Fic Title: Until the Sun Dies
Summary: Believing her father's concerns as a black family living in the secluded mountains of Wall Maria to be simple paranoia, a young girl sets on her own to discover the world and what it truly holds. Only to find after encountering another secluded family, the Ackermans, that maybe his concerns weren't so unfounded in the terrifying yet beautiful reality they live in. Befriending their daughter, a fellow survivor in what it means to be the last of their kind, Akunna finds her path leading to the horrors of the Fall of Maria and the 103rd Cadet Corps.
Pen Name: TheQuintessentialFicWriter
Cover Art by: pngdraws on Twitter

Chapter 17

Year 846, Age 12

It was just barely after dawn when Akunna got up to leave for Trost.

The morning was quiet, even after she woke up to find Mikasa already awake hugging her knees with her face buried into Akunna's scarf. It must have slipped off when she fell asleep. Red's a better color on her. Was Akunna's first thought. "Morning."

"... morning." Mikasa greeted, withdrawn and slow.

Akunna reached out to touch the girl's shoulder, but withdrew her hand at the last moment. "I'm going to wake up Eren and Armin."

Mikasa gave an audible grunt but not much else could be deciphered from the sound.

The morning was quiet, even when Eren woke up in three shakes. His brow was furrowed, likely still from anger. However, there were no protests leaving his lips that morning and Armin's expression was melancholic. This wasn't the first time he was being left behind by a relative. "I'm going to come back, Armin. I promise." I'm not going out like Gramps. She wanted to say, but the wound still felt too fresh. It felt like it was being poked and scratched at by the time they got to the inner wall, two carriages awaiting beside a few soldiers.

This was it.

There weren't too many people, a few parents, a lot more kids, some with parents and some without. Akunna observed the people who were going to be the faces she'd be seeing for the next three years. There was one girl climbing into a carriage, her hair was long and a brown darker than Eren's and Akunna could barely make out the glasses she was wearing from standing behind her. There was another brunette she could see in the carriage the girl was going into.

There was another girl with ash blond hair.

Some boy with blond hair and brown eyes.

Akunna avoided looking too closely at a boy with curly red hair and freckles who was staring at her obviously. She was just glad most seemed too distracted to notice her. For now, at the very least. Akunna took a deep breath. "Alright, Armin, you first." Akunna lunged and held her brother so closely they were practically one person. "You take good care of yourself. Remember that you're really smart, just like Gramps said. You'll get work no time for some newspaper place where you can use that brain of yours."

"Be careful out there." Armin hugged back, his grip tight for someone with such scrawny arms.

"I'll be just fine, worrywart."

Akunna smiled weakly at the brunet beside them. "Eren, get over here and give me some love." Eren looked like he was ready to protest, but he welcomed the hug in the end. He even hugged back, much to her pleasant surprise. I honestly expected you to stay at the settlement today." She said with a snort.

"I'm not that angry!" Eren grumbled and Akunna laughed.

"You? Not angry? Someone pinch me."

"Oh shut up." He growled, but there was no bite to his bark.

"You stay out of trouble, alright?" Akunna lectured accordingly. Despite her words though, she knew that was like asking for a miracle to happen. Eren and trouble were synonymous with each other. Even if it got them in trouble, it still managed to be fun. "Or well, don't let trouble find you. You always end up in it somehow when I'm not looking." She sighed, mostly to herself. "Thanks for coming today."

"I'm still enlisting next year." Yes, Akunna knew that he would. It was an inevitable fact somehow that Eren would join Cadets and that maybe she'd even see him in training one day.

"We can duke it out in the future and I'll kick your ass then." Akunna promised half-heartedly.

"Try kicking my ass when I've been training for three years straight." They both laughed lightly. She was glad the tension was mostly gone between them.

