Hello all! Sorry it has taken me some time to get this chapter up. I kept writing it, then changing it, then going back, and then rethinking, but I am happy with how it is right now. I really hope you like it!

Thank you soooooooo much to all those that have reviewed, followed, favorited, and read this story. It means the world.

As the story turns…

Chapter Five: Humanity's Last Hope

Erwin cornered Levi once he emerged from the cells. "Did she say or do anything else?"

Levi's mind went blank for a moment. What should he say? He knew he should tell the Commander what just happened, but he didn't even know what happened. Somehow the woman healed his ankle, but how? Who the hell was she?

Levi then thought that telling the Commander would only serve as a distraction for now, and all of them needed to focus on the mission at hand. If he held off, it would give him time to think of what to say. Perhaps even time to question her before reporting to the Commander.

It was at that last thought that he realized he was indeed compromised when it came to this girl. He shook his head. He could not put this thing, whatever it was, between him and Serenity before the safety of the troops. He promised the Commander that he would have no more issues concerning her, and he intended to keep that promise. Erwin had been a loyal Commander, and the closet thing he had to a friend. He took a deep breath and began to explain.

"I gave her some books about our history. Seemed appropriate considering she would have some questions." Levi said. "Plus, it might build a bridge of trust to where she might open up more. She is clearly hiding more information, but she indicated the reason was because she didn't want to put others in danger. She said the information is delicate and hard to trust others with. She also doesn't want to distract us from our current mission at hand."

Erwin nodded as he listened. "So, she is definitely hiding something, the questions are what, and is it a threat to us? We will have to think on this more after retrieving Jaegar. She is right about one thing; we do need to focus on our current mission." Erwin paused before asking. "Was there anything else?"

Levi swallowed thickly. "Erwin..." The rest of the words caught in his throat as he was unsure how to explain.

The way Levi said his name caused the Commander's eyebrows to raise. He rarely called him by his first name. This must be some information that went beyond the Captain's comprehension. Erwin waited in silence, allowing Levi to continue.

"You know how I injured my ankle a year or so ago? Hasn't really been right since, and it tends to act up at the worst possible time?" Erwin merely nodded at Levi, encouraging him to continue. "It doesn't hurt anymore. It is like the injury is completely gone. I don't know how to explain it, but I think she healed it."

Erwin's eyes almost bugged out of his skull. "What? How? Why?" The Commander couldn't even form a coherent sentence.

"I don't know." Levi said. Still stumped as to what happened. "She grabbed my ankle, and it was like a warm light flowed through me. When she put it back down, the pain was gone. As far as why, your answer is as good as mine. She just showed concern about me leaving in that condition and told me to come back safe."

Erwin heaved out a sigh. "Perhaps this world is more complicating than we could ever imagine. Titans I can handle, but unexplained magic? I can't even think of a better word to describe it." Erwin ran a hand over his face. "She either is manipulating us or genuinely cares. Still though, having that kind of ability could prove useful to us and our troops. We will get more answers when we return, but now we must leave if we even hope to reach Jaegar in time."

Levi nodded as he began to mount his horse.

"Oh, Captain." Erwin called out, causing Levi to face him once more. "Thank you for keeping to your word. This woman is something else, but your loyalty to the Scouts is as steadfast as ever."

Levi only nodded as he grabbed the reins of his horse. Both men riding off to reclaim Humanity's Last Hope - Eren Jaegar.

Serenity sat in the cold cell. The guards had brought her some water, bread, and soup. They even gave her some hot tea and extra blankets to make her stay more comfortable. They didn't converse with her, but they treated her with civility. She couldn't be more grateful – all things considered.

It was a bold move to heal Levi, but she could not let him go knowing full well that he was heading towards potential death. She didn't want anyone else to die. She wished they allowed her to come, but she could understand why not. Hopefully the act itself would help win some trust with the Captain. She was certain more questions would come, but she didn't regret her decision. She wanted to protect all of them. It was the least she could do after avoiding Earth for so long.

She picked up one of the books and began reading. She hoped that they would explain why things were the way they were. How had so much of the population been wiped out? She had little hope though, based off their reactions to her saying the human population used to be seven billion. She had a sneaky suspicion that history itself had been rewritten.

She tucked herself into the blankets as she began to read about the walls and the people held within them.

"None of this makes sense." Serenity whispered to herself. She had been through both books at this point, and it only filled her mind with more questions.

She laid back on the bed as she looked at the ceiling. Trying to comprehend everything. It was dark out now, and if the mission had been a success, they would be back soon. She just prayed to whoever was listening that they all came back alive.

