"REINEEERR!"
Bertholt's scream comes loud, after seeing his friend's body - instead of transforming, he exits the barrel and using his gear, flies towards the Armored Titan. He checks for a pulse, and, surprisingly, finds one - "You diverted your brain functions to the entire body - last resort move...to think that they've pushed you this far..."
The squad is on the lookout for the transformation, hoping that the distance between them will be enough, but it never comes. Instead, they see Bertholt chasing them. "He wants to get closer to us to transform!" - Jean's warning comes in time, everyone flying off to avoid getting caught in the blast.
"No! Stay in formation! This is the only chance we get!" Hange's order overrides any fear the soldiers might be feeling, and the move in position, circling their targets.
Armin breaks from the group, instead deciding to meet with the taller kid at the middle - "ARMIN!" - Mikasa tries to grab him, but he manages to avoid her, saying -"This is the last chance we get at talking!"
"BERTHOLT! STOP!"
The teen stops, eyeing Armin, readying his blades -"What do you want Armin? You can't stop destiny!"
The blonde kid lands on the same roof, blade unsheathed, locking eyes with Bertholt -"I want to talk! There has to be a way to avoid this!"
Eren starts walking to give protection, but gets stopped by Jean, who tugs at his hair -"You have to realise that you're at a disadvantage against him, right? Stay away" - The Titan grumbles something, but nevertheless follows his order - Jean is right...I'd only get in the way...
"There's nothing to talk! You simply have to die! Just let us kill you!"
"You can't kill us - we're the only one who can stop Annie's torture-"
"STOP LYING! I KNOW YOU'RE NOT TORTURING HER!"
Armin freezes, not sure what other cards to play at the moment. He sees Bertholt advancing towards him, and he takes a step backwards, wishing to maintain a safe distance - "What happened, Armin? I thought you wanted to talk!"
The blonde kid stops backing off, and Bertholt continues speaking -" I know what you're doing - you're trying to surround me, while other soldiers go and kill Reiner. I'll tell you right away, that won't work" - Armin barely stifles a gasp, instead taking a sudden breath - "I thought that if I showed up, you'd be running away, but you stood your ground, trying to kill us - figures"
Armin lock eyes with Bertholt, remembering his description of them the last time they met.
"Is...is that because we're 'Children of the devil'?" - I have to buy some time for them to sneak on Bertholt...
Bertholt's demeanour calms down, raising his hands to calm down Armin -"No...you have no faults of your own. But you still have to die"
"Then why? If we have no faults of our own, why do we have to die!" - Sorry, Bertholt - Mikasa is here now
The taller kid notices Armin's eyesight looking past him, and he turns just in time to block Mikasa's blades - he twists his own, making hers slide off, Mikasa adding strength, hoping to hit him anyways, when Bertholt rotates, avoiding the blade, and using his leg to kick Mikasa with his strength, knocking her off the roof.
She manages to throw her blade at him, with Bertholt blocking her attack with his own. Armin runs towards him, hoping to have enough strength to kill him with one swipe, but Bertholt uses his longer legs to kick Armin before he can reach him, knocking him on the roof.
Bertholt flies to the sky, while Armin helps Mikasa get back on the roof - "Was that Bertholt? He seemed different!"- Mikasa exhales, taking deep breaths to fill up her stamina - Armin doesn't reply, following Bertholt with his eyes, noticing his increasing height - "He wants to transform!"
Both teens turn towards the squad attacking Reiner, who were stuck with the Titan facing up, not able to finish off Reiner - "BERTHOLT IS GOING TO TRANSFORM NOW! GO AWAY!"
Bertholt keeps flying up, his attitude completely calm- Weird...I don't feel anxious at all...whatever happens, it's alright with me.
The following explosion blinds everyone, Mikasa barely able to hide behind a sturdy building and grabbing Armin, protecting both from the heat.
Eren covers his comrades using his hands, Sasha Connie and Jean holding on to the giant's body to avoid being flown away.
Erwin is on top of the wall, witnessing a mushroom cloud extending towards the sky, leaving in its place the Colossus Titan. Humanity may be lost after all...
Eren is still looking around for his two friends, frantically switching from place to place, until he feels something land on his arms - looking down, he sees Armin and Mikasa, both having some scrapes, but nothing serious. Both he and Mikasa lock eyes, silently communicating their questions to each other - Are you ok? Are you hurt? , and silently answering them with nods of the head.
