A/N: This was...a really nice and warm chapter for me to write before we enter one of the darkest arcs in the series. Hopefully, however, our protagonists, armed with new knowledge and weapons, can overcome it? We'll see. Also, in a few hours it will be the 1st Anniversary of this series, I just want to say holy shit has it been a wild ride of inconsistent scheduling, spur-of-the-moment 3 AM writing sprees, and all around a whole lot of head banging (I'm serious this is a bad habit that helps me daydream please send help-), I'm glad that we've reached an average of around 300+ viewers per chapter (unless some of you are continually rereading). Hell, the first chapter has surpassed 9,000 views. That's ALOT. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for helping me not to burn out. This story and my Golden Gundam series are really helping me keep up with my writing career. So thank you all.

Also, what do you think about the new Season 4 Cover I posted yesterday? I finally figured out how to make the Attack on Titan font so I could complete it. I hope you like it!

Super Comrade: Sure! I'm always glad to have another story to read in my free time!

One month following the end of the Eldian Civil War, 3 weeks since Historia's Coronation as Kaiserin.

"Hey!" Historia wrangled down two children running away from the stables, "Oh no you don't. You need to go help your Uncle Alto in the stables! You can play and eat after your chores.

"Aw…but Historia-"

"Don't 'Historia' me! Get back to work before I box your ears!"

The children quickly scrambled back to the stables.

"Huh, who would've guessed?" Jean said, "Historia and Alto helping out at an orphanage."

"Well, if I remember correctly, she did say this is the farm where the two of them were raised by Frieda." Ymir said,

"They seem so different, Historia I could see doing some philanthropist crap like this, but Alto of all people pitching in?" Jean raised an eyebrow, "Especially with all the 'Sieg Eldia' they were pulling last month."

"It's true, they seem so different when they're not working. When they're working, Historia seems like an ultra-nationalist Kaiserin, while Alto is a stoic and equally nationalist general staff officer. But here…they just seem to be enjoying themselves. You know what they call her?" Mina asked them, "The Cattle-Farming Goddess."

"Well, it fits alright." Ymir shrugged, "We've finally got a goddess among us."

Jean grinned evilly, "At this rate, no one's gonna remember the chump who plugged up Trost!"

Mina kicked him, hard, in the back of the shin.

"Ow! Sunnuva- what was that for?!" Jean yelped,

"Quit being annoying, horseface." Mina looked away as she talked,

"Hmph!" Jean hmph'ed but didn't push it further.

"One of the reasons they decided to lead Paradis…is to do all this."

"This, as in?" Connie asked,

"To take care of the orphans and needy from the underground to even the edge of the Walls, improve the Eldian infrastructure, et cetera. She even got the Captain to help her, since he was raised underground."

"Hey!" Historia turned to Jean and the others, "Quit slacking you bozos!"

Soon, Mina, Jean, Eren, and the others found themselves carrying crates of supplies for the orphanage.

"I swear…she's becoming just like my mom." Jean muttered

"By the way, Eren." Historia turned to him, "I heard about the vials you guys found. It's true? There was a hardening serum?"

"Among other things, but yes. When I took it, I was able to harden my entire body with ease. Alto has been helping me as well." Eren raised a hand, and he hardened it.

"I see you've mastered it." Alto nodded, "Glad you finally figured out how to protect yourself in Human form."

"All thanks to you." Eren said

"I see." Historia nodded, "If we don't hurry…they'll be back."

"Yeah." Eren nodded, "But we'll be ready. We have the Pak guns, thunder-spears, and howitzers now. I've seen what they do to Titans, Armored, Beast, Warhammer, it won't matter. They'll be ripped apart."

"I hope so…" Historia looked down, "What would you do…if you had to face them again? The Warriors."

Eren looked down, he had no idea how to respond to that, finally he said: "We don't have a choice do I? We'd have to kill them." Alto nodded in agreement

Historia switched the topic, "Sometimes…I think about how I got here. And whether this was the right choice." She confessed, "Then…I'd see the smiles on the children's faces. And realize that I made the right choice."