She learned that Titans showed up out of nowhere. There was not a single explanation as to what they were or where they came from. Around 100 years ago, the walls were erected to protect what was left of humanity, and that peace had kept until recently. But how were the walls made? Why are the walls looked at as gods? Modern technology wasn't a thing, so what happened to that? How bad had the world gotten? Was it a plot of someone to try and reset humanity itself?

Apparently, Titans draw energy from the sun, so nighttime is the best opportunity for moving around. There were some exceptions, an abnormal Titan here and there that have different capabilities. But why Titans? How were they even made?

Serenity's mind wandered to Chaos. Wondering if the entity had had something to do with all this. A way to demolish the one world she knew of as home, and she was too much of a coward to even come back. She had sentenced so many to death because she couldn't face her own past. She was so ashamed of herself.

She let out a growl in frustration as she covered her face. Silent tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to figure out how to fix it. If only she had Mercury's brain, or Mars' wisdom. Maybe then she could figure it out.

"I'm sorry." Serenity whispered into the dark as more tears of frustration fell on her cheeks. "I failed you. You gave your lives for me, and I let this happen to our planet. Our home. I'm so weak. Why couldn't I face it? I needed to face it, but no – I ran and made the excuse that I was saving the universe. That there was more than just this Earth to look out for, but I know it was my own weakness that kept me from here. My own reckless stubbornness to remember you." Sobs started to escape from her mouth as her body shook. She hadn't cried like this since that day. She had blocked it out, but being here, seeing what had happened, she couldn't do it anymore. Under the cover of darkness, she allowed her vulnerability to show. She opened the floodgates of her emotions knowing that it was the only way to truly move on.

Once her breathing got under control, she made a vow to those that she had lost. She just hoped that wherever they were, they could hear her. "I promise, whatever it takes, I will make this right. I will protect them. I will save humanity once again." Determination filled her voice as she uttered those words. She could do this. They believed in her – her Senshi. She just had to believe in herself.

Unbeknownst to the woman lying on the bed, two eyes studied her. Grey and blue continued to watch from a distance. Trying to process the last words she uttered.

Erwin and Levi looked on her with confusion. None of the words she said made sense, but they could tell and feel the conviction behind them.

What happened to her? Levi thought. He still hadn't moved a muscle, feeling almost embarrassed by intruding on such a private moment.

"Do you really think she is a threat after hearing that?" Levi whispered to Erwin.

The Commander didn't know what to think.

"She is still hiding something, and until we know what, we cannot be too cautious." He muttered back to Levi.

Erwin tensed at the pain that was shooting through his arm, but Levi had insisted on coming here before the infirmary to see if she could help the way she did with his ankle. While Erwin didn't trust the girl completely, it couldn't hurt to try. In the state he was in now, he was no use as a soldier. His arm bitten off during this last expedition. Many had died, but Jaegar was saved. Even demonstrating an ability to control Titans, which could prove very useful. Humanity's Last Hope still lived, so they would keep pushing forward. To save others and to figure out the truth behind everything.

Erwin grunted softly as he tried to conceal how much his arm was bothering him, but it got the woman's attention.

Serenity's eyes fell on them, and she quickly wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "You're back." She whispered as she got up from the bed and moved towards the bars of her cell. "Were you able to rescue him? Are you okay?" As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes saw the state of Erwin's arm. Her hand found her mouth as she tried to cover her shock. "What happened?"

Erwin approached her slowly, with Levi right behind him. "A Titan got a good taste of me." Erwin half joked, even though he still grimaced in pain.

"May I see?" Serenity asked as she reached out a hand to him.

Erwin looked at Levi, but the Captain only pushed him towards the girl. He came within inches of her as she grasped ahold of his cloak.

"I'm assuming that Levi informed you of his ankle, and that is why you're here." She whispered, as she made quick work of removing his cloak. She then moved to the sleeve that had been tied tight around the wound to try and prevent more blood loss.

Erwin only nodded at the girl while he watched her movements. Levi stood to the side, hand on his blade just in case anything went wrong.

"I'm sorry Commander, but I cannot grow back limbs." She said with a sad smile as she met his blue eyes. "There may be something I can do though."

She grabbed the stump, her hands becoming sticky with his blood as she examined it closer. It didn't look as if anything was trapped within the wound. A clean cut from what she could tell. She needed to stop the bleeding and hopefully she could take away his pain. She placed her hands directly on the area.

Erwin winced, but tried his best not to move. His eyes looked at her face. He was shocked to see her deep blue eyes glowing silver before she closed them. Warmth spread through his arm and body. He could feel the pain easing, and his energy returning. The open wound closed as his heart grew stronger. No longer stressed by the blood loss. He felt her pull away, and she gasped - quickly finding her way to the bed to sit. Her breathing was ragged as she cupped her face in her hands, smearing some of his blood on her cheeks and forehead.