In front of them, they can see falling flaming debris, the Colossus wrecking havoc, by swinging its huge arms against houses.
"Where was Hange?" Connie ask the newcomers, worry evident in his eyes. Jean replies the shorter teen, arms vaguely pointing towards the Armored Titan -"The squad was over there...near the Armored Titan...near the explosion"
Everyone looks in that direction, only seeing destruction, buildings toppled and still falling.
"Could it be...that we are the only ones left alive" Sasha thinks out loud, apprehension at the dangers ahead fully setting in. Mikasa steps ahead, stepping near Armin - "We can't know for now. The only thing we can do is keep going - and we'll follow Armin's lead."
The blonde kid snaps his head towards his friend, eyes widening to extremes, nearly letting out a shout -"W-what? Why me?" he shakily asks, looking around him, seeing only eyes staring back at him.
"Armin, you are the smartest here - you figured out where Reiner was hiding. You are the most qualified for this"
Arming gulps, seeing as no other is stepping up to intervene. He takes a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, and before he can begin speaking, Jean puts a hand on his shoulder, silently signalling to stay put -" Right now we should head to the river - stay away from the wall. If Bertholt manages to spread the fire onto the other side, it'll hit the squadron. Eren will carry us, trying to staying hidden - we'll recap our situation then. Right now we need to avoid Bertholt nearing the wall."
Everyone looks at him, and then switches to Armin for confirmation, to which the blonde teek just nods.
Jean kneels down towards him, whispering -"Armin...I can't think of plans to take down the Titan - we need you. Relax, and come up with something, ok?" - the shorter kid looks up to him, and gives a small smile as thanks.
Ymir reaches the village on the outskirts of the wall, making sure to stay hidden - she is in her human form, it being way less noticeable than her Titan.
This is bad...could I take on the Beast Titan? It is much bigger than me, and those arms are dangerous...
She also watches as the Cart Titans supplies more boulders to the Beast, rolling them up to it. Ymir has some clues about what those boulders are for, and grimaces at the thought.
Maybe I could win against the Cart...but as soon as they notice me I would have to fight against all of those 10 meters ones...not to mention the Beast...I'd only buy a couple of minutes before dying...that's a no go.
The girl spots the rising giant cloud, and she understands what situations they are all in right now - So there's the Colossus...That's even a less appealing fight...Ymir ponders for a few seconds, and then disagrees with herself - actually, I might be a good fit...Bertholt can simply pick me up and squish me, but he has to catch me before...I'm way more agile than he is, it would be easy to avoid his attacks...and if I manage to bite his tendons, he might even fall down...
The girl is about to start the run cicling around the outside, when she hears loud rumbles coming from the wall, the Beast Titan standing up,having just thrown one of those boulders at the city, and the squadron, pieces of rocks flying like projectiles, mutilating everything it hits. The girl can only stand dumbfounded, as the Beast picks up another boulder, crumbles it with its hands, and throws the whole thing again, with deadly accuracy and speed.
I-I have to go now...I wouldn't be able to stop it...
Gritting her teeth, she forces herself not to watch the gruesome scene, instead focusing her attention on sneaking around the force.
Wait...I still need to get over the wall
Ymir spies the entrance, ways ahead in front of the Beast Titan, and shakes her head, going forward.
Erwin lands behind the building, rocks flying above them, meeting with Levi and the remaining soldiers.
"Commander - we need to retreat inside the wall now!" Marlowe shouts, instincts telling him to duck down at the sound of stones pulverising the buildings left.
"Negative - the Colossus Titan is rampaging - we're stuck here" the tall man replies, eyes meeting with Levi.
"I see...so the boom earlier was the brat transforming...are Hange and Eren alive?" The shorter man deadpans, eyeing the top of the wall.
"Hange's squad was near the explosion - they were trying to finish Reiner and kill Bertholt, so they may have been caught in the explosion - as for Eren, I have no idea"
Everyone remains silent, slowly connecting the dots - "To put it simply" Erwin continues -"We may be the only ones left alive"
Rocks and and stones keep on hitting the wall, creating resounding cracks and loud explosions, making almost everyone flinch every time - "Well, if this is the end, I'll start preparing - if you and enough soldiers scatter about, you may he able to escape. If Eren is dead we lost our only chance anyway" Levi says, while switching his blades -"I'll try and fight the Beast Titan, give you some time"
"Leave the sacrifices to someone else, Levi-"
"It's the only way - unless you have some plan, there's nothing else that we can do" Levi deadpans, turning to address the soldiers, but he gets stopped by Erwin, making him turn around.