"Mikasa." Akunna looked at the girl in question at last and simply held her arms wide opened and felt winded when Mikasa ran into her, even if they weren't that far apart to begin with. There was a faint sound of a sniffle and Akunna squeezed tightly, nuzzling their heads together. I wish I could see you again, Mika. The strange thought crossed Akunna's mind before she realized it. What am I talking about? I'm with her right now. I'll see her again in three years. Akunna reminded herself, dazed as she breathed in Mikasa's scent like it would be the last time she really ever had the chance. Three years apart felt like it would be more akin to three centuries, it would be the first real time they'd be apart since they first met. Akunna's wrists stung and her arms felt sore but she managed to still hug Mikasa even closer than before.

"Stay." Mikasa whimpered with a quiet sniffle. "Please stay."

"I have to go though." Akunna whispered back but it sounded forced, even to her. "It's what Gramps would've wanted."

"But what about what we want?" Mikasa shot right back, sounding frantic.

Akunna meant to walk away after that, but her feet felt glued in their place until she heard a masculine voice calling, "any stragglers need to board now or they're being left behind!"

This is it. Akunna's nerves felt shot and she didn't know that was even possible with how hectic things had been emotionally. "I gotta go." She repeated the man unnecessarily. Reluctantly, she pushed Mikasa back gently and using the sleeve of her shirt, wiped away the trail of tears and snot on her face. "We're gonna be okay. Okay?" Mikasa shook her head, unconvinced. Akunna looked at the carriage, at who would be her future comrades in arms. Her chest churned with dread. What she was dreading, however, Akunna wasn't completely sure. She made to move towards the carriage, but a soft hand wrapping around her wrist stopped her and soothed the stinging. Mikasa's grip was tight, desperate.

Eren looked at Akunna with confused green eyes, nodding to the carriage. "Aren't you going? They'll leave without you, you know."

"I know, I just..." Akunna trailed off, looking at the ground with a frustrated noise. The instructor was making his absolute final calls as the last few kids were getting ready to board.

"Are you okay?" Armin queried, concerned.

No, I'm not. Akunna let out a breath knowing her resolved had been thoroughly cracked.

She glanced at the carriage again, what could've been. Maybe she would have made friends in the 103rd class, maybe she wouldn't have. She adjust her arm accordingly in Mikasa's grip, inching it back and forward again so she could hold it properly. "Let's go back to the settlement."

Eren's quiet snort could be heard clearly in their spot of the storage room but his lackadaisical look expressed his lack of surprise at this outcome clearly. "You made such a big fuss about going away and you didn't even get on board in the end."

Akunna released a nervous chuckle, ducking her head in embarrassment. Mikasa had long since fallen asleep with her head rested on Akunna's lap; her eyes and nose were a bit red, but the corners of her lips were upturned slightly. Sorry for making you go through all that now that everything is done and dealt with. She doubted she'd be able to live this blunder of hers down for long, but she felt lighter than she had in days. Sorry Gramps, I can't do exactly what you're asking me anymore. Where things would go from there, Akunna wasn't entirely sure. We'll figure it out though. "Yeah I kinda messed up but everything'll work out in the end. There's a cobbler in the district who said to come back in a season for work he might have for me, so there's that." She'll just keep stopping by periodically to keep her in the man's thoughts.

"Well that's good that you already have a possible job lined up." Armin offered a more relaxed smile.

"Yeah." Akunna relaxed against the wooden walls, resting a hand on Mikasa's head. "I'll do her plan after all and try and relax til then. I'm not cut out for the soldier life. All that drilling everyday early in the morning would suck."

Eren crossed his arms with a teasing and smug grin, "well I'm pretty sure I'd be cut out for the soldier life."

"Probably. You and Armin would be great soldiers." Akunna admitted with a shrug. Eren made a sound of a surprise at the acknowledgement. "Doesn't mean I want you to join but," Akunna trailed off thoughtfully, feeling a strange mixture of nostalgia. Like it was something she'd seen before and knew was coming, maybe she actually did. "I'm pretty sure you and Armin would do good next year if you both enlisted. I'll be worried but if it's what you guys really want, I guess I'm fine with it. Just make sure to come home in one piece."

