Shingeki no Kyojin is owned by Hajime Isayama.

Major Manga Spoilers! Be warned.

Chapter 13: Break

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"You can open your eyes you know," the voice of Mikasa speaking cut along with the pair of scissors.

Sasha could feel some cut strands of hair from where they had landed on her face. "Th-that's ok. I think I'll wait until you're all done." Not like she was actually scared to look or anything, no! That would just be crazy on her end. She could trust Mikasa with her new haircut, they had been friends for years now. It wasn't as if sleeping around with the same guy was going to make Mikasa do some things to boost her own favor in their little circle of harem sisters. Nope. Not at all.

She felt Mikasa stop with her cutting. "You're going to have to look at some point, Sasha."

"I know, I know," Sasha affirmed. "I just trust you is all. And I have no reason not to."

"Hm. That is good to know. Now that you mention it, I might be able to go a bit shorter on the sides here, sort of like how Connie has-,"

"What?!" the suggestion of having her hair cut to resemble anything like Connie had forced her eyes open as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. "A-ah?"

Realizing she had fallen right into Mikasa's trap, Sasha could only stare at what had become of her once long hair. It... wasn't bad. It was shorter, much shorter than it had been before. Mikasa had trimmed up a lot of the bangs from the side of her head but still left them a bit longer in the front, perfect if she wanted to wear one side longer than the other. Most of it had been cut in the back with only a little left to tie into a small ponytail if she wanted.

"Well?" Mikasa asked, stoic but curious.

"I... I don't look like a boy!"

"I know. I cut it."

Sasha jumped out of her seat and hugged the black haired girl. "Ooh! Thank you, Mikasa! It looks great!" realizing that Mikasa might not have wanted the sudden affection, Sasha let her go and turned it back a bit. "Well... thank you, Mikasa."

"You are welcome, Sasha. I'm sure Eren will like it as well."

Sasha smiled softly as she felt one of her longer strands. "Well... if you say so."

"I know so," Mikasa affirmed. "You are a pretty girl, Sasha, no need to hide it. I thought that our session with Eren would have been enough to prove that."

"Haha," Sasha laughed at her own embarrassment. "Best to get over any hesitation now before we do this again with any more girls joining in, right?" she felt comfortable enough with Mikasa, Historia would probably be an understanding person in the bedroom, Annie... yeah, she had trouble reading Annie especially if Mikasa was present as well. And those were just 2 other girls! Next time there could be 3 of them all grouped together or maybe even all 9 once that happened. "I mean I know I can trust you the most out of our harem sisters, haha."

Mikasa just stared at her, probably thinking something along the lines of "Did she really just refer to us as harem sisters?"

"It's good you feel that way," Mikasa said after a stoic and pregnant pause. "I confess that I do feel more at ease when talking to you or Eren." Sasha was relieved when Mikasa allowed a small smile. "You seemed to really know what you were doing when it came to using your mouth. Even I haven't had much experience with that." She was actually further experienced at something than the Mikasa Ackerman?!

"Oh. Not much to it, really. I just kinda pictured it like eating. You know as well as I do he has the width of a sausage and the length of a baguette." Bread and meat together in one, what wasn't to love?

Mikasa actually looked like she wanted to laugh, but held herself back. "Maybe during our next session you can give me some pointers on how to perform like you do."

"H-huh? You're already thinking of another threesome? You don't want to like, have him for yourself one of these nights?" they both knew multiple other girls were going to be involved at one point, but being together-together was something Sasha had assumed would come after anything legal like marriage. If anything, now was the prime time to just have one-on-one action.

"Sasha," Mikasa began, her tone becoming more serious, "tell me, do you think I'm obsessive?"

"Huh?"

"Do you think I'm obsessive? Possessive? Stalkerish? Anything like that?"

Where the hell was she taking this?! "Uh... no. No. Why would I think any of that?" she had. They all had at one point in time that it became a running joke among every group of friends in the 104th.

"Sasha," Mikasa narrowed her gaze like a mother who knew her kid was lying.

"O-Oh! Fine! Maybe a little, but that's it, I swear!" Sasha waved her hands in a dismissive manner. "But do you mind telling me what this is about?"