"I may have a plan - but it's going to require the lives of all the recruits and soldiers left - and they won't agree to this plan if I won't lead it, so my life will be spent too"
Erwin releases a long sigh, shoulders slouching, and whispers -"Without knowing what is in that basement"
He sits down on a box, elbow leaning against his leg, and turns to Levi -"Is it just a childish dream of mine? I want to know the answers...it's all I ever wanted...to see if my father died for something..."
The blonde man stares at the ground, releasing a small chuckle -"I guess my dreams are gone after all"
He turns towards Levi, and, still chucking, asks -"What should I do, Levi? Save my dreams, or die?" he finishes, looking straight at the shorter man, who is still standing in place.
Levi gets closer, kneeling down in front of Erwin, but before he can speak, they hear a voice.
"I can give you the answers, if you want"
Both men turn towards the voice, seeing Ymir standing there, looking straight at Erwin. Levi recognises her, immediately standing up to confront her on her past decisions.
"You decided to show up? You're late to the party anyways, your friends might be dead" Levi informs her, not agreeing with her latest decision of hiding from everyone. Ymir shoots him a glare, clearly not affected by the shorter man's reputation.
"Zip it - as soon as I heard what was going on, I ran to get here. When I arrived, the Beast was already throwing stones - I had to take a large curve around the wall of Titans to get here. I'm going in to help my friends"
"They might be dead already, haven't you heard me before?"
Erwin ignores their banter, focusing on her offer - he instantly stands up, towering over her, and puts a hand on her shoulder -"If you can tell me anything about the truth, do it now - I'd rather face death with my dream than die alongside it - Levi, you go and gather everyone, and then restock your gas and blades. You'll get to that Ape - use your gear to grapple on the Titans. End this war for us."
He smiles, giving the shorter man a short nod -"You can do it"
Levi stares at Erwin, expression almost bored, and then simply nods, turning to get the attention of everyone. Before he does so, he tells Erwin -"You were a great commander"
"Ok, Eren - get his attention now! We can't let him spread fire on the other side!" Jean commands on top of the Titan, along the other soldiers.
Eren lets out a huge shout, causing the people on him to cover their ears, trying to get Bertholt to focus on them.
The Colossus' eyes turn towards the noise, but they immediately return to the original target - "He's ignoring us?! Damn..." - I can't think of any ways to take him down... - looking down at Armin, he sees that his friend is still not ready to take command, seeing his dumbfounded expression.
Dammit...I can't think of any other ways!
"Ok Eren! Let's stop that beanpole from advancing!" Jean shouts, holding on to the hair, stopping him from falling down due to the giant's running gait.
Before Eren can start, they suddenly hear another voice, causing them to stop - "WAIT! YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO GET HURT!"
Connie turns immediately, eyes wide at the sight of Ymir running towards them - "Ymir?! What?" - the freckled girl climbs onto the hand Eren is offering her, letting her get near the others.
"You can't seriously tell me that your plan was just 'Let's throw Eren at it and see what sticks'", eyes locking down on Armin - when Mikasa interjectes, pointing at Jean - "Armin isn't in command right now - Jean is"
Ymir stares at the taller boy, eyebrows raising in understanding, and waits a few seconds before adding -"That was stupid even by your standards"
"Nevermind that, ugly! We need to come up with a plan to stop that thing - what can we do? We're 7 kids!" Connie screams at the taller girl, quickly shutting her up.
"Bertholt still doesn't know about the thunder spears - we need to use that as a surprise! Ymir, transform and act as target for a while - you're faster, you should be able to escape his attacks - Eren, you stand near and try to break his legs if you can - me, Sasha, Connie and Jean will try to distract him long enough for Mikasa to fire the spear at his neck!" Armin takes charge, suddenly seeing things clear enough for him to come up with a plan.
He looks around, only to see the same scared expressions as before, and is about to backtrack, when Jean stands up -"Well? We have a plan now, let's go!"
Ymir drops down on the ground, slashing her hand with a shard of glass she finds near, transforming in her Titan, and charges forward towards the Colossus, who has just noticed the lightning
Whu...Ymir? You're here? And you're siding with them?