Armin and Eren both looked at the girl like she'd grown two heads simultaneously on the spot. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Armin demanded, blue eyes wide.

"Seriously." Eren shuddered. "Did you hit your head or something before we woke up today?"

Akunna shot the two of them an unamused look. "If you guys want me to take everything back and make sure you can't enlist next year, I can. Didn't know you loved that so much, guys."

"No, no not at all!" Eren held his hands defensively to placate her and Akunna rose a finger to her lips to shush him. "Excuse me for being surprised you changed your mind after all this time."

Akunna shrugged lightly, resting her eyes for a moment. "There's just some stuff that is gonna happen no matter what you do, this is one of those things." The world outside of the Walls was something - an intangible something but something, but a something nonetheless - that Eren and Armin had wanted for as long as she'd known them. They'd spent one too many days sitting around Armin and the book he'd found, listening to stories about fields of sand and fire water. Akunna remembered shooting looks of disbelief at Mikasa the first time, absolutely sure that this book was fake. Yet there was something magical about how Armin read, in how he believed in it. How Eren wanted to believe it in, how they both wanted to see it. "I don't wanna take away what you guys want from you. Even if it scares the hell out of me that you wanna go out there, but if you guys can promise to be okay, I'll be okay with it.

See that stuff you talked about and maybe if the world is Titan-free, Mikasa and I can see it too. But that's your guys' dream." She gave the two of them a reassuring smile. "Mikasa and I'll be okay here. We're the ones who just want the boring civilian thing. Just make sure to visit between your expeditions and whenever you get time off from your training."

Armin nodded, blond hair falling into his eyes. "We'll be careful."

"And when we're done with the Titans, we'll just drag you and Mikasa out to see the sea since you guys don't believe that it's real." Eren affirmed, looking more serious than he probably should've. Yeah he probably would show up out of nowhere like that. "Hey, the Titans are dead now. Let's go explore the world and forget about the lives you have set up here."

"I look forward to that." Akunna gave the two of them a thumbs up before a yawn slipped from her lips. "Mikasa, wake up and move already wontcha?" Akunna poked at the dark-haired girl's temple, hoping it would rise her from her sleep. To know avail, Mikasa showed no sign she would be waking up any time soon. This is how I'm sleeping tonight then. Working the fields tomorrow would be living hell. As if to further set the nail in the coffin, one of the older refugees begun blowing out the wicks in the lantern keeping the storage alight.

"Looks like we should start heading to bed then." Armin noted with a light yawn of his own. "Do you need help moving her over?" The blond moved, stretching his arms out to help but Akunna shook her head.

"I'll stay up like this a little longer; Mikasa deserves this a little. I kinda put her through the ringer." Akunna could only imagine how it might've been if she actually had left with the new recruits. She winced to herself, remembering Mikasa's teary and distraught expressions over the past couple of days. I'm the one who made her look like that. Akunna felt a cloying sense of shame. "I don't want to hurt her like this again. I'm not going to do that again ever." She promised quietly, looping one of her hands over to give one of Mikasa's hands a squeeze.

The moment was broken by the sound of light but fake retching and Akunna pursed her lips in annoyance at the sole brunet of their group. "Really, Eren?"

"Keep your sap to yourself."

"How about you keep your butthead out my sap, Eren."

Armin's laughter halted their glaring session and both Akunna and Eren chuckled lightly. "You guys go to bed before I keep you up more with my sap then." She wriggled her soldiers a bit, prepared for either sleeping the entire night sitting up or being saved by the grace of Mikasa waking up before long. Whichever came first. Yet it was nearly dawn when Mikasa finally stirred and Akunna, who drifted in and out of sleep throughout the night, was still plastered against the wall. Maybe I should just ditch working today and say I'm sick. I always work in the damn place, I can play hooky for once in my life.