"I know what people say about me." Oh crap! "And the thing is, they're not wrong. I have been overprotective and clingy towards Eren in the past, even up to now. And... I'm not exactly sure why. I used to tell myself I was honoring his mother's last wishes and that what I felt was pure love and devotion. And while I do love Eren, I feel other kinds of love too. I love Armin as a brother, I loved Mrs. Yeager as a mother. I was devastated when I lost 1 of them and whenever Eren was kidnapped, but something was always different about that; I felt compelled in a way to get Eren back no matter what, even if I died in the process, I get these headaches of a sort until its resolved. I do love Eren as he is, but that certain feeling, the one that compels me to act that way, that's something different than love." Mikasa paused. "I'm telling you this because I know there are more girls to be involved besides us. At some point in time, we'll all be together in some way. I'm not the most open of people, but maybe if I feel more at ease, If I know both Eren and I can be happy with these girls then maybe I can stop whatever that feeling is. Do you understand, Sasha?"

"Wow... sniff... talk about a punch to the uterus... sniff sniff." Seriously! How was she supposed to keep it together after that?! Mikasa had basically just poured out some of her deepest emotional secrets, said that she wanted to better herself, and all but confided that she was prepared to one day love Sasha as more than just a friend if that's what ended up happening.

"You really don't have to cry," Mikasa said as if it was no big deal.

"Yes I do!" Sasha sniffled again. "You just poured out your feelings and admitted to your own flaws. This is huge for you! You're normally so closed off that its hard to know what you're thinking. But...I'm glad you told me this!" Sasha clasped Mikasa's hand in hers. "Rest assured, I'm going to be the best harem sister you could ever wish for! And whatever this problem is you have, if there's anything I can do, please, just let me know."

Mikasa seemed a little overwhelmed at first, but allowed a small smile to form. "Thank you, Sasha. That does mean a lot to me."

"Of course. After all, our boobs touched last night when we were with Eren. As far as I'm concerned, we're practically family. But not in the incest way, you know with the sex and all."

Mikasa offered a real - if not confused smile to Sasha. "I'm glad that you feel that way."

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, does anyone else know about your little headache problem?" Sasha had to know.

"It's never been something I've told anyone." Does that make me Mikasa's first? That came out wrong even in my head. "Armin probably knows there's something to it, he's always been intuitive." So his bowl-cut really is a distraction to make him seem innocent. "I don't think Eren ever really suspected anything was wrong."

"Well, maybe not before, but I wouldn't put it past him now."

"Explain," Mikasa said, wanting to know where Sasha was going with this.

"I mean, Eren does seem different from before, doesn't he? And I don't just mean by his hair getting longer which isn't really a bad thing with the way it just flows in the breeze when he rides a horse and-"

"Sasha."

"Right. But he seems to understand more, people, I mean. Even since you guys got out of that basement he's seemed different. He just seems better at reading people and knowing what to say or do. Hehe! I guess that's what comes when you have multiple girlfriends."

Mikasa thought that over as she touched the end of her scarf. "Maybe. But he's still Eren, the one whose always fought to be free, to do what other people wouldn't."

"And bit of a dork too," Sasha added. "I don't really know how all those titan powers work, I can imagine a little stress relief is exactly what he needs right now. All those memories or whatever, he's got to have something to focus on to keep himself sane, right?"

"Right," Mikasa agreed. "Come on. Let's clean up your hair clippings. Captain Levi is supposed to make a surprise inspection."

"But if its a surprise how do you know about it?"

"Do you want to know, or do you want to finish cleaning here and get some food after?" Mikasa asked an obvious question. And Sasha gave an obvious answer.

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Damnit! Say something already!

Annie just stood and watched, waiting for some reaction from the other girl about what she had just said. She had just confessed to being the Female Titan, the one responsible for killing her friends and putting her in a hospital in a crippled state. This girl should be saying something about now, screaming at her, or something, anything aside from just standing and staring at her.

Annie wasn't giving anything away about her inner turmoil either, keeping her demeanor the same as it had always been, like she had been trained and taught for so long. Hiding emotions and weakness was nothing new at all, but it was usually a lot easier when she had an understanding of who she was with. Maybe for that reason she thought back to when she was in Marley.