The smaller Titan leaps around from place to place, using her claws to slash at the legs, trying to tear enough muscle to stop Bertholt, while Eren is hardening his legs and fists, and hitting the giant as well.
It's pointless...you can't take me down just like that...
Jean, Connie and Sasha are flying in front of him, quickly going back and forth, trying to block his line of vision, and also distract him by talking to Bertholt.
" HEY BASTARD! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE BETRAYED PEOPLE"
"HEY YOU KING SIZE PERVERT! DID YOU CRY, WHEN YOU FAILED YOUR ASSIGNMENT 3 TIMES IN A ROW"
"HEY BERTHOLT! YOU TWO ARE THE WORST PEOPLE IN THIS GODDAMN EARTH"
Bertholt becomes more and more aggravated with each insult, gritting his teeth more and more, wanting to reply to them, but not being able to.
Ymir and Eren keep pushing the attacks, Ymir's teeth and claws tearing and ripping, Eren's punches cracking the giant's legs, seeing with disappointment that their combined attacks isn't stopping the Colossus from advancing.
We have to focus on the tendons!
Ymir launches herself behind the Titan's body, and attaches herself to the Achilles' tendon, hoping to break it - Come on Ymir! Keep biting!
Jean notices what Ymir is trying to do, and swoops down, turning before to warn his friends -"WE HAVE TO STOP HIM - GET HIS LEGS!"
The three soldiers fly down, gathering speed, going back and forth and slicing Bertholt's legs, doing not enough damage to compromise the structure of his body.
Armin stays behind, getting near Mikasa, warning her of the opportunity -" Get ready, if they manage to bring him down, you're up!" - the raven nods, climbing high on a building, setting herself up with a nice take off spot.
Bertholt notices the missing soldiers, bending his neck to see their positions, and finds Connie flying down towards the Titans - They're really going to try and cut me down? Is it bravery or stupidity?
Mikasa sees her chance, and takes off, hoping that Bertholt won't notice her getting behind him. Using her gear, she first swoops down, gathering speed, and then grapples onto a tall building, using her momentum to fly up, helping her ascent with the gas.
This is it!
She twists her body, blades dropping behind her head, ready to strike - Armin and the others stop their attacks, sure of their victory, and then start hacking at the Colossus's legs again.
Just as Mikasa fires her spears,Bertholt unleashes steam from his body, causing everything to be pushed away a few meters - Mikasa's spear get pushed away, making it explode in the air, shrapnel hitting her body.
MIK!
After witnessing that, Eren runs towards Mikasa, having seen her falling onto a roof - "She's ok, Eren - just a few scratches, but nothing major" Sasha says, having flown to her, kneeling near Mikasa, who is grabbing her arm, blood trickling out from a wound.
"I'm ok, Eren"
The two stare at each other, mentally checking with each other.
I'm ok, don't worry
The noise from the wind alerts them of the continued presence of the Colossus, whose steam is steadily decreasing in quantity.
"We couldn't do much damage to him! He's too big for us!" Ymir notes, having gotten out of her Titan - "We need to think of something else!" - she looks around for Armin,when they hear a loud cracking noise, and they all look behind them, the Armored Titan now on its feet again.
"Is this it...this is the end?" Connie asks to no-one, tears falling from his face, falling down on his knees. "How can the seven of us fight against two Titans". He can feel a hand on his shoulder, shaking him a bit, and he looks up to Sasha, a smile on her face, determination showing in her eyes -"We can only keep trying! If we don't fight-" she pauses, looking at Mikasa and Eren, -"We can't win!"
The rest joins them there, Ymir glaring down Reiner, who is advancing slowly, not bothering to spend more energy than needed.
Now you're cornered. You got lucky before!
"Armin? You got a plan?" Jean asks the blonde, while looking at both Titans, taking deep breaths.
Armin looks down for a second, eyes scrunching and muttering something, too soft for anyone to understand. Suddenly, he raises his head, watching the Colossus, and after a few seconds, addresses the others.
"I may have a plan - it's not the best, but it's the only one I have right now. Ymir, Jean, Connie and Sasha - you go after the Armored. Me, Mikasa and Eren will deal with Bertholt"
"How can you three deal with that? We went at it together and we didn't do much damage - it's too big for us!" Jean intervenes, baffled by the suggestion.
"Look at him - he's thinner now. When he uses his steam, his body gets thinner and less protected as a consequence - if we can manage to force him to use his steam long enough, he should run out of stamina after some time - and we should be able to strike him!" Armin explains, trying to make everyone understand his reasoning.
