Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) I write this for your enjoyment only. This story takes place shortly after my previous installment 'Truth and Revelations' in which Eren learns about the origins of his powers from Professor Hanji, his father's former student, who kept it hidden from him since they became reunited after his trial in episode 14 of the anime. Since the anime has not continued yet, any installments I make after episode 25 will be based solely on the manga as well as my speculation on future events beyond chapter 56.

What a Warrior Fears

Eren gave out an exasperated sigh as he shot up from his bed while trying his hardest not to cry out in frustration for fear of waking his sleeping superiors and comrades. He was alone in his room at the hidden countryside house where he, Mikasa, and the rest of Levi's new squad as well as the professor, was staying. It had been a few days since Hanji revealed the origins of his titan powers to him as well as her past ties with his family. She insisted that it was necessary for her to conduct some experiments on him to find other abilities he may have before they can attempt to take back Wall Maria and the youth willingly went along with it because it was also necessary to find whatever it was his father had hidden in the basement of his old house. Not only was it the key to turning the tide of the war, it may also yield clues as to the whereabouts of Dr. Jaeger himself if he was alive which Eren now had reason to believe he was.

Looking at the clock on his wall, the youth saw that it about three in the morning, about five hours to the time the corporal and professor expected him and the others to be awake so that Hanji can continue her experiments while his comrades assisted her. So far, they have not discovered much; the one thing the professor wanted him to do most, which was to harden his skin the way Annie as a titan had done it, had been unsuccessful for try as he might, Eren simply could not replicate it and Hanji came to the conclusion that titan powers may vary from one individual shifter to another. The good news, if it could be called that, was that while Eren could not harden his skin like Annie, he did have the power to manipulate the thoughts and actions of other titans with his mind which could prove to be a far more useful ability so long as he could control it.

Unable to go back to sleep, Eren got up and put on his night robe before heading out to the front porch of the house for some fresh air, hoping that a little time beneath the stars would help him relax enough to fall asleep again. After stepping outside and quietly closing the door behind him, the youth placed his hands on the rail of the porch and gazed up at the night sky at the moon and stars. He knew that even more power-hungry people will come after him once it becomes known that he possessed psychic abilities to control other titans as well as being able to shape-shift into one himself and it wasn't a matter of 'if' but 'when'. There was no way his newly discovered abilities could be kept a secret for long after so many people had witnessed it; his superiors and comrades were not the only ones who had noticed when he unleashed them for the first time. But that knowledge wasn't what disturbed Eren the most.

It was what he discovered about his former comrades, Bertholdt, Reiner, and Ymir.

Until they revealed their own shape-shifting abilities to him as well as the others, Eren believed that he was the only titan-shifter in existence. Ymir had kept her secret well-hidden until circumstances had forced her to transform to protect Krista and the others from being devoured. As for Bertholdt and Reiner, Eren did not discover their secret until they attempted to abduct him along with Ymir. He was shocked to find out that not only were they titan-shifters like Annie, Ymir and himself, they were also the very ones responsible for the fall of Wall Maria five years prior. Never could he have guessed that the ones who had caused him so much grief had been the very ones he trained and fought alongside with all along. And while they never told him the reason for their actions, Eren knew that his psychic abilities was one of the reasons they, as well as Annie, had taken so much trouble to abduct him knowing that he would not go quietly and willingly which he didn't; he would never again trust Bertholdt and Reiner now that he knew they caused the death of his mother.

And neither would he ever forgive them.

"Eren?"

The youth was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a soft, feminine voice behind him. Turning around, he saw his foster sister, now his lover, awake and dressed in a night robe like he was, looking at him with curious blue-grey eyes.

"Mikasa? Why are you up?"

"I was about to ask the same of you. Are you having trouble sleeping?" she asked as she approached Eren and gently took his hand in her own.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. But yes, I am having a hard time going back to sleep which might be troublesome since we have to be up in five hours."

Mikasa frowned. "Are you thinking about what the professor told you? About your powers and the fact that she knew your parents?"