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The walk from the Marley Recruitment Center to Liberio was one she had made before after the initial introduction and one she had revised to avoid the busier streets of Marley. She readjusted her armband for safe measure. Even if she was a Warrior in training, she was still an Eldian, still below even the lowest of Marley's citizens. She was no stranger to some of the looks she would get as she walked down the streets, but she had found that taking a walk through some of the more quiet parts of the city were met with fewer stares and remarks.

That was why she stopped when she heard a pair of footsteps following behind her. "Hey!" the person called from behind. If it was a Marleyian, she would have to turn around and apologize for walking home through their neighborhood. When she turned around, her forced humility turned to a stoic indignance at the girl standing there.

It was that same girl as before, the annoying one - Pieck.

"What?" Annie asked, annoyed at being held up.

"Are you heading back to Liberio?" the dark haired girl asked.

"Of course I am," Annie said. What kind of question was that? "You should be smart enough to know that we're only permitted outside for the program."

"I just didn't know that you took this way back," Pieck rocked on the balls of her feet. "I usually come this way so I was surprised when I saw you."

"So, what? You just started following me like a lost puppy? Go whatever way you want and I'll do the same." Annie turned around and continued walking. She barely made it 5 meters before hearing the other pair of footsteps behind her again. "What?" Annie demanded more forcefully this time as she turned to face the other girl.

"What 'what'?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"What's up with you following after me like some kind of stalker?" Annie glared at her.

"I'm not stalking you," Pieck denied. "We're both going to the same place, I'm just walking a bit behind you. I figured you liked your space."

"Well it's annoying," Annie told her. "Can you not do that?"

Pieck looked thoughtful. "So, you don't want me to walk behind you?"

"No." Annie affirmed as she turned to walk off again, Pieck took a spot on her side. "What are you doing now, weirdo?"

"You said you didn't want me walking behind you, so I figured I'll walk next to you instead. I won't be a stalker that way."

"You'd be annoying instead," Annie had half a mind to trip her and keep on by herself. "And you are."

"But this is also better for the Marley guards at Liberio. Instead of checking us back in separate, they do it in one. I'm sure they'd like less of a hassle."

Annie was going to say something, but thought of her father and the situation they were in. Openly dismissing Marley or talking bad about them in any way was a taboo in their home. She had been put through additional drills to help keep that mentality in mind. So she said nothing and let Pieck walk next to her - but at an arms distance, she might have fleas or something.

"So you live with your dad, right?" Pieck asked as they continued to walk.

"None of your business."

"I live with mine, too. He's pretty sick most of the time so I'm hoping if I get to be a Warrior I can get him proper medicine."

"I didn't ask," Annie denied further conversation.

"I know," Pieck hardly seemed bothered. "I can tell you're trying for something similar, but you don't have to tell me."

"I won't."

"Ok." They spotted the gate to Liberio ahead. "Looks like we're almost there."

"Yeah." And then she could get away from this girl.

"You know, I didn't see that Reiner kid leave when we all did." So that was his name.

"What about him?" really, he was nothing special.

Pieck shrugged. "I don't know. It looked like he was staying after to talk to the instructor. Maybe he's trying to make up for points he lost on the physical exam."

"So what if he is? It isn't our fault that he might not make the cut. Why are you even talking to me about this?"

"Well, because even if we don't all get to become Warriors, we're still comrades, right? And I don't know, I just feel better being around people I can rely on and trust."

"And you're saying you trust me?" this was really their first real conversation. What was up with this girl?

"In a way," Pieck told her. "I get the feeling you don't really trust anyone. That's why." The way she was saying this so casually... did she have any idea what she was saying?! "I guess I find it easy to trust someone I know at least 1 thing about then nothing at all, so, I guess you could say I trust you."

"...You're weird."

She smiled. "No, I'm Pieck. And my dad's making stew tonight if you wanted some."

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She had been so annoying, so intrusive, and Annie would have given just about anything for this girl to say something to her now. It would at least give her something to work on, to get a grasp of her feelings or mindset right now. Even in hand-to-hand fights, she knew it was sometimes easier to let your opponent make the first move so you could easily counter it.

And finally...

"Annie... did you just say... you were the Female Titan?" Petra asked. So she heard her, she knew for a fact that she heard her. That was something to go on. "Why... why would you say that?" Was she... in denial? It wasn't impossible, up until now, Petra had just known her as Annie, the antisocial blonde who was also a part of Yeager's little harem, they were bound to meet at some point.