"And how are you supposed to force him to use his attack? We can't even get close to him" Jean points out, every passing second less convinced about this plan.
"We grapple onto his bones! They won't disappear like his body, so our hooks should stay in place - I know it's not the best, but if-" he stops, looking at Mikasa -"Me and Mikasa are able to sustain some damage,especially if we first drench ourselves with water - it won't do much, but for a first barrier... Eren can then surprise him. Bertholt doesn't know about about hardening. Harden your entire body, and then leave it. If Bertholt keeps on seeing your Titan body, he won't question your absence!"
Ymir growls, staring down Reiner, who is much closer now, and slashes her hand again, transforming into her Titan. After standing still a few seconds, seeing as Reiner keeps advancing, she growls loudly, and runs to stop him as best she can, leaving the others with no options other than to follow her.
"Damn you Armin - you better finish that bastard, you hear me? Don't you die on us, or I'll kill you myself!" Jean shouts before flying towards Reiner.
The trio left look at each other, nodding before making their plan a reality.
Bertholt is still marching towards the wall, not noticing the trio sneaking up behind him.
Mikasa and Armin fly high, while Eren uses his hardened fists against Bertholt, forcing him to notice him.
Again? You tried it already, idiot!
He is about to swing his foot back to kick the Titan, when he sees Armin and Mikasa grappling onto his teeth and skull, aiming towards the bones, latching on.
...fools...you're so willing to die a hero's death?
The Colossus releases the steam, burning immediately the pair, pain shooting up their entire bodies, trying to hold on as much as they could.
The steam burns their bodies, wind pushing them back, the hooks not letting them go.
We...have...to resist! We can't give up now!
Bertholt is somewhat impressed by their resolve, and increases the steam, them trying to hold on, the impact getting greater, but ultimately both let go, the burning sensation too much for them to handle. They are transported by the wind, Armin falling down on some buildings, the rubble somewhat protecting his fall.
Bertholt stops his attack, seeing both of them on the ground, and he notices Mikasa's unconscious body on a rooftop. This is what happens when you try to resist what you can't. Shame.
He looks towards Eren, seeing his Titan standing in front of the wall, unmoving. He starts to walk forward again, only to stop, noticing the stillness of the body - What is happening...
What he feels next is the subtle slice of a blade on his Titan's neck, light pouring in from behind.
*After Reiner gets taken back by Zeke
Eren runs towards the roof where he last saw Mikasa, using his last remaining gas to jump onto the roof. He freezes on the spot, feeling a wave of cold wash over him. He shakes his head, forcing himself to walk towards the unmoving figure.
"M-Mik?"
When no answer comes, he squeezes a hand into a fist to stop from screaming, eyes blinking away the upcoming tears, vision turning blurry soon after.
He takes her hand, keeping his eyes onto her face, watching for any sign of her being awake. His eyes go through her body, watching for any wound or bruise, but aside from a few scratches on her face, he finds nothing.
"MIKASA!"
He finally lets out a shout, alerting everyone else of his presence on the roof, and Connie is the first one to arrive, eyeing the unconscious girl.
"Is she..." He doesn't dare to finish the sentence, not even wanting to think about losing another one of the friends.
"She- she isn't responding!" the brunette cries loudly, not wanting to touch the body of his friend for fear of finding it unmoving.
"Check for her pulse!" Connie urges him, pushing him when Eren still doesn't move -"Come on! CHECK HER PULSE!"
With shaking fingers, Eren picks up her hand and places two fingers on her wrist, the fear of not finding anything overcoming him.
"I-I..." suddenly he can feel the movement under his fingertips, the rhythmic bumps of the blood flowing alerting him of her life.
"She's here! I can feel it!" Eren looks at the face of Mikasa, seeing with relief as her eyes begin to blink open, locking up with his own, still pouring down tears, with a big smile on his face.
"E-Eren? Whu- what-" Eren caresses her hand, pushing hair away from her face, shushing her -"Everything is ok, Mik - you're ok...you need to rest, ok? I'll be here...just rest..."
The raven, sti groggy from the hit, doesn't fully understand the situation, but she feels tired, and takes Eren's advice, closing her eyes again.
Armin wakes up, looking around him - he only sees rubble around him, and silence. Only a few muffled voices, the rest eerily silent.
