Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfiction. Hope you have been enjoying the read so far.

Anyway, read on.

Chapter Cover: Mikasa hidding her face in her scarf as it danced in the wind behind her

Chapter Thirty-Six

Discovery

I couldn't believe what I was looking at.

When Mikasa presented me with the case, I simply stared at it numbed that it was even still here. Last, I had ever seen that thing was at Utgard castle and I had it on me during the entire mess that happened there but since I didn't have it back on the trees with Reiner and Berthold, I thought that I had lost it, just like the one I had before…

But all this time, it was Mikasa who had it.

The dark-haired girl placed a hand over her own drawing her eyes toward her. Mikasa had a light blush upon her cheeks as she looked at her.

"I never told you this before but I've always enjoyed hearing you play," she said, "It was…soothing. That is your light Sarah…that is what made you so warm in such a cruel world."

I stared at the girl, completely shocked at her. There were so many feelings clashing within my heart that I didn't even know how to name them all. It was like a storm was raging within me and yet, this girl managed to find the one thing that could possibly ground me before I was swallowed by it. Despite everything that had happened, I felt so lost burying the feelings of what happened with Narissa deep within me but…despite everything, I couldn't really bury it down.

Even in my actions, my feelings were being shown when Jean found me earlier when I was chopping woods outside, and Mikasa could see that something was wrong with me too and from the looks of Armin and Eren, they could probably see it as well but chose to talk about something else instead of confronting it. I can feel tears gathering in my eyes as I looked down at the case that was in my hand before launching myself toward the girl in front of me taking her into a hug.

I feel her freeze lightly at the sudden hug attack but I didn't care. I squeezed Mikasa against me, feeling the tears falling from my eyes but soon enough Mikasa had her own arms around me as I cried against her shoulder, her hand gently touching my back in that comforting kind of way.

"Mikasa…thank you."

We stayed like that for some time before she let go of me and I stepped away wiping away the tears that were still falling from my eyes. Mikasa had that small smile upon her lips as she was looking at me and I returned it.

"Your eyes…they look better now," she said.

I blinked at her, a light confusion coursing through me.

"My eyes?"

She looked away for a moment before meeting my eyes again.

"Yes," she said, "They looked…off earlier today when you came back…actually, your eyes were a lot like Kri…Historia's when she told us about her past."

Armin had filled me in on that earlier. Hard to think that Historia was the bastard child of a noble who sent her off to the Cadets under a new name instead of the name she was born with Krista Lenz instead of Historia Reiss. Anyway, back to my eyes I guess my eyes looked just as dead then when I was completely lost about what happened to Narissa.

I looked down at the case in my hand a light smile upon my lips. I opened it finding the flute inside but there was sign of damage upon it probably from what had happened at Utgard. As I was looking at it, Mikasa started to speak again.

"I saw that it was damaged and I was trying to fix it as best I could," she started, "I don't know if did a good job or not…I should have probably looked at a manual or have Armin take a look at it."

I let out a soft chuckle.

"Really, Mikasa," I told her, "Thanks a lot. Maybe this will be come a project I'll have to do the next few days we are still here…at least, until Captain Levi came back from whatever he has gone to."

Mikasa gave me a light nod.

"Alright," she said, "But…do you know what happened back there? Your nose just started bleeding out of nowhere."

I thought about it.

"I don't know," I told her honestly, "something like that had never happened before. I didn't transform into a Titan at all these past few days not since when we were out there…so I didn't understand what was going on at all…"

I trailed off.

"I don't know," I said softly, "I never actually tried to do anything else with the power I had…well, other than controlling my Titan whenever I was using it."

The dark-haired girl seems to think for a few moments.

"The guy from the Church told us that you might kill Kri…Historia because of your family history," she said.

I stared at her, confused.

"Wait…what Church guy?"

"During Eren's trial," Mikasa said, "He was one of the Wallist present and the most vocal one…I'm sure you would remember him."

I stayed silent thinking back to the trial that took place a month ago now. I thought back to that day seeing Eren placed upon his knees in the middle of the courtroom, and the Military Police arguing about killing him and then there was a Pastor there…

"Oh…you mean that guy?" I said, "Pastor Nick…if I remember the name correctly. Why would he think that I would kill Kris..Historia?"

"I don't know," Mikasa said, taking a seat beside me on the bed, "But I don't trust that man."

"Armin said that they knew about the Walled in Titan Annie accidently uncovered," I told her, "Back at the Trial, I found it odd that they had this much power since they delayed the arming of the Walls, it makes me wonder if they were trying to stop people from finding out about the Titans that are inside the Walls…or even find out what the Walls are made out of."

