Hearts of Gold
"Open up Viviette!"
She didn't answer.
"Hey open up!"
She continued ignoring him.
"Maybe she's not home Eren."
"No way, I know she's home. Come on out Viviette, I know you're in there and I'm not leaving until you come outside!"
Thoroughly annoyed, Viviette slammed her notebook shut and stomped to the door, practically ripping it off its hinges.
"You're being really loud, what do you want?" she snapped.
Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stood on her doorstep sweating like pigs.
"Well maybe if you weren't such a slow poke I wouldn't have to yell," he explained as if it were common sense, "but anyway you should come with us to the canal."
She scratched her arm. "I don't know if I can, I really need to study and besides it's really hot. I don't wanna go outside."
"Oh come on, you're always busy studying," he countered, "and plus my mom packed desserts for us, you don't want them to go to waste do you?"
He waved the basket he'd been carrying in her face.
"You should come with us Viviette, it'll be fun." Armin added.
"Oh fine, I guess I'll tag along. You guys can wait inside while I tell my brother." she sighed, stepping out of the way so they could escape the heat.
She led them into the kitchen and retrieved glasses of water for them which they readily accepted.
"I'll be right back." she said and ran past them towards the stairs.
Taking two steps at a time, she flew upstairs and skidded to a stop outside of Walter's bedroom door. She lifted a fist and knocked loudly. A thud came from the other side followed by a string of curses. Walter opened the door and it was obvious he'd just woken up from a nap, his hair was askew and his clothes wrinkled.
"What do you want?" he hissed.
"Uh I'm gonna go with my friends down to the canal so I'm gonna be gone for awhile. I just wanted someone to know." she said quickly.
Walter waved her off. "Fine whatever, go away."
He slammed the door and Viviette joined her friends back in the kitchen. They finished their waters before going back out to brave the heat. It didn't take long for her to start sweating, the late August sun showing no mercy as it unleashed it's rays on them. She was beginning to regret agreeing to go out with them. But she couldn't deny that she always had a good time when they invited her out. It had been three weeks since she'd wrapped Armin's ankle and ever since they'd all been spending a lot of their free time together.
"Say Viviette, why don't we ever see your mom around?" Eren asked.
"Well she's in the Survey Corps so she's always gone." she answered.
"What are you serious?"
She nodded.
"That's so cool, I bet she's beaten a ton of titans! Your mom sounds so cool!" he exclaimed.
"I have another brother who's in it too and sometimes when they come home, I'll sneak downstairs to hear about their missions. Mom says I'm not old enough to hear about them but I think I am, I'm already ten and plus I'm gonna be eleven soon, that's plenty old enough."
"Do you think you'll join them too?" Armin asked.
"Yup, that's why I've been studying so hard. I want to be a medic like my mom so I need to learn as much as I can before I enlist." she said proudly.
"I think that's really brave of you, I bet you're going to see all kinds of really cool things, you'll have to tell me about them, I've always wanted to go outside the walls." he admitted.
"Why don't you join Armin?"
"Me? Oh no I don't think I'd do very well in the Survey Corps, I'm not very strong." he said, looking away to hide the flush of his cheeks.
"Well I think you're plenty strong Armin." she said with a grin.
"Man, I think it'd be so cool to join the Survey Corps, I don't want to stay stuck behind these walls my whole life, I'm not a cow. I should be allowed to go outside the wall if I want to, it's my life" Eren ranted.
"That's heresy you know, don't let anyone hear you." Mikasa warned.
"Yeah yeah I know and there's no way I could do it anyway, my mom would flip out." he groaned.
"It's because she loves you." she replied.
He rolled his eyes. "I know, but she can't baby me her whole life. I'm going to grow up some day."
lt didn't take long for the four kids to reach the break in the canal and Viviette ran ahead to the stairs leading to the water. She kicked her shoes off and plopped down on the bottom step, shoving her feet in the cool water. She let out a contented sigh and leaned back on her elbows, tipping her head back to look at the sky. The sky was a vibrant shade of blue and she thought the clouds resembled big fluffy dandelions. She pretended to pick one and blow it away. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin joined her on the steps and soon had their feet in the water as well. Eren passed along frozen fruit and Viviette ended up with a peach. Not waiting for anyone else, she sunk her teeth into its flesh and shivered as the cold fruit slid down her throat. She wiped away juice that had slipped down her chin.