"アクンナ寝てなかったの?" Mikasa murmured sleepily, rubbing at her eyes gently. It wasn't often Mikasa spoke Hizuran but Akunna had gotten accustomed to the sound of it when she stayed with the Ackermans.

Akunna pressed her lips into a sheepish smile. "Eeeh, kadan."

Mikasa sat up and took in her surroundings, spotting Eren and Armin's sleeping forms as well as the countless other refugees they shared this room with. "You should have woken me up sooner so you could lay down." Mikasa huffed quietly and Akunna only scooted forward to allow herself to lay down with arms and legs spread wide open, her back muscles singing with relief. "How much longer before everyone has to wake up?"

"I think the sun's gonna come up in about an hour." Akunna admitted truthfully, closing her eyes. "I'm just gonna call it in sick today. No work for Aku today."

"Mikasa and I were talking it over yesterday that maybe I should take a break for a while from looking for work and stop stressing myself out. Maybe I can just work the fields for a month and then get back to it once I'm not so stressed out that I'll kick the bucket if I get rejected one more time. That way I'll be completely ready to go the next time I hit Trost again."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Mikasa, I lied. Before, what I said about taking a break from looking for work for a while. I lied, I'm so sorry."

"You lied? What were you lying about?"

"I'm leaving, Mikasa. The day after tomorrow, you won't see me again for three years. I'm joining the military. If I graduate in the top 10, they'll let me join the Military Police. And if I do that, I can move the four of us to the interior. Even if that doesn't happen, I'll make plenty more as a Garrison soldier than I would working as cobbler or someone in town."

"You leave that soon?"

"... yeah."

They fell into a silence that was neither discomforting or comfortable as neither girl said anything. Akunna blinked her eyes open a few times, staring up at the ceiling. "Mikasa, c'mere for a bit?" A bit of light shuffling were the sounds that followed, Akunna feeling a warmth approaching as Mikasa laid down beside her, using Akunna's extended arm as a pillow. Mikasa hummed softly, waiting for a response. "I'm sorry... about before. I'll never do something like that again; lying to you and then trying to take off afterwards." Akunna turned so that the rest of her body was facing Mikasa, her eyesight adjusted to the darkness she could make out Mikasa's dark eyes set against her pale skin. "I'm really sorry. I mean it, I'm never leaving you behind again."

"You promise?" Mikasa whispered wistfully, she made a face Akunna didn't know the proper words to describe.

"I promise." Akunna's free hand latched onto the end of the scarf Mikasa had yet to take off. "You said this is a red thread, right? Well it can't stretch out very far, so we have to stick together."

Mikasa leaned closer and tucked herself underneath Akunna's chin, black hair strands tickling Akunna's throat. "Okay." There were vague sniffling sounds Akunna could hear, but she could rest soundly knowing that at the very least, these tears weren't sad.

Year 848, Age 14

At the third chime of the late afternoon bell, Akunna stood up with a pleased stretch. "And that's my cue." The palms of her hand were a dark pink and not from the afternoon lighting, her fingers vaguely sore from carving out a single clog from a block of wood. She brushed the wood shavings into the waste bin beside her work bench. "You don't mind if I head out now do you, Mr. Roberts? Or do you need me to stay late again?" Akunna looked at her boss, trying not to let her excitement show at the cost of disappointment. Shoe repairs for refugees still working the reclaimed lands, tanning leather for boots for the military, making sure there were still a fresh amount of shoes for the locals should there be any business on that front. All of that had piled up this particular week and they'd been working tirelessly to get the sudden workload off their shoulders, late nights occurring regularly with Akunna occasionally not even getting home until well past dinnertime.

Hopefully that'll be soon.

Mr. Roberts' nodded from his desk, "you can get going this time, you deserve some rest."

Yes! "You sure though?" Akunna's fingers itched to take off her apron and bolt right out the door, but not wanting to look to eager she held herself steady.