"It was a theory Armin had," Mikasa told me.

I stayed silent.

If that Pastor Nick knew about the Walls…and warned the Scouts about me killing Historia? Why would he do that?

I feel my breath quicken lightly, as the realization hit me.

"No way," I whispered shocked.

Mikasa glanced at me.

"What is it?"

"Pastor Nick…," I said looking at her in shock, "Pastor Nick."

I quickly dropped the case that was in my hand, turning to face Mikasa fully, placing both hand upon her shoulders, my excitement rising even more.

"He knows," I told her, "He knows about me…about my past. He must have known about the Ashler."

Mikasa was confused.

"Ashler?" she repeated.

I looked at the girl realizing that she probably didn't know about what Commander Erwin and me discussed. I doubt anyone other than the higher up in the Survey Corps knew about that since I only revealed it just yesterday to the Commander…but Mikasa is someone I trusted and she was on Eren's side…and I was on Eren's side, so it didn't make sense to keep it from her.

"Back during Trost when Eren transformed to stop the canon, I had a flash of memory," I told her, "Someone mentioned that name before and I couldn't understand it at all or how it was connected to what was happening here, however…when Eren and I were captured with Ymir, Berthold let that slip to me when he thought I was unconscious…"

I frowned lightly.

"I thought that everyone who could have known about Ashler were either dead or the enemies we have out there," I continued, "But if the Wallist know about the Walled in Titan…and they warned you about me, then they must know something vital about the Ashler. I have to talk to this man…this priest of the Wall. If he knows something, then…"

"Sarah, calm down," Mikasa said quickly, "The Pastor didn't even say much to us and all that he was willing to reveal was that Historia was somehow important in all of this…or at least, the Reiss family was."

"Maybe," I said letting go of her, "But I won't know until I try right? When Captain Levi came back, I will talk to him and maybe convince him to let me try to talk to the Wallist…if I can learn about Ashler…maybe I can understand why my family had the power of the Titan in their grasp."

I was excited about my discovery. To think there was someone who knew about the Ashler other than Berthold and Reiner. I couldn't wait for the Captain to come back so that I could speak to him about what I have discovered.

The next few days passed slowly after all, it had been quite a domestic feeling around the house. I had gotten around to help with the cleaning as Eren had been working like a man possessed most of the time during those moments. I wonder just what Captain Levi did to him to make him like this. I helped in the kitchen as well when Mikasa or Historia is working there and Sasha was around stealing food like always.

It made me think back to the time when we were Cadets and had to work in the kitchen. Narissa had been complaining non-stop when we were working there and I couldn't help the grin that grew upon my lips at her as she was doing so. The memory was like a gentle reminder of the people that are no longer around right now.

I had gotten into the rotation of standing guard and I had taken a night watch standing there with the rifle upon my shoulder as I looked out toward the large forest that was around me. There was a lamp burning upon the table behind me as I was leaning against the post looking around. The night was oddly quiet, safe for the few sounds of the animals that were in the forest around us. I let out a soft yawn before starting to walk around again, looking out toward the numerous parts of the area.

Then my eyes glanced upward toward the sky. It had some clouds above us but other than that it was quite a cool night with the stars somewhat visible than the last time I looked up toward them feeling a light oddness in my chest, thinking about everything that had happened so far.

About Reiner and Berthold and their betrayal along Ymir.

About Narissa's sacrifice.

About the mysterious Ashler that is somehow connected to me and the mystery of my Titan.

I wonder why Maria never said anything, I thought about the woman, She told me about the Armored and Colossal Titan behind Shifters…but she never told me about anything else. Did she decided to keep it a secret…or did she not know anything at all?

I let out a sigh.

More ever…what was that strange thing with my memories? Something like that never happened in the past before…

I stayed still.

No…it happened before…right after….

The sound of footsteps interrupted my thought and I instantly turned toward it, rifle in hand. I stared down toward where the sound was finding a familiar figure walking from the house. I took the lamp that was upon the table, raising it up, so it could cast a light upon the approaching person.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now Mikasa," I told her.

The dark-haired girl looked up at me. She was carrying a container in her hand.

"Thought you might want some coffee," she said.

I let out a sigh before allowing her to come up. Soon enough, a steaming cup of coffee was prepared and I was gently drinking from it. A compatible silence settled between us, as I turned my gaze back toward the distance once more.

"A quiet night?"

"Yeah," I said, "Well since most people doesn't know where we are right now, I'm not expecting a lot of things to happen. Protecting Eren and Historia…I can understand why the Captain would want us to do something like this if Historia is as important as Reiner and Berthold seems think so along with the Wallist."