"Wow Eren, it was really nice of your mom to pack this for us." she said happily.
"No problem, I think she just wanted me out of the house." Eren replied.
"Well you can be annoying." she quipped.
"Oh yeah? Well tell me how annoying you think this is."
Before she could react, Viviette felt a hard shove against her back and she was falling face first into the shallow water. She landed on her hands and knees, but it was enough to soak her clothes.
"Eren!" she shrieked, jumping up onto her feet.
She threw her peach at his chest with as much strength she could muster and was satisfied when it nailed her target. Not letting Eren get the best of her, she squatted down and began shoveling water at him. He laughed and quickly joined her in the canal, starting a splash fight between them while Armin and Mikasa laughed at their antics. Viviette was soaked from head to toe when she realized Armin and Mikasa were still completely dry. It didn't sit right with her, she'd have to do something about it.
"Hey Eren, what do you say to a truce?" she asked, holding her hand out.
She quickly shot a look at their companions and Eren nodded in understanding.
"That sounds splendid Viviette." he agreed and shook her hand.
"Now!" she cried
Eren and Viviette turned and started splashing them. It created an all out war as the four of them sloshed water around. Mikasa proved to be very agile and while she was still wet, she wasn't nearly as drenched as the other three. Fatigue settled into them and it wasn't long until they were seated on the bottom step again with their feet propped up in the water, their water war long forgotten. As irritated as she was with Eren for pushing her in, she couldn't say she regretted it. Being in the cold water was much better than baking in the heat. Eren retrieved fruit for them and Viviette and Armin ended up sharing a small package of cherries. She popped one into her mouth and chewed slowly, being careful not to swallow the pit. She spat it into the canal and reached for another.
They spent the afternoon chatting about anything and everything, from life outside the walls to the bullies at school. The sun was beginning to set when Viviette heard her name being called. She turned to see Walter running towards her.
"You've gotta come home, the Survey Corps are coming home and we've got to get ready for mom and Leren!" he yelled.
Excitement coursed through her veins as she shot up to her feet and clumsily pulled her shoes on. Her mom and brother were finally coming home, it'd been a long time since she'd seen them last. She wanted to tell them about her lessons and her new friends, there were so many things she wanted to do with them. She turned back to her friends with a grin.
"I've got to go guys, but come over tomorrow and hopefully you'll get to meet my mom." she called with a wave.
"Bye Viviette, see you tomorrow." Armin replied.
Walter and Viviette ran the whole way home and their father was quickly tidying up the living room, it was the first time in a week she'd seen him outside of his study.
"Go get changed Viviette, your mother and brother will be home soon." he said.
She nodded and rushed past him to get to her room. Clothes went flying as she wrestled her legs out of her pants and tugged her shirt over her head. They were replaced with a long navy dress and a white sweater to go over it. Viviette's hair was an absolute mess and she tried brushing it but after a minute of trying to tame her curls, decided to abandon the cause and tied it back with a ribbon. She rejoined her father and brother downstairs, her heart hammering loudly in her chest. They waited patiently but as minutes merged into hours, they slowly began losing their vigor. What was taking them so long?
"I'm sure everything is fine kids, I bet your mother got caught up with the injured soldiers and Leren stayed with her. They'll be here soon." he said with false confidence.
Their prayers were answered when a quiet knock came from the door. Their father was at the door first with Viviette and Walter flanking him. She clutched the back of his shirt until her knuckles turned white as he opened the door. Instead of seeing their family members, they were greeted by two sullen soldiers.
"I...is this the Tieren household?" asked the soldier.
"It is." her father replied, his voice faltering.
"Where is my mom?" Viviette asked rudely, interrupting their conversation.
She didn't notice the soldier wince as Walter pinched her harshly and berated her for butting in.
"I'm here on behalf of the Survey Corps," the soldier continued, "I'm here to report that Elisa Tieren is...is missing in action. This is all that was recovered."
The second soldier stepped forward and passed a folded green cloak to her father, who clutched it tight against his chest as tears welled in his eyes. She looked back and forth between her father and Walter, they both wore similar expressions. What was going on?