He leans on his elbows, looking down at his body, poking at himself to see if everything is ok
Aside from a few, or a lot of deep bruises I seem to have gotten out of it alive.
He smiles, leaning back down and just watching the sun, wanting to rest for the foreseeable future.
REINER AND BERTHOLT!
He shoots back up, trying to see if he can spot anyone that can explain to him the situation, and he sees Jean running over to him.
"You didn't die!" the taller boy stops near him, punching his shoulder hard enough to make him grunt. "That was an incredibly stupid plan"
"Where are Reiner and Bertholt? And Eren? An-"
"Calm down" Jean says, expression turning sober and more serious -" Reiner got away - another damn Titan grabbed him and whoever the Beast was. We got Bertholt, the bastard is regenerating as we speak", he continues, head pointing towards a group of people.
Armin can see the steam coming off of Bertholt's amputated body, Ymir and the rest circling him, commenting softly at the memories they shared with him.
"What about Eren and Mikasa?" Armin asks, not seeing them near.
"They're fine - Eren at least. Mikasa got knocked out, I think while she fell - she doesn't appear to have any substantial damage, only a few bruises and scratches like you. She's still sleeping, I think. And Eren is watching over her - when we found him he was screaming her name so loud we thought she died. Blockhead got us scared, he didn't even think to check a pulse" Jean shakes his head, remembering the horrible feeling when they all thought to have lost her.
Armin stands up, leaning on Jean for support, walking towards the group, where they spot Hange, and Armin lets out a small sound at her sight.
"Yeah, it's Hange - I don't know how the blast didn't kill everyone, but Hange survived"
Armin can see a makeshift bandage around Hange's head, covering her eye. She is breathing heavily, obviously having taken quite a few hits.
Hange turns towards the duo, running over them to help Armin get settled -"You need to rest now - you did a great job at taking down Bertholt - now we have another asset!"
That's right - if any of us eat Bertholt, we'll inherit his power...but who is it going to be
"Who...who is going-" Armin starts, but gets stopped by Hange, who, along with Jean, helps him up to start moving.
"We have a volunteer - he's at deathbed, and basically the only chance we have at saving our own skins" Hange starts, not letting Armin continue asking for more info.
Armin looks around, seeing Ymir, Sasha and Connie near them, and he notices Levi fly towards them, covered in blood.
"Whu- what happened to him?"
"Nevermind that, brat - we don't have much time" Levi picks up the remaining torso of Bertholt, who is beginning to wake up. "What...what happened?"
"You're getting your prize - finally escaping this hell" Levi answers, before taking off again.
"What? Wait...wait...WAIT! ARMIN! WE CAN STILL TALK THINGS!"
The blonde watches the eyes of Bertholt, seeing tears spilling out. He gulps air, forcing himself to keep looking, and he manages to let out -"We talked. That's it"
Bertholt can only look with widened eyes at Armin, Levi grappling on to a building, flying off to where he came from before.
A few minutes pass, and then a strike of lightning can be seen, and a tall Titan appears, a spray of blonde atop his head.
Levi lands near the group, and notices the stare on Armin's face, deciding the answer the boy.
"We have our commander back"
Mikasa opens her eyes, seeing Eren near her, watching her with a smile on his face. She breaks into a small smile too, a small feeling of happiness surrounding them in this hell they've become accustomed to.
"Where are we?" she whispers, realising that one of her hand is trapped between Eren's own hands, who doesn't seem to be willing to let her go.
"Top of the wall - Levi, Hange, Erwin and Armin are checking the basement as we speak - but it's more of a confirmation at this point", he finished, looking up at Ymir, who stares back at him.
"Eren...you didn't want to go check the basement?" Mikasa asks weakly, remembering that the basement was always on Eren's mind.
The boy shakes his head, still staring at her -"We have what we came for...if there is more than what Ymir just said, great, but at least we know - also, I told you before : I was going to be here"
The pair just looks at each other, the original point of their argument still in their minds, and both are tired of not talking.
"Mik...I'm sorry I got angry at you - I was just frustrated with-" the girl holds up her hand, stopping him from talking -" I'm the one who should apologise - I did say that I was willing to die for you, and then got angry when you said the same. I'm sorry - I only wanted to say that, ever since we talked, I don't want to lose this. I don't want to give my life if it means not spending it with you"
Eren stares at Mikasa, expression suddenly turning quite serious. He gulps down air, but before he can speak he is interrupted by the higher ups returning.