"I think we all wonder that question sometimes." Alto sighed, "About whether what we're doing is right."

"Come on," Eren said to them, "For the record, I think you two are doing great."

Suddenly, Mikasa came up, a shadow across her face, Alto gulped as Historia backed up nervously.

"Eren, you're tired from the experiments." Mikasa didn't say it in so much as a concerned way as it was a dominant way.

"H-hey!" Eren protested as Mikasa took his sacks and put them over her shoulder.

A page from a c.850 recovered newspaper dated August 12th

The past month has been a period of unprecedented growth for the Island of Paradis. Innovations seem to be cropping up left and right. The Scout Regiment has reported that ever since the introduction of new weapons like the 'Executioner from Hell', Pak 50 Anti-Titan Gun, and the leFH 50 and sFH 50 they have been eliminating titans at a rate of nearly 25 per day. New steam-engine powered vehicles dubbed 'trains' are slowly but surely beginning to replace wagon-travel, capable of traveling at an astonishing 111 miles per hour.

"Fire!" Hanji shouted eagerly, as dozens of shells descended on the gathered mass of Titans. They were instantly engulfed in a blaze of hellfire, and nothing was left except steaming and rapidly disappearing remains.

"Holy hell…" Ilse said in amazement.

"I know!" Hanji said, "With this, we can easily wipe out the Titans within the walls.

There was then another thud as the Executioner from Hell eliminated one of the Titans that continued their advance towards Trost's now sealed gate.

"Another one for the Executioner!" Hanji cheered,

Eren nodded, wiping some blood from his nose.

"Eren?" Hanji said, her once gleeful face now filled with concern.

"I'm fine." He nodded, "I'm just glad we can now fight the Titans on even terms."

Hanji nodded, "The new rocket-assisted streamlined shells not only increase their range, but penetration ability as well. We estimate that the sFH can hit up to 11 miles with RAP shells, the leFH can hit about half that, at 6.6 miles."

"Speak English Hanji."

"I'm saying that we can hit the Marleyans long before they can even spot us. The problem, of course is-"

"How the hell do we target it? Unless one of us is a hawk, no one can aim that far accurately." Levi said, dabbing at Eren's nose.

"Exactly." Hanji nodded.

Marleyan Controlled Shiganshina District

The explosions sounded in the distance.

"What kind of weapons are they testing?" Evangelica wondered from the wall.

"Likely a new long-range artillery…" Alexander sighed, for the past month, it'd been like this. Ever since the Eldian Kaiserreich won the Civil War, it seemed as if Paradis was on a non-stop roll of advancement. When he was there about a month and a half ago, they couldn't possibly compare to Marley technologically. Now it seemed like they were on the verge of catching up to Marley.

Possibly even surpassing them.

"I fear we've awakened a sleeping dragon, and worse, filled it with a terrible resolve." Evangelica commented.

"You might be right." Alexander nodded.

"With these new weapons, Titans are going to crumble like paper, then Marley will be next!" Marlowe said eagerly.

"You're so gung-ho. Especially after being imprisoned by the same regime you now support."

"I'm still a bit on the fringe about the whole 'Kaiserreich' thing." Marlowe admitted, "But still, I now understand why such a change was necessary."

"And what about Alto?" Mina asked, and Marlowe fell silent.

"I've noticed his MP friends have been avoiding him." Mina shrugged,

"Can you blame them?" Jean asked, "I mean, we butchered them at Dezlegrad and Ehrmich, winner or no, Alto isn't exactly the No.1 person among the MPs."

"I mean, they feel betrayed." Marlowe said to them, "Alto was a hero to us after the first Stohess Incident, then he shows back up again and starts murdering us?"

"Not exactly the best look…" Jean said, he hated to admit it, but Marlowe was right in a way. At the end of the day, it allowed the walls to finally move forward and Jean had no intentions of holding it against him. But it still hurt that he couldn't trust them, after all, they we're friends, right?

"Speaking of betrayal, didn't Hitch try to stop you from joining?" Sasha asked,

"Hitch? Why would she care?"