"I'm sure. I'll do some work myself tonight. I'm sure Mikasa is probably tired of you coming home late all the time." Akunna made a sheepish sound, rubbing the back of her neck. Mikasa certainly wasn't pleased the first time that happened. Mikasa had come straight over to Akunna's place of work herself after it had taken too long from Akunna to show her face and after a lot of reassurance and pressing, Mikasa finally went home. The cobbler nodded over at his other employee, the cousin from further in the interior that he'd taken in as an apprentice a season before Akunna was allowed to work. "You can take off too, Charlie. Tell Martha I'll be here for a few more hours before I head home."

Charlie yawned, already rushing to take off his work apron. "Finally, I'm tired of sitting down all day."

"Who're you telling?" Akunna suspired, taking off her own with calloused hands. "Hey, Mr. Roberts, what about giving the two of us a raise?"

"How about you two get out my shop?" Mr. Roberts quipped back without even looking their way.

Charlie sneered mockingly at his cousin, "this is why I keep saying we should unionize."

"We can unionize later." Akunna beamed, resting her hands on her hips. "I'm off to pick up Mikasa from work and surprise her."

There was a glint in Charlie's hazel eyes at the mention. "Mind if I do that for you instead?" Akunna shot her colleague an unamused look. Charlie had been enamored with Mikasa since the first time he'd seen her when Mikasa had stopped by Akunna's job during her own lunchbreak because Akunna had forgotten hers. Needless to say, it was annoying to hear him swoon after her and attempt to flirt whenever he saw an opportunity.

"What part of she isn't interested don't you get, Charles?"

Charlie shrugged with an unbothered sigh, "just tell Mikasa when she's tired of you, that I'm right here waiting for her."

Akunna scoffed, "as if."

"It sounds like the two of you aren't ready to leave work after all since you have the time to sit here and ch-"

"Later, Mr. Roberts." Akunna tossed her apron onto her desk and darted out from the shop, slowly trotting from jog to walk as she made her way tailor's Mikasa managed to find employment.

The tailor's Mikasa worked out was moderately-sized and ran by a seamstress named Gwendolyn, a stout woman who always seemed to be smiling about something. "Oh, Akunna, hear for Mikasa I assume." The homely woman greeted her. "This'll be a nice surprise for her. She mentioned you've been working late."

"My boss decided to take mercy on me so I wouldn't threaten to unionize." Akunna said lightly with a large smile so the woman would know it was all a joke. "How's business been?"

"Wonderful, my girls are talented." Especially one in particular, Akunna wanted to brag but she held her tongue. "Let me give you a fitting sometime and you can get yourself a lovely dress."

"Dresses are more Mikasa's thing." Akunna shook her head. Dresses, once upon a time, were a lot more a desired clothing choice. Akunna wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the feel of them and so with pants, she would stick. "Speaking of which, I'll be heading on in to whisk her away home. Hope you don't mind." The woman waved nonchalantly, nodding towards the back where the girls were working and Akunna walked away with a kick to her step. There was a lot of chatter in the back, rows and rows of fabric decorating the walls while the employees sat at tables in the middle of the room. Most were making the exact same red dress, some further down the line the others embroidering the ends of the dress with yellow flowers and green leaves.

Mikasa was one such person, working on her embroidery diligently and occasionally commenting on whatever her coworkers were saying too quiet for Akunna to pick out any specific words.

One girl about her age with red hair and green eyes, Luculia, spotted her peering in and opened her mouth before Akunna raised a finger to silence her. Silently clearing her throat, Akunna rapped her knuckles against a wall. "Knock knock." Akunna called cheerily, turning a few heads, including the one she wanted. Gray eyes were warm at the sight of her and Akunna huffed happily. "Hey."

"You're off early." Mikasa's voice was mellifluous. Mikasa's hair had grown a little longer in the past two years, opting to keep it in a ponytail though she let her face still be framed bangs.

