Surviving the Cruel Night

Chapter 3: Don't Shatter

After their quarrel, Rivaille stated that he would be back; a man of few words Mikasa had decided. She couldn't figure him out, usually the people around her were either driven by hatred or loyalty, but Mikasa didn't know where to start with the Corporal. He didn't show weakness; which urged Mikasa to figure it out. She knew that he was harsh, but inside she could see someone that actually cared, he hatred for him was slowly disappearing.

Mikasa decided to not think of her current situation with the Corporal, and turned her attention to her worry for Eren and her companions. Only earlier that day had she seen Sasha and Connie lazing about like the world wasn't hell, and now she feared that the both of them were dead. Petra said that Eren had been evacuated earlier that day which calmed her, but she wouldn't be relieved until she saw his face. He was her only family; she couldn't lose him.

Holding onto her scarf, she trailed it up higher on her face, covering her mouth and trying to find warmth. The sun had gone down, and she had been in and out of sleep for hours. Rivaille had yet to come back, and she hated being a burden, contemplating going out to find him, but she knew that traveling at night wasn't safe. Tomorrow she swore to be at the top of her game; with nothing holding her back.

Sighing she quietly spoke, "Eren.." before falling asleep, her arms were crossed with one leg over the other, her head leaning on the tree trunk behind her. She felt it calming to be outside, although she always slept with one eye open. She never slept without her senses on constant alert.


Some hours later Mikasa's senses alerted her to wake, she slowly opened her eyes, looking if there were any immediate threat. It was still dark, but Mikasa already felt considerably better, no longer did her body feel weighted or her eyes drooping. Lifting herself from her uncomfortable sleeping position, Mikasa saw a small flame, just one piece of wood, like a torch, and the one holding it was no other than Rivaille. She went to question him of his whereabouts when she noticed something heavy on her shoulders. Looking down she saw a green cloak, wrapped securely around her. Positioning it squarely on her shoulders, she didn't ask the man, who now had no cloak, about his foreign kindness. Instead the woman sat up, looking intently into the flame. She felt more herself now.

They both sat in a comfortable silence, Rivaille was merely looking out over the trees while Mikasa looked into the flame, Mikasa hadn't known that someone else shared her like for silence, unfortunately she would be the one to break it.

"Rivialle, I trust your name in both battle and not." She spoke in her matter of fact tone, soft and deliberate. Mikasa stopped for a moment, getting the Corporal's attention; "-but this is not the usual division-leader situation. I can't just allow myself to rely on you alone, without it being vice versa." Mikasa said, feeling somewhat proud of herself that she was able to say it; in her own way she was shy.

Rivaille faced the woman, a "hmmm" forming at his lips, more diligent than he had thought. "Mikasa Ackerman, is that your usual mood when waking up..." Rivaille said in his low-toned voice; emotionless. "Do you think you are capable of being at such a level? People do not question my orders and instead follow me like obedient lap dogs." Rivaille had no interest in those that were either weak or were ready to throw their lives away for no reason; he shared no respect for them.

"If the time arises, then I will sacrifice myself or others for the greater purpose. I know when someone is consumed by fear and cannot lead. I am capable of such a level" Mikasa had no hesitation in her answer, she would not listen to orders that weren't right in their own but she knew when she needed to. She wasn't a lap dog and only listened to those that she trusted.

Rivaille held her gaze, seeing if she faulted anything she said, but it was all to crystal clear in the woman's eyes.

"Tomorrow; that's when we will talk." Rivaille said, ending the conversation. He had much to think over this night. Mikasa nodded in agreement before rugging up again in his cloak. He would have been disgusted if it was someone else, but the woman knew how to treat and keep things clean, so she was an exception to the rule.

"I will stay on watch now; you sleep." Mikasa grabbed the 'torch' from his hand, standing up so they could switch positions. She needed to show him that she wasn't just a naïve small girl. Practically shoving the Corporal to where she had been, Mikasa gave the man a glare , a look that said "go to sleep!" and looked out over the forest, looking for an abnormal titan that was awake at night; never being too sure.

Rivaille grunted, saying something underneath his breath, but said nothing more. It wasn't everyday that he was told to do something, but this time he just endured it. Feeling patient this night. He thought to all the bothersome work and tactical advances that he must complete when returning to his position of command, feeling like he would rather endure this than the loud and obnoxious teammates back at the base.

Previously scouting out the area and seeing a place where they could possibly obtain food, Rivaille had spent most of the time thinking of battle plans that would have to be used in the near future, taking every possible situation and their potential outcome. They had to be ready, which was why Mikasa's words of him trusting her had come as a surprise, they were on equal grounds, something that Rivaille was unaccustomed to.

He was reluctant to get 'cosy' on a filthy tree, but he had little choice, of all the things this was a challenge to him...


Light etched its way through the trees, signalling a new morning. Stretching his limbs Rivaille picked himself up from the tree he was sleeping on, cracking his neck and checking his blades. It had become a habbit for him to be orderly before the day had even started; precise and proper. He swiftly looked at his surroundings, seeing that Ackerman wasn't in sight. "Tch." Not being there when he wanted her to; stubborn woman.