"Ah. The one million-mark question." Mina snickered,

"I dunno," Sasha bit her lip with a smirk, "Maybe because you two are…ya know."

"I have no idea what you all are talking about. All she said was that I needed to cool off, that I should be more worried about my life after nearly dying at Dezlegrad, et cetera. And in response, I just told her that I thought she had more perspective after Dezlegrad, and said I guess I was wrong about her."

Mina sighed, "What an idiot."

"An absolute bowl cut imbecile." Sasha agreed.

"Huh?" Marlo was completely confused by their change of tone.

"Anyway," Jean changed the topic, "The only excited ones are you recruits with no battle experience whatsoever."

"Woah," Floch got up from the table behind him, "What, are you some kinda veteran now?"

"Compared to you I am." Jean retorted quickly.

"How rude." Floch said, feigning hurt, "We all were in the 104th together, and besides, aren't we all pumped about retaking Wall Maria?"

"Because unlike what everyone thinks, we're not going there with large amounts of Artillery." Mina sighed,

"What?!" Floch said,

"Yep, too valuable to spare, and besides, we have to make the trip in a single night on horseback, and launch the attack the following morning."

Floch gulped, "We…still have Thunder Spears."

"Yeah, we do." Mina turned serious, contemplative.

'Just…what happened to them?' Floch wondered, deciding not to press further and sat back down.

"Hey, I just recalled something." Eren thought, "Astell Burke served under Kommandant Shadis when he was still the Survey Corps Commander right? I remember hearing somewhere that he was a Section Kommandant."

"Eren not being an idiot for once?" Ymir gasped in a mix of faked and real shock.

"He's right though! Shadis might know something!" Sasha said,

"No hurt in going." Jean shrugged,

"I see." Alto nodded, "It couldn't hurt. But still, you guys didn't think to ask me?"

"Why? He died before he could tell you anything, didn't he?" Mina asked,

"Well yeah…" Alto trailed off,

"You know, this is your chance." Annabeth said to Alto, "Tell her you want to tell her something."

Alto gulped, Annabeth was always right about things like this, and besides, everyone in his family was constantly asking him about Mina.

It was getting to the point where Alto was being forced to act.

"Hey…Mina." Alto said, "I'd like to talk to you, when we get to the camp. Alone."

"But what about Shadis-" Mina stammered out,

"I mean, you don't have to come. But I'd just…like to say it. The Expedition is in a month and I'm not sure…"

The two of them fell silent. The Return to Shiganshina. The final battle, where everything would be decided.

"Alright…" Mina nodded, "I'll come."

The Following Night

Like the gossip she was, it didn't take long until every Burke immediately related to Alto knew about the little rendezvous between them.

"I swear, Annabeth can't keep a secret for shit!" Alto groaned to Kyren.

"She's been telling everyone it was her idea as well."

"Hardly, I do not look forward to heading over to the camp early to set everything up, and get back in time for it to be a surprise."

"Still, I am glad." Kyren said, "Lots of Burke's get lost in speaking and visiting the dead, and they fail to enjoy the living around them."

"Woah, deep stuff coming from the shallowest guy I know? I can't wait for the Beast Titan to surrender himself to us."

Kyren whacked him in the back of the head, "I have a brain too!"

Alto rubbed his head, "I keep forgetting I can sometimes still feel things here."

"What you get." He huffed, "Seriously, I'm happy for you. You got to live the life none of us got to have."

Alto slung his arm around him, "Thank you. I'm glad I never truly lost you guys."

"I'm glad you never lost us either."

The next day…

"Kommandant." Hanji greeted Shadis, and he sighed with understanding.

"I assume this isn't a nostalgia trip to visit your old Kommandant." He nodded, "We can talk inside."

Jean looked around, "Hey, kind of weird Mina isn't here."

Eren looked around, "Neither is Alto."

"Hmph," Keith said as he led him into the room, "Boy's just like his father, always running off somewhere, never explaining anything. It's a bad habit amongst the Burkes."

"That's actually why we're here." Hanji said, "To ask about Astell Burke."