"Mr. Roberts said we could switch things up this time." Akunna walked over, admiring the work Mikasa had achieved in a day. She could definitely work in one of those fancy boutiques and make dresses for nobles if she wanted. But here's nice too. It was familiar and despite the size and the occasional crowding, it was enough for Mikasa and it was enough for Akunna too. "Let's go home, I'm starving and I wanna toast up the bread and we can have the rest of the eggs tonight." We'll need to go shopping for food soon, though.

"We should go shopping the next day we both have off." Mikasa echoed Akunna's thoughts. She made quick work and making her final stitch and severing the thread with a snip of scissors, before pinning her needle somewhere it wouldn't hurt someone. "See you tomorrow, Luculia."

Luculia beamed, "thanks again for helping me with my work, Mikasa, sorry for falling a little behind."

"It wasn't a problem." Mikasa reassured the girl as she slipped her hand into Akunna's, Akunna interlocking their fingers together playfully.

"Someone's a helpful bee at work." Akunna teased when they exited the tailor's. "Luculia's stuff is looking a lot better though, so she'll be just fine soon enough. Where did you say she was from again?"

"Karanes District, she sends her money back home to her family." Mikasa answered and then some. Akunna listened vaguely as Mikasa quietly going on about how she helped Luculia with her measurements and how to properly do a chain stitch. Her words were about mundane routine but Mikasa looked satisfied, the air around her light as she talked with a small smile. She was prettiest Akunna had ever seen her. Two years ago Akunna decided to to resign to a life as a civilian and each day she felt she made the right decision. She got her job at the cobbler's a season after Charlie, just like Mr. Roberts promised and nearly a month before that, Mikasa had started working at the tailor's. Not long after that in the following year, Eren and Armin enlisted just as planned.

It had certainly been quiet for the two of them since Armin and Eren had enlisted for the 104th Cadet Corps the year prior. Their letters were far and in between, Armin writing back a lot more consistently. Akunna continued her walk with a satisfied smile on her face. Maybe Gramps would've been happy with something like this too. Akunna could at least hope that would be the case if the elderly man were still alive. Eren and Armin were working towards their dream, Akunna and Mikasa were living theirs after finally getting an apartment of their own.

It was close to the outer wall, much to their chagrin. The refugees were stuck with that, likely to make them all bait if Titans were ever to break through the Wall again. They couldn't even get a first floor apartment to make evacuations easier, their apartment nestled on the third floor. It was a one bedroom, the bathtub had a leak, and the floorboards creaked to hell and back. But it's ours. Akunna chuckled to herself. "What's so funny?" Mikasa looked at the sound with a curious look.

"Nothing, just happy." Akunna swung their hands happily.

Mikasa smiled warmly, side stepping closer. "I'm happy too."

"Well I'm the happiest." Akunna pressed back smugly, nose in the air.

"It isn't a competition."

"It isn't a competition until last week you pushed me so you could get in the house first to go 'welcome home'." Akunna clicked her tongue. It was a silly tradition, someone would go inside the house first and after a moment or two, the other would walk in. At least, it was more common when they'd get off work at the same time. Lately, Akunna would come home to Mikasa, either sleeping at the table with lukewarm soup or waiting at the stairs. She'd always stay up for her, or fall asleep trying.

"We always do that." Mikasa replied petulantly.

"Well it was my turn that time." Akunna reminded. "You're not doing that again, it's my turn today."

"Fine, fine." Mikasa resigned with a sigh. "だからまたやってるんだ。"

Akunna's eyebrow twitched, "what did you just say?"

"Nothing."

"Mikasa Ackerman, what did you just say?!"

"I told you, 'fine'."

"No, what did you say after that?" Mikasa wormed their hands out of each other's grips, beginning to walk at a faster pace. "Mikasa!" Mikasa broke into a run, laughing. "Mikasa, that isn't fair it's my turn! Mikasa!"