Eren sighed. "Well, yes. But that is not the only thing…"

He did not elaborate further but Mikasa knew her lover well enough to know what he was thinking. "You're thinking about them, aren't you?"

Eren was silent a moment before answering. "If you're talking about our ex-comrades, then yes."

"What is it about them that bothers you most? The fact that they're also titan-shifters like yourself or that they, your worst enemies, had been by your side all along?"

"I find both of these facts disturbing as well as the fact that I don't know their reasons for siding with the titans against us, against their own kind."

"Do you think it possible that they were never human to begin with? That they were born titan-shifters?"

The youth pondered his lover's words. What she suggested wasn't impossible. While his own titan powers were the result of his father's experiments, there was no guarantee that all titan-shifters were made the way he was; it was possible some could have been born with the ability.

"I'm not sure. If they were born titan-shifters, then that would explain their actions a lot."

"But that isn't what bothers you the most."

Eren shook his head. Again, Mikasa was correct. Not only did he fear the possibility of his titan-shifting powers corrupting him like his ex-comrades, he also feared the possibility of them extending his lifespan beyond that of a normal human. He never thought about it until he discovered that Ymir was not as young as she looked; she appeared no older than a young woman of eighteen, yet she had be alive for over six decades, possibly longer. It was also possible that Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner were older then they appeared as well. Would he also be doomed to the same fate? To watch those he loved and cared for age and die while he lived on, youthful and unchanging, for decades, even centuries to come?

"Mikasa…" he began as he gently took her lovely face in his hand, brushing his thumb down her cheek to her soft lips while trying his best not to let the tears that threaten to spill from his beautiful turquoise eyes fall "I can't lie to you. I am afraid, but not in the way that you think. I know that more people will come after me once my new power becomes known and while I don't want to spend my whole life being used as a weapon, I don't fear it, or even dying, as much as I fear losing you; I fear that even if I don't lose you to war, I might lose you to time."

Mikasa sighed. She knew all too well what Eren meant and understood his fear. She knew that what true warriors feared most wasn't dying, but living without those they held dear to their heart for she felt the same way as well. Since the day he saved her when they were children, Mikasa had devoted her whole life to Eren and wanted nothing more than to spend it by his side. Because she loved him, she could feel his fear and anguish like they were her very own for Mikasa knew that Eren did not choose his fate as humanity's greatest hope and protector- his father chose for him. And because of that, the good doctor had much to answer for when and if they found him- he owed his son that much at least.

Taking her love in her arms, Mikasa gently stroked his soft brown hair in a gesture of comfort. "Shh… please don't think like that, Eren. There are many things we don't know for certain; the future is not set in stone. You are not Ymir, or Annie. And neither are you Bertholdt or Reiner. Until we find all the answers, please don't lose hope."

Eren slowly took in Mikasa's words as he allowed himself to relax in her embrace. Since their first night together as lovers, he found himself more easily pacified when she spoke to him like that. Mikasa was right, he must not allow himself to despair and lose hope, especially not on unproven assumptions based upon the little he knew about other titan-shifters.

"You're right, Mika. There's still much we don't know yet. And until we do, I'll not lose hope. Thank you for telling me that, I feel so much better."

Mikasa smiled as she leaned forward and kissed her handsome lover. "You're welcome" she whispered. "Now come back to bed; the corporal and professor will not be happy if we end up oversleeping tomorrow" she said with a wink.

Eren laughed softly as he gently let Mikasa go and allowed her to lead him back into the house. "Yes, you're right. I think I should have no problem sleeping now. Let's head back."

Within moments of returning to bed, Eren fell asleep with a renewed sense of hope as his lover's words echoed in his mind.

The future is not set in stone so don't lose hope…

And he won't. Not ever.

A/N: Ok, I'm finally back. To my readers, I apologize for the long wait; I have been crazy busy with work and stuck with writer's block for the longest time. While I try my best, I can only update when an idea comes to me. Since this is a collection of short stories, I plan for it to be an ongoing project that will continue as long as I can come up with ideas. Like I said before, I welcome suggestions and will consider all requests that are workable so please don't hesitate to ask! See you next chapter! ;)