He sat down, and looked at Sasha, "Not sitting Braus?"

"No sir! I'm fine standing!"

Keith chuckled, "I used to call you in here so many times. And by the time you left, I always found half the pantry missing." He turned serious,

"That's nice sir." Jean said, "But we want to ask about Astell."

Keith sighed, "Then I'll tell you a story. A story of no value to humanity whatsoever, of me, as a bystander…"

Alto helped Mina up. "Come on, we're almost there." He said to her,

"This feels familiar somehow." Mina said, "I should remember here, but I don't."

"It was a while ago, but you'll remember all of it once you see it." Alto said,

Finally, he paused, and pushed some bushes aside.

"We're here." Alto breathed, and Mina gasped.

It was the same river from the Summer Training. And someone had rebuilt their makeshift tents, but they weren't so…well, ratty for one. The vines and leaves used to tie them together we're beautifully done, and flowers grew out of them. And a picnic blanket was spread out.

Mina whirled to him, "You rebuilt this?" She asked incredulously.

"Had to wake up at three in the morning, and build it by torch light until seven." Alto said to her. "But…it was worth it." He smiled a genuine smile.

Mina sat down on the blanket, she was completely wrapped up in the beauty around them,

And in Alto.

His black hair seemed to catch the sunlight as he got some wine bottles and glasses out of the tent. He wasn't overly muscular, but the muscles he did have only added to his overall handsomeness.

Mina realized she was staring, and quickly averted her gaze back down.

Alto gently placed a glass in front of her, and poured the wine in. Mina thanked him, and sipped it.

"So…why'd you…bring me here?" Mina asked the question that was on her minds since the start, and Alto froze.

He swallowed, "Well…I…" He stammered, and fell silent. "The expedition is coming up…in a month. I wanted to see you before then."

Mina's heart sank, was that it? She wondered, this was just a small getaway between friends?

"Seriously, I'm happy for you. You got to live the life none of us got to have." Kyrens words echoed throughout his head.

He was blowing it.

Everything was so…perfect. So…why wasn't he saying anything? He wasn't…but he was. That was it, all it was, all he had faced.

He was scared of confessing to Mina.

It had taken him years to realize it, why she permeated his every thought, why every action he'd taken for the past two years was done specifically with her well-being in mind. But somewhere along the way, he'd fallen in love with this ridiculously adorable raven haired girl. He loved everything about her, how that, when she blushed she blushed to the tips of her ears. The way her small hand felt in his at Trost. Her shyness, her indomitable loyalty, her jet-black hair…

He desperately wanted - no, needed her.

And for the first time, he was admitting it to himself. He realized, he'd never so much as thought the words before, even when he was setting up all this, he'd never truly realized how much she meant to him.

He'd fight all of Marley if only to keep her safe. He'd die in the most brutal ways possible, for-

"My Queen."

"My Queen." Alto said aloud.

"...what?" Mina asked, did she hear him right? Did she just call her…his Queen?

"I want you to be my Queen." Alto said to her, taking his hand in hers, "It took me…so long to realize that. I love you Mina, and there's nothing I won't do for you." He looked her in the eyes, "You are my Queen. No one else."

Mina's breath seemed to disappear, Alto, at first, it was no more than a childish crush, something she thought would disappear with time. It seemed…so silly to her at first. Alto was a hero, a warrior, so many things she wasn't.

He was beyond her reach.

So she tried fighting it, yet it seemed like her crush grew into adoration, then, finally, love. She remembered Mikasa's words to her, the advice that became her drive.

"Show him that you're his equal, not his burden."

To stand beside Alto, to be worthy of him. Ws all she ever wanted, and now here he was, saying she was…his Queen.

"Why?" She choked out, "Why me? I'm not strong enough, I'm not enough," She shook her head.

"You're all I want." He begged, "No matter how little, I want you. No one else. You're strong Mina. You've always been. So please…stay with me. No matter what, I'll protect you, from Marley, from the Warriors, from the Titans, from the world if that's what it comes to."