"What-" he choked back a sob, "what about my boy?"
"Leren Tieren is in critical condition and currently receiving medical care."
"When can we see him?"
"He will be returned home when he is in a more stable condition, for now we cannot allow any visitors."
Viviette stepped forward. "But what about my mom? You said she was missing, you're gonna go back for her right? You're going to find her? She's just lost right now, you guys have to find her."
She desperately looked to her father and brother for support, but they offered none as they tried keeping their emotions at bay. The soldier reached down and patted her head, he smiled sadly at her.
"We'll try kiddo, I promise...you've just got to stay strong for your family right now, okay?"
"Okay." she agreed.
The soldiers bowed slightly before taking their leave. Viviette shut the door and turned to the rest of her family with a hopeful smile.
"Did you hear that? They're going to go find mom and bring her home. And Leren's hurt right now but he'll be back soon too. We'll get to be a family again, you guys don't have to be sad." she said.
Her father squatted down to her level and grabbed her shoulders.
"No honey...your mother isn't coming back. She's gone."
She wrenched from his grasp. "How could you say that daddy? The soldier said he'd go find her, he promised me."
Viviette turned to Walter. "You believed him, didn't you?"
"You don't know what you're talking about Viviette, so just shut up." he said angrily, tears running down his face.
"Dad, she's not gone. Mom's going to come back right?" she asked with tears of her own beginning to form.
He crushed her against his chest in a tight hug. "She's not coming back."
That night instead of being bright with celebration, the Tieren house was dark and silent with mourning.
Armin anxiously paced outside of Viviette's house, debating whether or not he should simply return home. He'd heard through the grapevine that her mother had died and understood why she didn't want to be bothered, but he hadn't seen her in weeks. August had merged into September and he had yet to see her, he took it upon himself to check up on her. Eren wanted to join but Armin convinced him to stay behind, he didn't want to overwhelm her. Viviette's situation hit very close to home for him. Gathering his courage, he walked up to her door and knocked. A man he'd never seen before answered and Armin couldn't help it as his eyes zoned in on the stump that used to be the man's left arm. This must be Viviette's oldest brother. Realizing how rude he was being, he quickly shook his head and did his best to fight back a blush.
"Hi I uh, I was wondering if Viviette was in." he stuttered.
"And who might you be?" he asked, his voice soft.
"I'm her friend Armin, Armin Arlert sir."
"Come in and please, Leren is fine."
Armin stepped inside and followed behind Leren as he led him upstairs. They stopped outside the door at the end of the hall.
"Viviette there's a friend for you." he called.
"I...I'm not in the mood to see anyone today." she replied.
"Please open up, your friend came all this way." he pleaded.
"Fine, come in." she said after a few minutes.
"Please be patient with her, she's having a hard time." Leren said before leaving.
Armin opened her door and felt his heart clench at the sight of her. Vivette looked absolutely miserable. Her eyes were usually so vibrant but now looked dull and bloodshot, the skin around them swollen and red from crying. The smile he'd grown used to was gone. She was dressed from head to toe in wrinkled black clothes.
"What are you doing here Armin?"
"I wanted to see how you were doing," he patted her bed, "can I sit with you?"
She nodded slowly. Armin took his shoes off and climbed up next to her, taking his knapsack off and setting it on his lap. He grabbed her hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
"I'm really sorry about what happened Viviette." he said.
"Everyones been saying that, but they don't understand." she whimpered.
Panic overtook him as fresh tears rolled down her red cheeks, he was trying to make her feel better, not make her cry again.
"I do Viviette." he said when she stopped heaving.
She looked at him. "No you don't."
"My parents passed away too, they were soldiers just like your mom. You should count yourself lucky Viviette, even though she wasn't home a lot you still got ten years with her." he said softly.
Her bottom lip quivered. "Oh Armin, I'm sorry. I… I didn't know."
"It's okay, you don't have to apologize."
Viviette's grip on his hand tightened. "How can you speak so casually about them? Doesn't it hurt? How are you so strong Armin?"
