling beside Eren. "Who did this?"
"Man with brown hair, square jaw, pudgy nose." He inhaled and blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.
Mikasa dropped to her knees, lacing her fingers through Armin's.
He wouldn't be able to feel it, but when he finally―
Not Armin.
―died, he'd be holding her hand. Maybe that'd be enough.
Hopefully.
She could swear Armin looked her in the eye. Eren and Hanji followed his gaze.
"Mikasa?"
She pressed her other hand to her mouth. "Eren, Armin―can you see me? Can you hear me?"
"Yes," was all Eren said.
"Eren, I'll guide Armin. He'll be safe with me," Mikasa murmured, loud enough so that it wasn't a whisper.
It looked like Eren was choking back tears. "But who will be with me?"
Mikasa slowly removed her hand away from her mouth, grabbing Eren's free hand. She tried, but hers went through is and she settled with hovering her hand over Eren's cheekbone. "Plenty of people."
She moved her hand away from Eren's cheek as Armin slowly grew paler.
"Dry your eyes," she said. "Bury Armin next to me."
"P―Please," Armin murmured.
"Mikasa," Eren whispered, "did you see Mom?"
"Yes."
"T―tell," Eren paused to sob, "her I said hello and that I love her."
"I will."
Armin was white as a sheet now, and Eren placed his hand over each of Armin's eyes.
Armin's beautiful, bright blue eyes that would never see the world again.
Slowly, Mikasa moved her hand away from Armin's. A ghastly, semi-transparent hand was with hers, and she smiled faintly. "Armin," she called softly.
"Mikasa?"
"Come on," she murmured. "We have to get going."
"Going where?"
"I―I don't know. But, wouldn't you like to see the ocean?"
A long pause. Eren was still intently staring at her―had she vanished yet?
"Yes, Mikasa. I'd love to see the ocean."
disclaimer ― disclaimed.