Akunna woke up with a start to the sound of raucous laughter, looking at her surroundings. Mikasa was gone and so were the crowded streets of Trost, Mikasa's mischievous laughter a fading echo in her mind. All that was there was the forest and the smell of moonshine, her only company the band of thieves and stolen ODM gear she'd be stowed away with. Her sore wrists and arms returned with a vengeance, the pain only dull when she didn't attempt to move.

Just a dream, huh? Akunna smiled weakly, recalling the way Mikasa smiled and how simple her worries had been. That was a nice life I could've had there, maybe. With a reality like this, it would've been nicer to stay asleep. Mikasa, Armin, Eren, all three of there were far from wherever she was. Far but safe, that was all she could ask for until she found away to get out of the situation she'd landed herself in. If I find a way. Akunna's doubt reminded her like a whisper. There was always an 'if'. She glanced over at the men, wondering how much wriggling she could get away with to try and slip her rope covered hands from off the hook she'd been foisted on.

Even if they have horses, it's still dark. I can blend in and hide until I get the restraints off and just aim to get out the forest. Akunna looked over her options. But they can use the wood from the fire as makeshift torches and see me that way and the undergrowth here is scarce. Akunna looked at the gear. She could always try and escape with it and hope they'd stumble over themselves long enough for to get them on and break away that way. She moved her wrists testily, grimacing. These definitely wouldn't be easy to break.

"Don't even think about it, girlie." One of the thieves gruffed.

Akunna scowled before forcing a smile, "just wishing you tied them a bit more comfortably is all." The man scoffed in disbelief, taking a swig of beer. Another set of eyes were on her, a man with a shaved head and the red vest from before. She assumed was the leader. She wriggled her fingers, knowing it was pointless to show she had no tricks up her sleeves. "Just a harmless soldier girl."

"'Soldier girl'." The leader scoffed, voice more scornful than one might've expected. "A harmless soldier girl with useless gear that won't do jack against the Titans. We've come full circle."

"Not really." Akunna wasn't sure why she was humoring the man. Maybe she was bored, maybe she was lonely. Maybe she was hoping appealing to his better nature would help aid her release. "I'm not the Titan killing type, I'm a Live in Wall Sina type of soldier girl. I do the hard work, the people I care about get to live somewhere safe."

"Well you're going to Wall Sina alright." A man with a blue shirt snorted. "Dumb kid thinks just because she's a soldier she wouldn't've been picked off by some creeps in the capital. That's sure smart, kid."

Akunna's brow twitched and she bit her lip to keep herself from retorting. I'm not dumb, I already knew that could happen. Yet deep down, she'd always hoped that if she didn't think about it, it wouldn't become true. Still she knew; the only ones who would've been safe based off this plan would be Armin and Eren. Maybe Mikasa if she kept her head down. But Akunna knew that no amount of keeping her head down would stop herself from being noticed instantly. Life's pretty unfair, huh, Uba. Akunna brushed her tongue over her gums.

"Hey, kid." Akunna glared over at the red vested man. "You ever hear the story about the jackrabbit and the box turtle?" Brown eyes narrowed suspiciously at the man and he took her silence, correctly, as a 'no'. "'s story I tell my daughter sometimes. The jackrabbit, he's an asshole. The fastest guy in the forest who always wins every race he's part of. It's ridiculous, honestly. The jackrabbit'll even start races with the other animals, just to show off because he knows for a fact, he always, always wins. Then enters the box turtle." The man took a swig of his beer. "The jackrabbit's throwing his weight around again, raising it to any animal in the forest to challenge him again for the title of the fastest in the forest. And out of all the critters, the box turtle's the only one who decides to take him up on his offer.