Erwin is the first to land, feeling like his dream was accomplished, followed by Levi and Hange. The all stop near them, Erwin giving a small square to Eren, some writings written on the back.
The three of them walk towards Ymir, who only stares back at them.
"So - you're from outside" Levi starts, eyeing the taller girl.
"Yes - I was trapped here decades ago. 5 years ago I ate someone, who apparently was on the same mission as Reiner and Bertholt. He was another shifter, and I replaced him"
"And you decided to not talk about this - for what reason" Erwin interjectes, the tone of his question suggesting that answering wasn't optional.
"I wanted a fresh start - I got it. I didn't tell it because...I didn't want to be roped in again. You were going to figure it out anyway, even without me." Ymir finishes, looking at everyone around her.
"I just wanted to be free"
"That freedom cost a bunch of lives - you could've helped with all of this from the start. You-"
Ymir interrupts the shorter man, raising her voice, verging on tears -"I DID! I DID DO THAT - I DID LET ALL OF THEM DIE!...I...I wanted to help my friends first..." by now Ymir is kneeling down, holding herself up by her hands, letting out a few tears -"I wanted to help the people that helped me"
Erwin puts a hand on Levi's shoulder,interrupting his angry rant, and signalling him to stand down.
He gets near Ymir, and kneels down by her level.
"Ymir. You acted selfishly. We all did. But you pushed through"
Ymir still cries softly, feeling relief at the soft tone addressing her. "I can understand why you would do that - acting for your own dreams, for your own reasons, sometimes it's the hardest thing you can do. I should know"
At that, Levi stares at the man, remembering their conversation, him being stopped by Ymir from expressing his own belief, decidedly different from the commander's.
"Plus, yeah, you could've helped with the Beast Titan for sure, but then we would've been severely disadvantaged. Your help fending off Reiner was crucial" Hange adds, a smile showing.
"Still, you will face some time in a cell - you did hold secrets that we needed" Erwin finishes, looking around to say that no addition was necessary.
"Survey Corps - we go home now"
Connie helps Ymir stand back up, showing a smile to her -" Listen, Ymir. I get that you wanted to protect me, when I talked about my village. I truly do. But, maybe you should've just talked to me. Not like it would've made a change, again. We would only have figured it out sooner"
The freckled girl nods, some tears still collecting in her eyes, and looks at Connie -"I'm sorry for what happened. I truly am."
Connie waves her apology off, looking at the side.
"No need. It happened. I wish the one who did it was dead, but - whatever. Let's go home now"
Under Eren's insistence, Mikasa travelled back in a hastily made carriage, Eren riding next to her to make sure that she was truly ok after the fall.
Ymir is coming with them as well, and Sasha and Connie spend most of the time teasing her about her reunion with Historia, each role-playing as either Ymir or Historia.
"Oh my dear Historia! I came back to protect you - now we shall always be together!" Sasha was reciting, hands emphasising her over the top impression of Ymir.
"Oh Ymir! I missed you so! Please, never leave my side again!" Connie's falsetto voice is next, hands over his heart. The impromptu play gets a few laughs from Jean and Armin, while Ymir can only manage a smile, failing to not show the blush on her face.
"What do you think will happen when they meet?" Mikasa asks from her spot near the campfire, sitting close to Eren, hugging her knees.
Eren looks at her with a curios expression, he too listening to the impressions their friends were still doing.
"I don't know - they were friends, so maybe the same as with us - a bit of hugging, and that's it"
The raven turns her head to the brunette, wondering if he was being sarcastic or joking around -" You're not serious, are you?" she asks, and after seeing the confused face of Eren, she shakes her head, muttering -"You really are a blockhead"
"Why? I mean yeah, they spent time together, and basically were inseparable, but-" he stops, noticing some similarities between their relationship and his own with Mikasa. "Ooh - you mean that they-" he tentatively asks, connecting the dots in his brain.
"You got it - they are more than friends"
At those words, Eren remembers how he was stopped this afternoon, just before he was going to talk to Mikasa about them. He gulps air, and scoots away from her, turning to face her completely. He looks around, privacy not an option at this point, hoping that the others wouldn't be totally silent, witnessing their talk.
He meets Armin's eyes, who seems to understand immediately what he wants, and turns to the others, delving into some questions, making sure that the two would have some small moments of privacy.
