Episode 5: Final Farewell

最後の別れ

Marley

After weeks of strict training and expert supervision, the Horizonal cadets were ready to depart from their homes, away from their families, to Paradis Island. As of the moment, they were all bidding their families adieu.

Levi's mother cupped his face and smiled, "Be back soon, alright? My handsome son needs to find a girlfriend after being single all his life."

"Mom!" Levi clicked his tongue.

"Am I wrong, though? You're handsome, kind, caring, and oh, did I mention handsome?"

"Stop it," color rose to his face as he denied, and seeing her son blush, his mother laughed.

On the other hand, Erwin hugged his mother, who sobbed uncontrollably.

"It's okay, mother. I'll be back very soon," he consoled her, soothingly rubbing her back. When they parted, the mother admitted, "I don't have a good feeling about this, son."

"Don't worry; I'll come back to you," Erwin gently smiled.

Meanwhile, Armin hugged his parents, and his father jollily laughed, "Look at how brave my son is!"

Armin timidly grinned, nodding his head and inwardly getting emotional over the departure.

Mikasa stood in front of her parents, and her mother tightly embraced her. Her father, who was supposedly sterner than her mother, breathed out, "Avenge the world, Mikasa. We believe in you."

"Yes, father."

Standing by the sidelines, Connie shared a peal of laughter with his parents and younger brother. The younger brother exclaimed, "I wanna be like big bro!"

Connie bent to his level and chuckled, "You will be, someday!"

"How narcissistic, Connie!" his mother lightly slapped his arm, "Don't teach your brother to be so full of himself!"

He laughed harder.

On the same track, Jean's mother fixed his collar and dusted off his shoulders, "Look at you, all grown up. I can't believe that my little boy is going to go so far away from me..."

"I'm not so little anymore, mom," Jean whined, and his mother squeezed his cheeks, "You'll always be my little boy."

"Please," he groaned.

"Just... come back home soon, okay? I'll prepare your favorite dish when you'll be back."

"Of course," he cracked a small smile, side-hugging his mother.

Sasha's parents weren't a part of the crowd. Perhaps they didn't find the time or energy to see her off? Whatever the fact was, she felt discouraged. Right at that moment, Hange skipped up to her and nudged her, "Why the long face?"

"My parents aren't here…" she gave Hange a tight-lipped smile.

Hange sighed, "It's okay. I lost my parents a long time ago… but I have a family. It's you guys."

Sasha looked at her, smiling. She knew a long time ago that Hange's parents were vacationing in Marley before the rumbling, and got crushed during the ordeal. Surprisingly, Hange wasn't all that into revenge stuff. They just wanted to serve their nation. Hange truly admired each one in their little group of cadets - and if she dares to say, friends. They were just a pure-hearted person who got along with people very well.

And with all that effort they put into making the group happy, Sasha knew that they genuinely adored the group.

"Yes, we're a family," Sasha grinned.

"Cadets! Line up!" Adair announced, and with those last few words shared by the two hundred cadets' families, they carried their backpacks and weapons, boarding the airships that were lined up at the end of the land.

The military forces walked up to the four airships, each of them having a capacity of carrying about fifty cadets each. The cadets entered it and waved a last goodbye to their families.

This is it - Armin thought as the entrance to the airship folded, erasing the sight of the people who were cheering for them.

The crowd had vivid reactions: some were wailing, some were zealously cheering and whistling, and some were extremely proud. However, the parents of the cadets had aching hearts.

True, they were the ones who sent them to serve their bloodline, but what can a parent do when their children were being sent off to battle on another land altogether?

So they grasped onto the last thread of hope, wishing to see their children happy and safe once they arrive back home.