A/N: So, I felt something was missing before the original story began, and I felt, that the explanation wasn't enough. I needed to explain this part of the world as well. So as for sure, the chapter will release on the 30th of March, but this is an addition. Anyway, w/o further ado, this is the new addition to the story "Mikasa's Long Dream."

Near a small hill on the outskirts of Shiganshina, there was an orphanage. It was one among many orphanages established by Queen Historia during the initial days of her rule. It used to be a property owned by a royal noble before it was confiscated. The initiative had the support of nearly everyone who formed the next government, especially that of Levi Ackermann, known to be humanity's strongest soldier. During her initial years as queen, Historia personally took care of the records and requirements of the orphanage. After the Rumbling, she became more involved in other affairs like Paradis' peace missions and the rapid growth that the country was undergoing. Soon enough, she couldn't pay attention to the place and so she handed over the reins to a more capable person, who was exceptional in her own right.

This person was orphaned at an early age herself and was adopted into Eren Yeager's family. Over the years, she grew up to fall in love with him, which manifested itself as an overprotective tendency. The boy never really appreciated it until the last years of his life. By the time he realized his feelings for her, it was already too late and he couldn't afford to act on them in order to carry out the Rumbling.

Unknown to the world, she was the one who saved the world during the Rumbling by killing her beloved, who threatened to destroy all life beyond the walls. She then put up a small grave for him under a tree on that hill, visiting him whenever she missed his presence. His epitaph had the very words she always wanted to tell him all his life but did not come to pass.

Here forever
Rest in peace
My beloved
My dear
854

Her name was Mikasa Ackermann.

Soon after the war, her Ackermann abilities disappeared along with the titans. She then resigned from the military. She refrained from involving herself in any form of active politics and paved a peaceful life for herself. She initially tried to move on with another man, but before their relationship could get any further, she broke up with him after beating him up when he began to insult Eren's memory. Ever since then, she never found anyone else since she knew that no other man would ever understand and care for her as Eren did. Besides, no man would ever agree to accept a woman when she has someone else in her heart. Especially if it was the man who threatened to destroy the world. Once when she was on her way to Eren's grave, she saved a child from kidnappers whose parents had been killed. After the visit to Eren's grave along with Armin (for which she brought the child along as well), she took the child to the orphanage at his suggestion. Soon, she slowly began to make frequent visits to the place. It was a place she felt connected to the most, as she could relate with the children's feelings and it was her form of remembering Eren and the Yeager family who accepted her all those years ago. When the children of the orphanage confided in her of the inadequate needs to the place, she personally went and complained about the issue to Historia, who was then burdened with the growing matters in the state. Seeing her resolve and passion towards the place, Historia handed over the orphanage into Mikasa's hands. And since then, for almost the last 50 years, she has continued to run the place with the same love and passion she had when she started.

Many of the children whom she raised eventually grew very attached to her. They often used to volunteer themselves to help around the orphanage although they had their own jobs to do. Although none of the kids in the orphanage knew the identity of the man whom their caretaker loved, they used to accompany her at times during her visits to his grave. It was a regular ritual of her to keep 3 roses near the stone to convey the love she holds for him even after all these years. There were times when the leader of the Peacemakers Armin Arlelt and his wife Annie used to accompany her, comforting her when she broke down at times. This was her new life and the children were her new family.

A/N: I personally choose to believe Mikasa never got together with anyone because firstly, she doesn't have a wedding ring before her death. Secondly, she never removed the bandage on her wrist which had the crest that she had to pass down to future generations, and Thirdly, A white flower was placed during her death which symbolizes purity and virginity. Fourth, after calling Eren her home and her beloved and her family for so many years, showing her move on so easily with another man isn't according to her character. Fifth, she clearly said 'NO' when Eren himself asked her to forget him and move on. That itself clearly shows that she really loved him and was not someone who merely follows his orders like a slave without regard to her own feelings.

Besides, her adopting children seems fitting to her story because all through her life, her relationships have been defined by the emotions she has towards a person and not by its literal meaning. For example, we call Grisha and Carla Yeager as Mikasa's parents because she viewed them as parental figures and the emotions between them are similar to that. But the two are not actually Mikasa's parents. Similarly, we define Eren and Mikasa as a couple or an item not because it has been said as such ( Seriously, I don't think they've even said 'I love you' to one another…nor did they discuss that with anyone) but because of the emotions we see between the two that we're able to imply that. Similarly, here also, Mikasa has children. She treats them as such. She cares about them, looks after their well-being, takes them to task if they do something wrong, everything that a normal parent would do for their kids. But they're not her actual children by the literal definition of it.

Mikasa's life is a literal example of the fact that relationships are not to be defined by blood. They are defined by emotions.

(Also, I can totally imagine old Mikasa being a strict orphanage caretaker.)

It seems poetic, to be honest.