Mikasa came to stand beside me looking out toward the distance while holding her own cup.

"Being out here like this…reminds me of my childhood," she said softly.

I gave her a glance.

"Right…you're from Shingashina…I suppose the farm life would be familiar to you."

"Not when I was with Eren," Mikasa said, "Before that."

I raised my eyebrows. The little I knew about Mikasa's past was that she grew up with Eren and that Eren saved her from slavers that had killed her parents.

"What were they like?" I asked her, my voice oddly soft, "Your parents."

Mikasa stayed silent for a moment.

"Kind people," she said softly to herself.

We stayed like that for a long time just gently nursing the cup of coffee. I stayed there looking out toward the horizon in front of us but as time passed by, the clouds parted revealing the stars that were visible in the distance. A gentle wind blew through the area and for some reason it made me smile, looking out toward it.

"My mother was the only thing that was kind to me in my childhood," I told her, "She was someone that I could always count on to be there. Maria did her best but…she wasn't mother material."

Mikasa was looking at me now, a curious look upon her features. I took a sip from the cup in my hand just to have something to do now but I couldn't help but feel my cheeks warming again with that cutting gaze she was giving me.

"What about your father?" she asked.

I feel the old sting of hatred in my heart when I thought of the man.

"He was…not a father," I told her, "He hated my mom and me….making me wonder why he married her in the first place. I heard he already has a son now, married someone else after mom died so, there is no love lost between us."

I glanced up toward the stars which were twinkling softly, nursing the cup that was in my hands.

"But despite all of that…there was a time, I wished he would have been the one to save me," I continued, "That he would be a father, but it never happened. He was just…like always."

A hand was upon my back, drawing my eyes toward Mikasa.

"You have us," she said.

I couldn't help the small smile that was on my lips.

"I do, don't' I?"

Captain Levi showed up the following morning when I was working on the dishes from the breakfast, we served this morning. Eren was once again, working on cleaning the area that we were in and the young man was completely on freak cleaning mode. It seems that whenever he was cleaning Eren turned into a clean freak like how Mikasa called the short man.

"I was sure I gave you guys enough time," Captain Levi spoke out drawing my attention.

I quickly dried my hand and made my way toward the living room where Captain Levi stood holding a handkerchief in his hand. The man had his infamous scowl upon his face as he stood there looking out toward the group that was in the middle of the room in front of him.

Then he let out a sigh.

"Never mind," he said wiping his hand, "We can discuss your utter failure at a later date. Eren, Hange is anxious to get the experiment under way."

The young man nodded.

"Yes sir."

"The rest of you, you know your duties," Captain Levi spoke out, "Get your gears ready, we move out in fifteen."

The rest of the group started to move about to get ready for the day, and I made my way straight toward the Captain. The man looked at me as I approached.

"You got shit in your ears Reyne," he asked, "I said get moving."

"Yes, I understand but there was something that I wanted to talk with you about?" I told him.

Levi looked at me.

"Oh…and what is it?"

"Well, Eren and Armin told me that Pastor Nick was the one who told you about me. He said that I would have killed Historia for some reason or the other...I think that maybe he might know more about the Ashler. I previously thought that it was only Berthold and Reiner who knows about that but what he revealed might be a clue on that he knows more than he let on."

The man looked at me.

"Erwin had a thought about that," he said, "What are you suggesting anyway?"

"I was wondering, If there was a possibility that I could talk to the Wallist," I said, "If he knows so much, then there must be a way for me to find more about the Ashler and their connection to me and my family."

Levi stayed silent for a moment thinking.

"We'll talk about this after the experiment is over," the man said, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket. The good pastor seems to want to keep whatever he knows to himself."

I gave him a light nod.

It would seem that whatever I am going to need to talk to the man about will be taken about with the experiment that Eren is going to go through. I left Captain Levi and went upstairs to the girl's room so that I could equip my ODM gear before making my way out with the rest of the team. I climbed upon a horse that was waiting outside along with the rest of the team before we all followed Hange along with Levi toward where we will be doing the experiment with Eren's Titan ability.

Let's hope that Pastor Nick can actually give me the information that I want to know, I thought, However this also makes me wonder just how much Maria was hiding from me. Did she know that the Wall were made of Titans? Did she know the truth about the world…and was the reason that mother and Maria never talked about our family was because…whatever truth they were hiding is connected to the Wall and to whatever the monarchy is hiding from us?

Sarah's questions grow...

Next Time: From Shadows

Jacques0 out.

R&R