They were both crying, their hands clasped in each other's.

"Before you…I thought there was no future for me after Rod Reiss was dead. I always assumed…I'd be the last. I'd die quickly and peacefully once he was dead. But I was wrong, you showed me that, you showed me that I had a future with you. I don't know if you know that you did, but it happened, and I'm grateful for that. You gave me something to live for. So don't call yourself weak…not after all the strength you've shown. Don't say you're not enough…not when you filled the void that I was in." Alto told her.

Mina smiled, "Alright, I'll be your Queen, and you'll be my King." With that, Mina pulled Alto's head in, and kissed him. A deep, passionate kiss that told them that no matter what stood in their way, they would always be together. A King and Queen that would never be apart. No matter what.

They laughed as their lips and tongues separated, their foreheads touching gently.

"I'm glad." Alto said, "So happy."

"So am I," Mina nodded, "We'll never be apart. I swear."

"I swear as well, we'll never leave each other's side. No matter what I do, no matter how far I may push you…I'll always be doing it for you."

"I see, so that's what happened…" Eren nodded,

"It never occurred to you to report any of this?!" Hanji said, outraged.

"Astell insisted I keep quiet, especially after whatever happened in that forest. I'll bet it has something to do with Eren's titan powers."

"What a big fat help you are! Thanks for all your glorious service and you can go shove it up your ass!" Hanji stormed out, and slammed the door behind her.

"I think that's our cue to leave." Levi sighed, "Four-eyes looks murderous."

"I suppose." Keith shrugged, "You should get going."

The cadets nodded, then left. Already finding Alto and Mina giggling together at the gates.

"Where the hell have you guys been? And where'd all that stuff come from?" Jean motioned to the picnic blanket and the few non-disposables wrapped inside.

"Should we?" Mina asked, her eyes glittering.

"I suppose." Alto asked, before leaning down and kissing Mina on the lips.

In.

Front.

Of.

Everyone.

"Hold the hell up!" Connie yelled, "We gotta backtrack, when did this happen?!"

"Yeah!" Jean approached Alto and shook his shoulders, "You're telling us everything!"

The girls crowded around Mina,

"So, when can I start calling you sis?" Ymir asked, "Alto is like my little brother, anyone who messes with him, goes through me."

"He's rich now, so he can buy you a lot of expensive foods!" Sasha offered

Mikasa didn't say anything, but smiled at the girl. Something between the two of them simply…resonated and brought them together, in a way, Mina found Mikasa to be one of her best friends.

'Thank you, for everything.' Mina mouthed, Mikasa nodded, and turned to watch Eren harass a flustered Alto.

"Come on! Tell us!" Eren insisted

"Chill the hell out alright!" Alto pushed past them, "I'll tell you, on my own time."

"We're not going to let this go!" Jean called to him, "Might as well give up now." Jean said with an evil grin as Alto moaned.

Steam Engine - Equivalent to those of the late 20s and 30s in our history, the Eldian steam engine has been improved through the work of engineers both public and private to become the next generation of transport throughout Paradis Island.

sFH 50 - Standing for schwere FeldHaubitze (AKA: Heavy Field Howitzer) in old Eldian. it is the equivalent of Nazi Germany's 15 cm sFH 18 developed in the late 20s.

leFH 50 - Standing for leichte Feldhaubitze (Light Field Howitzer) in old Eldian. It is the equivalent of the German 10.5 cm leFH 18 similarly designed during the late 20s.

Executioner from Hell - A large sledge-hammer like device that uses the blunt force of a heavy log to crush a Titan's nape while it attempts to reach through an intricate series of barriers created via Titan hardening

Rocket Assisted Projectile - Developed with the same technology used by the Thunder Spears, it essentially allows shells to utilize the rocket technology used by the Spears to extend their range.

A/N: As you can see, our new Eldian Kaiserreich is advancing quite far. RAPs and Howitzers are already becoming common, things which are practically unheard of in the outside world. And once the volunteers and Hizuru arrive, we're kicking things into overdrive.

Official Wiki:

the-official-flare-titan .fandom. com