Seeing that no titan had come and eaten her when he was sleeping Rivaille jumped off of the branch, landing on the ground and looking around the ginormous trees. The titans would be most active now, seeing that the sun had just come up. He saw, a mere thirty metres away Ackerman on the tops of a branch, one that looked over the forest.

Swinging up towards the woman, his cloak lifting up on Mikasa's shoulders from the wind, he was overcome by a chill breeze, landing lighly on his feet next to the woman. The forest seemed to go on for miles, as Rivaille had expected, and there was a clearing to the North-East of them, most likely in the direction that they needed to go in.

"Three titans." Mikasa told, looking directly North of them. Rivaille sighted them too, all three trapped between trees that surrounded them, it was too cluttered for Rivaille and Mikasa to kill them safely, the reason Mikasa hadn't yet dealt with them already. If they didn't find a way out than they wouldn't be an issue, but if they did than they would be forced to take the risk.

"Ackerman, we're heading towards the clearing. Let's go." Rivaille jumped from the branch with Mikasa not far behind, it was alright to sleep in branches of trees but there was also the issue of food and water. Rivaille remembered seeing a river not far from their location that they would have to go to sooner or later.

They wanted to make as much ground as possible, running at a pace that was comfortable. Even with 3D gear on running didn't seem to be a problem for the either of them, and luckily they were or else they wouldn't have been prepared for the onslaught that was coming their way. A titan.

"Rivaille. Scatter!" Mikasa instantly let her 3D gear catch onto an opposite branch as a titan came into the area of woods they were in, it had blood smeared over it's hands and mouth. It had recently eaten. Being mid-air Mikasa saw that the titan was alone, one had gotten out of its position in the cluttered trees. She saw Rivaille near her side, swinging towards the titan. It's attention was caught on the Corporal, which proved to be an advantage as Mikasa swung in behind it. She could clearly see the weak spot at the neck but couldn't quite reach it as trees were in the way. She would have to go from underneath.

Rivaille saw Ackerman's motives before she even began to execute them, and let the titan claw at him, he grappled onto a nearby tree and swung in close to the titan, going over its head as Mikasa came from the ground and latched onto its neck; at exactly the right time when the titan went to look up at Rivaille. Sensing no hesitation Mikasa drove the blades deep within its neck, cutting off the vital weakness of the titan.

Mikasa landed back on the ground, the titan lifelessly falling to the ground. She inspected her blades and saw that they weren't yet dull, only covered in a fair amount of blood. She flicked the blood to the ground as Rivaille came to meet her on the ground, disgusted of the blood smeared weapons in her hands.

"There will be more, don't drop your guard Ackerman." Rivaille ordered the woman, half distracted by their surroundings.

"That titan... There must have been people near here; a village. We need to see if anyone is alive." Mikasa stepped forward, desperate to save lives if there were any still to save.

This is when it caught Rivaille's full attention, turning towards the woman. "Are you that eager to die? You aren't alone in the feeling of needing to save innocent lives, Ackerman, but the best we could do is die with them. Where would we hide them? How could we get them back to the wall? Think, Ackerman." Mikasa saw her reflection of guilt in Rivaille's eyes, he was trying to come across as heartless, a defence mechanism perhaps to make sure people don't get close to him, but she saw the burden that he was carrying.

There was a silence as Mikasa reigned in her anger and looked at things rationally, seeing things from his eyes. As the leader of his division, and the new recruits, it was his responsibility that they had all came out alive. Every single one that had died would be a new scar to add to his collection; and Mikasa was no exception. She was under his command, if there was something he could have done to stop her from dying, then he wouldn't have left her, that's the type of man he was. The woman felt like she was slowly unravelling the Corporal.

"You were their leader, people that had put their faith in you and trusted your every decisions. If you told them to die; than they would. You're a Corporal, it is your responsibility to give out orders, not follow them; but those people weren't without a conscience, they could make their own decision if they wanted to. It was not your fault if they were eager to die and throw their lives away. You're selfish to think that it was just you to send them to their deaths." Mikasa never thought she would speak that much in her life, but she had seen that look before, and the sacrifices that were made were not due to just one man, but for all those that were still alive.

She stood straight, Mikasa's eyes filled with determination, thinking that he would either hit her for speaking out of line or leave her to die, yet she did not regret her words. He might not even understand what she was speaking about, due to it being completely random, but what she got was neither.

"Very observant.. Ackerman." Rivaille hid all his emotions, a cold response. Mikasa had no idea what he was thinking or feeling, but she knew that she atleast hit something. He turned around, continuing in their original direction, weapons still drawn in case another titan wanted to taste their steel. Little did the two soldiers know that a turn of events was about to take place.

To be continued.


I actually really this chapter! I was like "These two characters have such confusing personalities so let's just mix it up a bit." And yay, the next couple chapters! I get so excited to write, haha! THANKYOU EVERYONE for the favourites, reviews and follows! Seriously it means so much to me! AHHHHH~ You are all so nice and made me feel really supported! I'll get around to replying to reviews, love you all!

Review, favourite, follow! Please :3

P.S~ Sometimes Fanfic is weird and says I've updated the chapter but it doesn't come up in the updated section (even after waiting for hours) just wondering if anyone else has this issue? :)