After a few seconds, Eren turns to Mikasa again, eyes meeting, and takes a deep breath, before starting to speak.
"Mik...listen...I don't want to lose what we have too" he stops for a while, Mikasa also remembering his odd behaviour before getting stopped by Levi.
"And I want to make sure that you know how I feel, if something were to happen to either of us" He can feel her about to speak, probably saying that nothing will happen, but he stops her before she can say a single word.
"Something might. We got lucky with Ymir being there. I don't want to think about what would've happened if she didn't come"
He gets closer, his hands grabbing her own, blinking a few times, as to memorise her face.
"You are very special to me - I don't know if you feel the same way-"
At that, he hears a barely muffled "God", and before he can try to avoid it, turns towards the voice, seeing Jean with an exasperated expression on his face -"You really are an idiot, are you? How much more dense can you get?"
Eren looks at Armin, trying to silently say to him a Nice work, but the blonde is unperturbed, simply smiling, shrugging his shoulders.
"Eren, you might have some skills as a tactician, and I'm being very generous here, but you absolutely suck at everything else" Levi interrupts, getting smacked on his shoulder by Hange.
"Seriously Eren, how can you even ask that question and not feel like the dumbest person in here" Connie adds, while Sasha nods her head.
"Can you please just turn around or something? I'm trying to be serious here!" Eren waves his hand at them, motioning them to go away, and Hange is the first one to react -"Okok, let's all turn around and give them some privacy, ok?"
This is even more awkward now...
Shaking his head, Eren turns to Mikasa, who hasn't said anything up until there, still looking at him. He is about to start again, when he feels some pressure in his hand, seeing them encapsulated by Mikasa's.
"Eren...I feel the same way about you"
When the rest of the group doesn't hear anything else for a few seconds, they all turn again, seeing the two leaning on each other's heads, staring at each other.
Took them way longer than I thought, Jean thinks, a smile coming to his face.
After getting back to the city, Hange and Levi lead Ymir down to the jail cells, where she is to spend at least a few days.
"It's not as bad as it seems - and I think it's more of a formality than anything else really" Hange explains, unlocking the door, when they hear someone shouting "LET ME PASS - I AM YOUR QUEEN"
The trio looks at the entrance, seeing Historia coming through, followed by a soldier, who is trying to excuse the sudden entrance, getting immediately stopped by Historia.
"Zip it - what are you doing here? Are you seriously going to lock her up? After she helped you?"
"Your majesty, it's protocol - she did lie to-" Levi starts to explain, immediately stopping once he sees the glare coming from the girl.
How did she master it in such a short time
"Point to me one person that hasn't lied or did something selfish - now get your crummy hands off of her!"
Ymir can barely contain a smirk, looking down at the shorter man, feeling her hands being released by the cuffs.
"All of you, out - I wish to remain alone with Ymir"
Ymir is left alone with Historia, not sure of where to look - she is aware of the girl's stare, not wanting to look her in the eyes.
"You left"
Guess we're doing this
"I did - but I left because I didn't want to cause you problems. I mean, I was kind of right. The military doesn't like like fact that I didn't speak up sooner - they would've-"
"The military would have done what I would have ordered them to do. We would have the survey corps on our side - nothing would've happen" - even thought Historia is saying this, she knows that she isn't 100% sure about this.
The two girls are still standing in front of each other, eyes locked, not willing to move an inch.
Once she sees the tears collecting on the shorter girl's eyes, Ymir decides to act, walking forward to hug the girl -"I- I was suddenly surrounded by people I didn't know...I only wanted my friends again...I'm scared"
For the next few minutes, both girl don't move, Ymir allowing Historia to release the tension in her, hugging her tightly and whispering soothing words of comfort.
"I'm sorry...I won't leave you again"
Ok let's talk about my plans for this fic - I am planning on ending it maybe in the next chapter, 2 at most. I don't want to spoil anything to people that haven't seen or read the ending, but basically I am planning to pull a talk no jutsu, if you know what I mean.
Of course this would mean that a ton of stuff wouldn't happen, like 50 or so chapters - if you want me to keep going, write something also for the later chapters, then I'll do it, write in the comments what you would prefer, keeping in mind that I'm not promising anything.
So yeah - I'm thinking on how to handle my ending of the story, what I need, how many loopholes and plotholes I have to create, but yeah, I'm planning to end it here.
Feel free to tell me your thoughts, or anything really, reading comments is way better than it seems.