"I said it... because it's true." Annie spoke lightly, letting the weight behind her words sink in fully for the other girl. She was going in cautious, not wanting to be too direct, but not holding back on the truth either.

Petra was staring at her now. Not staring as she had before in a blank state, but with a look of recognition in her eyes, maybe putting her features now to how she looked in her titan form. It wasn't that hard and Annie honestly wondered how Eren hadn't noticed earlier, unless he had and he was too much of a numbskull to actually admit it.

Petra lightly shook her head, maybe not wanting to believe she was alone in a room with the person who had killed a number of her companions. "I was told... they captured the Female Titan in Stohess. If you are... why or how could you have gotten out?"

"Yeager and the Queen put in a good word about me and I'm under his supervision. As of now, I'm being given the same treatment he was when he found out he was a Shifter." She might have sounded more stoic than she meant, but it was all still the truth. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say by mentioning Eren.

"Are you saying Eren... knew who are?"

Annie mentally berated herself for that small slip-up. "Eren only found out after being told by someone else." And when she transformed as well.

She could see the flames of anger start to rise up in Petra now. "A-and instead of telling me himself he-,"

"Before you go on yelling about Eren, and there are many reasons to do, he wanted to be here to tell you too, but... this was just something that I wanted to do on my own."

"On your own?" Petra repeated looking skeptical at what she was hearing right now. "And what do you really expect to happen or for me to react to all of this? Do you think just coming clean about who you are is just going to make me forget what happened in that forest?!"

"No. No I don't think me telling you all this will make you forget that. It's just..."

"Just what?" Petra asked, not taking her eyes off Annie for a second.

"I know that you don't trust me. That's really the only thing I know for certain about you right now and that's all I really have to go on. And... Because of that... it's why I can trust you."

Whatever it was Petra had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been that. "You... trust me?"

"As ridiculous as that sounds... yes," and this was why she hated opening up to people. "Being in a relationship with Eren or not, you deserve to know who I am if we're to ever call ourselves... comrades." She had gotten it out.

Petra looked torn between empathy and anger. "You... I..." she ran a hand through her hair. "I'd really appreciate it if you left me alone for right now."

That was all she could really ask for considering all she had done. "...Sure."

Annie closed the door on her way out, almost expecting a flying object to be thrown at her head as she left, but it never came. The last thing she saw was of Petra standing there which almost seemed more haunting. But she of all people could understand wanting to be alone.

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The light from the small fire reflected off of his glasses. "And I trust I can count on your own interests as well to make the venture to Paradis? A shipment of Marley volunteers is scheduled to ship out soon as well." Zeke waited to see what Madam Kiyomi of Hizaru would say to his proposal.

"I'm well versed in the art of being discrete, Mr. Yeager," Kiyomi replied. "Despite what the Marley government will say to the public, all the world government, and anyone with common sense, know about the abundance of resources that lie on that island. Any attempt, even if it is a stretch for diplomatic relations should be taken with the care that Hizaru will be happy to provide."

Does she know she's drooling? Zeke wondered as he spotted the drop roll down the side of Kiyomi's lip. "Ma'am," one of her attendants handed her a hankerchief. Ah. A common occurrence. Zeke scratched at his ear.

"I'm glad to hear I can rely on your help to relay the plan I have set in place."

"Indeed. Although, we will most likely be Paradis only ally in the coming conflict. You'll be heading back to the fight the Mid-Eastern Alliance soon with the other warriors, will you not?"

"That I will," Zeke confirmed. "Now is the only beneficial time I have to have set up this secret meeting." And with time ticking away for him, the mid-eastern conflict would have to be resolved soon. "Hopefully the volunteers will be able to make peace first with those on Paradis so your introduction can follow smoothly." Yelena would not disappoint, she was far too devoted.

"But if I may ask, what makes you so certain that the Paradis government will even agree to this plan of yours?" Kiyomi asked.

A portion of my plan. "Desperation, mainly. Even with the power of the titans on their side, Marley possesses more resources and allies as well as being years in advance with technology. And my half-brother is not fully able to use the full extent of the Founding Titan's power." But if Eren can come around... maybe some of the other shifters as well... if I can meet and talk with him... we could end all this conflict. We're different than our father, we won't let this continue. Eren... I will save you.

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And I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but a bit of a time skip will happen next chapter. Until next time!