Erwin looked down, and his eyes widened. His arm was still gone, but what was left was healed. No more blood pouring out, no more pain. He moved it freely around, completely amazed that what should have taken months to heal only took mere seconds with her.

"How did you do that?" Erwin asked. Astonishment evident in his voice.

"Just a little trick of mine." Serenity responded, her voice strained. "I transfer some of my life energy into you to speed up the healing process." Her eyes felt heavy as exhaustion kicked in. "Some injuries require a bit more energy than others. Does it feel ok?"

Erwin nodded. "Thank you."

Serenity just flashed him a brilliant smile causing the Commander to blush. "I wish I could do more, but I am glad you don't appear to be in pain anymore."

"Why did you do it?" Erwin couldn't stop himself from asking. "For Levi and me?"

Serenity leaned her back against the wall, her eyes fluttering every so often as she tried to remain focused. The healing taking a small toll on her.

"Well, you're both so handsome, how could I resist?" Serenity joked as it became harder to fight her sleepiness.

Both men's eyebrows shot up into their hairline as a faint blush tinted their cheeks. Serenity could only chuckle at them as she forced her eyes to stay open a little longer.

"A point for me for making two intimidating men blush like schoolgirls." She snickered a bit more before saying seriously. "I did it because I don't like seeing people hurt or in pain. I want to help, in any way I can." With those last words, her eyes finally closed. Her breathing evened out as she slumbered, still propped up against the wall next to her bed.

"Tch." Levi scoffed as he shook the blush away from his cheeks, smirking at the girl's cheekiness. He grabbed the keys to the cell that were hanging on the wall and went to unlock the door. Erwin reached up his hand to stop him, but Levi just moved passed him as he got the cell open.

He stepped in quietly as he moved closer – careful not to wake her. He placed one hand on the back of her neck as the other arm wrapped around her back. He carefully lowered her fully to the bed where she curled up, still fast asleep. He took off his cravat and dipped it into the water that was still in a cup on the table. He gently wiped the blood off her face. She stirred slightly but did not wake. He couldn't let her sleep in such a dirty state. He hated filth, and blood was the worst to clean if it dried out. Once he was satisfied, he pocketed his cravat before he pulled the blanket up over her, staring a bit too long at her peaceful face. He finally tore himself away and walked out of the cell. He locked the door behind him and faced Erwin who had a knowing smile on his face.

"Not a word." Levi said as he put the keys back where they belonged.

"Didn't say anything." Erwin held up his hand to demonstrate his innocence.

Levi rolled his eyes at the Commander before both men left, allowing the girl to get some much-needed rest.

Serenity's eyes fluttered opened. It took her a moment to remember where she was as her eyes adjusted to the room. She was still in the cell. It appeared to be close to dawn as the sky was lit up in a beautiful purple. She stretched a bit as she pulled the blankets closer to her. There was a chill in the air, and she didn't want to leave the comfort of their warmth just yet.

A sigh escaped her lips. She felt rested. That was the first dreamless sleep she had had in a long time. No nightmares to plague her, just blissful darkness, and the faint memory of someone holding her gently as they laid her down. She couldn't remember falling asleep, but she remembered feeling those arms around her as they tucked her in. She remembered someone caressing her face. A small smile graced her lips before her body tensed. She felt as if she was being watched.

She peeked out from the blanket as she scanned the room once again. She saw a pair of brilliant green eyes staring at her from a darkened corner. She sat up as she studied the person. Was it a guard? They usually didn't watch her and were hardly ever with her physically in the room, just outside the door. The figure didn't move as it continued to stare at her. She grew nervous under its gaze, but she managed to squeak out a small "Hello."

That was when the person started walking towards her. A man. Taller than the Captain but wearing the same uniform. His eyes were hypnotizing as they watched her. She had never seen such a color. Once he got closer, she could make out that he was young, but had a handsome face. Unlike the Captain and Commander, all his emotions were visible for the world to see.

Confusion, fear, and curiosity shined in his eyes as he continued to look at her. Not speaking. Serenity swung her feet over the side of the bed, the silence deafening. She nervously chuckled as she said, "You know, this is the part where you say hello back, or just, you know, say something."

"Hello." His gruff voice met her ears. "Mikasa and Armin told me that the Captain brought in an interesting prisoner. Someone that no one could explain. So, I guess my question to you is who are you? Friend or enemy?"