The jackrabbit smugly accepts, knowing there's no way this shmuck'll beat him. The entire forest knows the jackrabbit'll beat him, but the box turtle decides to face the jeers and laughs head on. The race starts and boom goes the jackrabbit, dashing and turning corners like he always does until he stops. The guy wants to give the entire forest a show, make it a close race. The guy might be fast, but he's an entertainer first and foremost. So the jackrabbit decides to take a short nap. But then he wakes up and realizes he slept longer than he intended... and the box turtle's way past him." Akunna anxiously held her breath in an anticipation. "Jackrabbit kicks off to try and catch up, but it's too late.

The box turtle crosses the finish line and the entire forest loses it because wow, the underdog really won. Then later that night, the box turtle is at home eating dinner with his family, telling them about the race. Telling his little turtles how if they just work hard and keep on crawling, that if they just keep on moving forward no matter how hard it gets, that they can overcome anything. That's when the door busts down suddenly and they look at who's there." The man looked Akunna in the eye for the first time since he started his tale. "It's the jackrabbit. And he has a hammer. He smashes the wife and kids first, to make the box turtle watch as he's helpless to do anything. Then it's his turn.

And once the jackrabbit's killed the whole family... he sits at their table and eats their dinner. Every last bite." Akunna's breath released shakily, avoiding the man's look. "'Cause the jackrabbit always wins." The leader of the band finished his drink before tossing the bottle off behind a fallen log. "Don't be a box turtle in a world of jackrabbits, kid. Being a box turtle's what got you into this mess in the first place. Every jackrabbit wins," he spat spitefully. "the fuckers always win."

Akunna wished her dream would return again that night.

It didn't.

Author's Note

Honestly wanted to wait until Saturday to update for the week but I just really miss posting new chapters so, today will be the week's story update and I'll try to hold out til next Saturday for Ch18 lol. Def drop a review for me to respond to this chapter, I missed reading reactions to the chapters and people's thoughts/opinions/reactions TAT. I don't care if it's a three word sentence or an essay, hit me with it.

*アクンナ寝てなかったの? Akunna, didn't you sleep?
* Kadan. A little bit.
* だからまたやってるんだ。That's why I'm doing it again.

The Jackrabbit and Box Turtle story (inspired by the good ole tortoise and the hare) came from The Hunt (2020), seemed very fitting for the chapter. Chapter itself meant to be longer but it got too long so I split it up.

I also thought the ending with the chapter really contrasts with the first part of the story when Akunna's dreaming. Speaking of which, the first part of the chapter was inspired by the Lost Girls manga/OVA. In order to really sell it, I took parts of chapters 8 and 10 and revamped them a bit to include Akunna's thoughts in the real world/present from effecting her thought process that day. Ultimately for Akunna, the only thing that made her leave at the end of chapter 8 was wanting to keep their promise to Grandpa Arlert, if that hadn't been the case, she definitely would've broke because she wants to live a peaceful life with Mikasa a hell of a lot more than playing soldier. Had things gone differently, she'd definitely be a cobbler in Trost and living her best life. Yknow, until Reiner, Bert, and Annie played Footsies and Titans in episode 5.

That aside, that door was closed and here she is listening to a shitty version of a classic story. Bright side, Mikasa is also the type to prefer to live the rest of her days peacefully with the people she loves so at least she isn't alone in that one.

(And yes, Luculia was a nod to Violet Evergarden, a series where Mikasa's voice actress voices the main character.) Also, playful Mikasa is the best Mikasa and I personally feel like we didn't get to see enough of her in the manga. We were robbed.

Song(s) I Bopped To For the Chapter: No Matter Where You Are by Ishikawa Yui (Mikasa Ackerman character song), 13 Winters by Ishikawa Yui (another Mikasa character song), Citta Vuota by Mina, Stay With Me by Matsubara Miki, Don't Leave Me by Intro, Reach Out by George Duke

Responses

Titanlovrr: TAT I'm glad you'll stay with UtSD forever, I really appreciate the support! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations, it was fun to write. Looking forward to your thoughts.

TheLazyDragonBall: The story is now updating again consistently, everything is much better now.