"I'm used to it now, they died when I was still pretty young and sure I miss them but I can't let the ghost of them keep me from moving forward. I've accepted that they're gone and I can't change that. I know they wouldn't want me to spend my whole life being sad." he explained.
"That's very mature of you Armin. I don't think I can do it." she admitted.
"I know you can do it, you've got your dad and brothers to support you too."
"They're doing worse than me. My dad locked himself in his study and won't come out, Walter is never home anymore. Leren came home last week and he's trying to be strong, but when we're all in bed I can hear him crying. He gets nightmares and he screams for our mom…." she trailed off.
"Well I'm here to support you too Viviette, don't count me out. Eren and Mikasa are going to be here too, we all care about you." he said.
"Thank you Armin...that means a lot." she sniffed, wiping her runny nose on her sleeve.
"Do you remember when we talked about stuff outside the walls?" he asked, changing the direction of the conversation.
She nodded.
"Well I brought something really cool for you to look at."
Armin opened his knapsack and retrieved his grandfather's book. "It's got all kinds of stuff about life outside the walls, but we aren't supposed to have it so you've got to promise not to tell anyone about it."
"I promise."
He opened the book and flipped through the pages, stopping to show her his favorite parts. They spent hours delving into the book, scanning the pages he'd already read hundreds of time. He was pleased to find another person to talk to about life outside the walls. So far it had just been him and Eren, it was nice knowing Viviette shared the same mind set as them. Armin couldn't even count the number of times he'd been called a heretic for sharing his beliefs. It was what his parents had died trying to see, he'd be damned if he didn't live out their dream. He would see the outside world one way or another.
"Are there really salt mines?" she asked, exasperated by the thought.
He nodded. "Yup, imagine getting to use all the salt you wanted. There are even huge bodies of water that are hundreds of meters deep, there are so many things left to explore in the world."
"This stuff is all so cool, I want to see it all." she sighed, turning to look out the window.
"One day we won't be under the titan's oppression and humans will be able to walk around free again. I sure hope it's in my lifetime." he said thoughtfully.
"I'm going to make it out there with the Survey Corps." she declared.
Armin was taken aback, he didn't expect her to still want to join.
"You're still going to enlist?"
"It's just like you said Armin, I've got to continue living."
She freed her hand from his grasp and tightened it into a fist. "And there's no way I'm going to let those titans get away with hurting my mom and brother, I'm going to make them pay."
"I'm not going to stop you or anything, just make sure you're safe."
"Of course."
Armin looked out the window at the sky, the sun was setting and it painted the sky with pleasant shades of orange and pink that blended together. He packed the book in his knapsack and slipped it onto his bag. He stepped into his shoes and smiled at Viviette, she was looking much better than before. Color returned to her cheeks and she was smiling again. It was small, but it was better than none at all.
"I've got to go, it's getting late."
"I'll see you out."
He followed her downstairs and out the front door. He was getting ready to walk down the road to his house when she caught his sleeve. She was looking down at her feet.
"Thank you for coming over Armin… it means a lot to me that you came." she said bashfully, hiding behind her hair to cover her burning red cheeks.
"It's not a problem, I wanted to come."
"Well I'll see you later."
Armin turned to leave when a thought struck him. "Oh hey Viviette, you mentioned your birthday was coming up when we were at the canal. When is it?"
"It was last week actually." she replied.
He frowned. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't say anything."
She dismissed him. "No it's okay, you didn't know."
"Well happy belated birthday." he offered.
"Thank you Armin," she chuckled, "get home safe."
They waved and Armin waited until she was back inside before beginning his trek home. He thought hard about her wish to join the Survey Corps. Even after something so traumatic, she wasn't giving up on her dream. And Eren had shared his interest in joining the Survey Corps as well. Maybe he would join them too, it was his only chance to see the outside world with his best friend. But if it came down to it, would he be able to go through with it?
And there is chapter 2. Please excuse any grammatical errors, I do the best that I can. And I'd like to think that the death of Viviette's mother would help push Eren and Armin to initially join the Survey Corps. A family member of a friend died so surely they'd want to help avenge her death despite not knowing her. And I sort of merged the anime and manga together for Armin's family. In the manga his parents die while scavenging for food but it's his grandpa in the anime. I went with the anime for the sake of the story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I'll see you guys next time.