A/N: Thanks for the amazing reviews guys. I really enjoyed reading them. Deathmakesapoet is my awesome new beta, thank you bb for all your input! SnK created by Isayama Hajime. See my endnote for further credits. Latest chapter spoilers.
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Dive for dreams or a slogan may topple you. Trust your heart if seas catch fire.
He was out there somewhere. Dive for dreams...
She exhaled. Trust your heart, if seas catch fire.
Before the Titans breached the wall for the first time, Armin would talk about oceans alight with flames, far, far beyond Wall Maria. And Eren always spoke of seeing it with his own eyes. Of reclaiming the land beyond the wall for humanity. It made Mikasa feel so alive just remembering his voice, brimming with passion and enthusiasm. As the pursuit team cautiously rode towards their destination in a wide formation, Mikasa found a moment of calm within its centre. The orange sky, the billowing clouds. They almost looked like plumes of smoke from large fires beyond the visible horizon.
You promised to reclaim our birthright. Stay alive, Eren! That's all I ask of you!
The moment subsided and she knew that it was a lie. No, she wanted more. She thought of his salty lips dry against her open mouth. And of embracing his body with hers.
But Eren made it clear to her that he wanted none of it. That morning, he pulled away abruptly and walked away with a word, his expression unfathomable. They never spoke of it again.
Deep down, he must know what a selfish woman I am. Why do I feel so surprised when he leaps forward without so much as a backwards glance at me? Eren is a wild spirit, demanding that the world allow him to run free. The thought of leaving me makes him happy. What do I offer, but shackles to bind him to the Earth? What do I offer, but a reminder of his weaknesses? Her heart throbbed with pain and self contempt. I just want what I can't have. What I don't deserve.
She bit her lip. Eren! Where have they taken you?
A messenger from the forward reconnaissance detachment appeared ahead. Mikasa spurred her horse forward to listen in on the report to Commander Erwin. As the entire center cohort slowed, Erwin turned his horse to face her and nodded slightly. Immediately, she snatched a flare from the small of her back and shot a pillar of green light straight up into the air.
Left, right and behind her, relayers a distance away mimicked her action. Soldiers blew hard out of their noses as the caustic smell of sulphur settled. The outliers will now know to halt and take cover nearby while continuously scanning the surrounding terrain for Titans.
In the three hours since leaving Wall Rose, they had been able to employ the formation with great effectiveness. It was a tighter circle, with Erwin commanding that they dispense with heavy supplies for the sake of speed. A few normal Titans had been sighted and were avoided without incident, but it cost them precious time. The journey so far had been a safe one, boosting everyone's morale considerably.
But they all knew what terrors lay ahead. It had been apparent for while that they were playing catch-up with the Titans trailing Eren, Ymir and their kidnappers. Only the insane would chase a concentrated horde of mindless monsters, inexplicably drawn the titan-shifters like moths to a flame. The insane, or the determined. She looked askance at Jean, who had dogged her heels for the better half of the expedition so far. His was an expression of barely disguised rage.
The messenger reined in her horse and saluted with a snap. "Commander, The plateau ends in another ten minute's ride. The land dips down into a riverbed. We believe the giant trees across the river are the ones we're looking for…"
"Did you see any more tracks?"
"…Parts of the riverbank are freshly damaged, sections collapsing into the water. We're not sure about the targets, but it seems a large number of Titans are there, ahead of us."
"Yet we've seen so few …" Erwin muttered. Lips drawn tight, he studied the map Hanji had given him. "Could we get the horses over?" At her nod, he closed his eyes for a moment. "There's no choice, we'll have to check those tall trees. I'm calling a ten minute stay, and then we proceed with our first plan."
More signals went off, and the bulk of the unit took shelter in the only small patch of woods in sight. They were able to maintain three-sixty visibility due the advantage of flat terrain and sentry teams in all directions.
Mikasa quickly dismounted, loosening the saddle-belt of her chestnut a notch and withdrawing a small bristle-brush from the saddle bag. She began to rub the animal's flanks over in circular motions. It was panting heavily. "Good girl." The beast sunk its head wearily to the ground.
Jean drew alongside her. His expression was calmer now. "I didn't ask before, but are you in one of the drive teams, or the main skirmish line?" he began, usual stiffness around her less pronounced. "Wait, forget I asked, it has to be a drive, right?" He tried to laugh a little.
"I've been assigned to the team cutting off their escape, by circling around the forest." Mikasa replied quietly. It could all go so wrong. She stopped and leaned on the horse a little, touching her temple. It was starting to hurt again. The thought of failure made her head throb.
After a moment's silence, Jean sighed. "Don't worry too much. The brat will be okay. He may be stupid as hell, but he certainly doesn't know when to give up. I'll give him that much."
Mikasa looked at him in surprise. She had never heard Jean say anything nice about Eren before. They were always warring with cocksure words and fists. Twin sides of a sword, forged from the same steel. She almost smiled. "With our supplies, we only have one shot at this."
Our objective… was the total elimination of humankind.
"Let's make it count. '' Jean said as he gave Mikasa's shoulder a squeeze. His eyes glistened with determination.
Two simultaneous blasts sounded. Red signals exploded in the sky ahead. Animalistic moans sounded in the distance. The sun sinks in just over an hour.
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A/N: Dive for dreams…catch fire is a poem by E. E. Cummings. Information on manoeuvre warfare retrieved from Infanterie Greift An by Erwin Rommel (Hajime's muse, probably. Also, Erwin is the official spelling). I pre-empted so its not going to make sense when 46 comes out. This story will run along a parallel tangent then back into canon where there is opportunity. Thanks for reading and suggestions are always welcome!