Rebirth
Armin is terrified: Mikasa…
Mikasa looks at her baby deeply saddened: It's… what I should do… right? If I do this…this will finally end… I… will go with her… but maybe that's what needs to happen… right? There… is no other way… to escape from our fate…
Armin is very disturbed and doesn't know what to say. He remembers Eren's Founding Titan… the Rumbling, he says: I can't… I can't make this decision…
Mikasa looks at Armin deeply in pain: Please Armin… I know… only you can decide… what's the right thing to do… Please… Help me…
Armin sits down, he cannot take it anymore, too many painful memories come to his mind, so much death, he sees the Attack Titan…he sees Eren punching him… his void and emotionless face… he cannot bear to look at the baby girl.
A different memory comes to his mind… he is running… he is a boy… he sees Eren and Mikasa playfully running ahead of him… the wind feels so nice… Eren reaches a familiar tree… follow closely by Mikasa… they are laughing… he sees Eren's face… he is happy.
Armin, with tears in his eyes, reaches for Mikasa's hand… he grabs the dagger she held… and throws it away.
Mikasa starts to cry.
Armin approaches her: No… this time… will be different… because she…will only know… love.
Armin and Mikasa hug while both of them cry.
Armin: Can I… hold her?
Mikasa start to look like herself again: Yes.
Armin holding the little girl: Hey there… - The baby is curiously looking at Armin- Aren't you a cutie… You look so much like your father…
Mikasa softly says: Sasha…
Armin looks at her puzzled
Mikasa looks at Armin smiling: Her name… is Sasha.
A few minutes later
Historia is walking in circles dying of concern, meanwhile Annie is sitting in a fence, deep in thought. Suddenly Armin walks out of the cabin.
Historia: Armin what happened?!
Armin smiles at her: They are fine… Mikasa asked me to step outside… because she was going to nurse her baby… you can come in if you want.
Historia starts to tear up and runs inside.
Annie approaches Armin with a concerned look.
Armin smiles at her: Everything is fine now Annie… don't worry.
Annie smiles at him, touches his shoulder and steps inside.
Historia is yelling at Mikasa: YOU IDIOT! DO YOU KNOW HOW SCARED I WAS!?
She drops to her knees and hugs Mikasa strongly: You idiot…
Mikasa smiling: I'm sorry to have worried you Historia…
Annie enters the room shyly.
Mikasa gets excited: Annie! You are here!
Annie: Hey Mikasa…
Mikasa saddened: I'm sorry to have left so suddenly… I needed some time alone…
Annie smiling at her: It's fine… but we have to complete our mission.
Mikasa smiles at her: Yes we will.
Historia: Annie was so worried, she was freaking out big time.
Annie blushing: Well of course… and you were no help.
Historia: Hey! I took care of Mikasa all this time even when I didn't know what was going on!
Mikasa chuckles: Stop… don't you want to meet her?
Historia pushes Annie away: ME FIRST.
Historia picks Sasha up, crying: She is so beautiful… look how cute these little streaks are…
Historia looks at Sasha eyes… and panics.
Mikasa notices this: I think I need to explain…
A few moments later, Historia is speechless by Mikasa's story.
Annie: Well… I was already freaked out before knowing all this… so…
Historia: How can you joke about this Annie? This is... troublesome…
Annie: What else can I say? That Mikasa should have killed Sasha and then killed herself?
Historia shocked: What?! I… never said that!
Annie squinting her eyes: You sure?
Mikasa with a stern look: Stop this.
Annie and Historia look at Mikasa worried
Mikasa looking at Sasha: I know what all of this means… that's why I needed Armin… and I trust what he said… it will be different… fate… maybe is not set in stone…
Annie approaches Sasha and looks at her: Yeah… the world is not what it was… there is no need for this baby to learn to fight… to kill… to be scared of her life… does it really matter… were one comes from?
Historia looks at them feeling better: Yeah… you are right… you are so sensitive Annie… I'm impressed.
Annie annoyed: Is there going to be a day when people stop saying that to me?
Mikasa laughs and Sasha smiles.
Annie and Historia are lovestruck: AWWW!
Historia excited: Look how cute you are! I'm going to take you with me.
Annie worried: Ok, I think it's time you give the baby to her mother.
Historia: You are just jealous that she likes me
Annie: more like concerned that you might kidnap her…
Historia ignores Annie and starts to walk around the room with Sasha. Mikasa smiles at the scene and starts to tear up without realizing
Annie looks at her concerned: What's wrong?
Mikasa realizes she is crying… she has felt like this before…
Mikasa: I… don't know… it's just hard to believe… everything is alright…
Annie gently puts her hand on her cheek, recognizing what she is thinking: You are here… she is here… we are here… there is nothing to worry about anymore… ok?
Mikasa smiles at her and holds her hand.
Annie at Historia: Don't you have anything to say?
Historia completely distracted with Sasha: What? Did you say something?
A few hours later…
Historia is taking a stroll in the fields near Mikasa's cabin with Sasha in her arms, while Annie is following her annoyed.
Annie flustered: When are you going to let me hold her?!
Historia: Shut up Annie… I'm not having another baby… I'm enjoying every moment I can.
Annie mocking her: What? Why is that? Aren't you married? Or have you already become a dried old woman?
Historia is scorching red with anger: Do you not know how hard it was for me to get pregnant? Why I did it?! What I had to do?!
Annie feeling a bit ashamed: Geez sorry… still… it's not cool for you to not share Sasha… she has spent more time with you than with Mikasa.
Historia annoyed: So? Mikasa will have her the rest of her life.
Annie irritated: Pff… whatever you say… it's still my turn to hold her.
Historia giving Annie her back: Nope, if you want a baby so bad you have Armin right there. Get to work.
Annie get extremely blushed: What the hell?! I… We are not… You are so vulgar!
Historia: And you are such a prude… go get pregnant Annie. Shoo!
Annie blushing and angry: You little shit…
Sitting in a bench at Mikasa's cabin, Armin and Mikasa are watching the scene…
Mikasa: Armin… did we… made the right choice?
Armin softly smiling: Yes… I know this must be complicated for you… it sure is for me… but some barriers must never be crossed… not again. It's not worth it… to give your soul… for something that might not happen…
A flock of birds fly over them…
Armin chuckles softly: I guess I'm just afraid to be wrong… I only know… you love your baby… and she will live in peace… that's all I need to be sure… that we made the right choice.
Mikasa is smiling: Thank you… Armin.
In the distance, Annie has snatched Sasha from Historia and is running away from her.
Armin concerned gets up and yells: Annie be careful with her!
He sits down feeling ashamed: I'm sorry Mikasa, they are treating Sasha like she is a doll
Mikasa looking at the scene: Armin… Annie wants a baby… You know what to do right?
Armin shooting blood from his nose: WHAT?! I… DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!
Mikasa giving him a stern look: Sure you do, we learned it at the academy… at the Humanity's Survival Guidance Class. I remember you took notes of everything Instructor Shadis said…
Armin ashamed: I… it was… all theorical!
Mikasa smiles at him and puts her hand in his shoulder: You should think about it… no need to delay loving someone… you won't regret it…
Armin nostalgically smiles at her, while Historia is chasing Annie…
Sasha had fallen asleep in her arms…
End of Part 1
Thanks for everyone that has read this story. It started as just some random what if scenario I toyed with when i read chapter 139 and it developed into a whole story. This is just the end of the first part of the story, there is still quite a lot to be written.