Serenity heaved out a sigh. Not this again. She thought. "My name is Serenity Moon, and I am a friend. No offense, whoever you are, but I have been drilled with questions since I arrived here by Captain Levi and Commander Erwin. Can you at least wait until after breakfast before you start with the same inquiries?" She huffed out, a little too tired of having to go through this time and again. She understood that they didn't know her. That they couldn't trust her right now, but can a girl get a little bit of a break? Especially when the sun hasn't even fully risen?

The boy just continued looking at her. "I used to be held here." He said, as if he didn't hear her response. "Back when they didn't know what I was or what I was capable of. People or things who are different never sit well with the military. They still look at me as if I'm a powder keg about to explode, but it has gotten better. People always fear what they cannot explain or understand."

Serenity's ears perked up at hearing this. "Who are you?" She questioned.

"My name is Eren Jaegar."

Serenity's eyes widened as she stood up from the bed. "You're the one they went to retrieve." She said incredulously. "So, they were successful. Are you okay? I know Mikasa and Armin are thrilled that you are back. They seemed so worried when that Titan carried you away."

Eren could only blink at the girl. She seemed so genuine in her curiosity and concern. Mikasa and Armin didn't have to say much about her, just that she showed up out of nowhere. She had helped try to heal Mikasa's wounds. Offered advice to take care of the others. Armin said she was stunningly beautiful, and on that account, he would have to agree.

"I am alive." Eren said softly. "Even though the weight of every death weighs on me considering I was the cause of it. Humanity's Last Hope is what they call me, but I can't seem to stop the people I care about from dying." He looked away as the words fell out of his mouth. He didn't know why he was saying so much to her, but he felt he could trust her. There was a pain in the depth of her eyes. A pain that looked all too familiar. As if she could understand what he was feeling.

She walked closer to the bars of the cell. She empathized with what he was saying. She shook her head at him. "You are not the cause." She said confidently. "You live in an unfair world that has dealt you a bad hand. That is not your fault, nor is it the fault of those who have lost their lives trying to fight for humanity. While sacrifice is hard, sometimes it is necessary for the greater good. Doesn't make it easier, but you keep moving forward. If you keep fighting for life, love, justice, and freedom, their sacrifice will never be in vain. Do not pity the dead. Fight for the living."

Eren's eyes turned to her. Tears falling freely, but a small smile reached his lips. Her words brought him comfort. They were what he needed to hear in this moment. After so much pain and loss, they still had to move forward. They still had to free humanity from the cage it found itself in.

"Thank you. For your words." Eren said, his eyes holding her stare intently.

Serenity smiled. Her eyes brightening just a fraction at the thought of bringing peace to him.

"So, why were you kept down here?" Serenity questioned. Trying to change the subject and get to know him better. If he was Humanity's Last Hope, he could be a key in helping her set right what had went so wrong.

Eren sighed as he stared at the chains on the wall. "I'm a Titan shifter." He answered simply. "I didn't know it until it happened. I shifted after I had been eaten – trying to save Armin."

"Wow." Serenity was amazed. She knew there had to be shifters around, based off Levi's initial questions of her, but here was one standing right in front of her. She wanted to know more. She needed answers.

"How did you become a shifter? How is something like that triggered? How many more are there? How did you gain the trust of your comrades?" The questions came pouring out of her before she could stop them. She mentally sweat dropped at how desperate she sounded. "I am sorry to bombard you, there are just so many things I don't understand, and these books really don't answer a damn thing. The only thing they do is make me think that they are hiding the truth. I just want to comprehend what is going on. I want to help."

Eren let out a dark chuckle. "We don't even understand what is happening. The safest thing for you to do would be to run and forget about all of this."

"I will never run away. Not again." Serenity said in a strong voice. "I am here. I'm not going anywhere."

Eren shook his head. "Foolish, but I'm glad to have another ally. I should let you get some rest. I just had to see you for myself."

Eren started to walk away, but Serenity called out to him. "Eren, wait." He turned to face her.

"Do you..." She hesitated. "Do you trust me?"

"I honestly don't know what to think." Eren answered truthfully. "I have put my faith in the wrong people before, but there is something in you that calls me to believe in you. Don't get me wrong, I will be on my guard, but Armin seems to trust you – and I trust him. When you are ready to tell the whole truth, I'll be here to listen."

"Thank you." She said. Her voice filled with emotion.

He nodded, offering her a smile before he left her alone once again.

And there we have it! I should get the next chapter out much sooner. Probably before the weekend. Next up will be some more information on Titans along with Serenity trying to gain some more ground with the Scouts. Stay tuned!

Don't forget to REVIEW, follow, favorite, and READ! Thank you again!

-Lizzy