Chapter 21

It's summer vacation now! More time to update this story!

Reviews are welcomed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.

I can't believe I'm going back to Brass. It's been many months since I left but it feels like a lifetime ago. I wondered what it's like now. What my friends have said made me curious about what the town looks like now. But I'm not here to sight see; I'm here for Ilse Langnar, my friend who has been murdered by a killer who is on the loose. Now I am on a train going back to a place I grew up.

Being back on a train reminded me when I left Brass with Officer Pixis. This time I'm going but I'm not alone. Erwin is here with me. Petra had to watch the café with Armin and Lucas.

This is going to be a little awkward. I haven't been really been able to talk to him much. I mean we had a few conversations but still, I don't know him very well. I'm his daughter but yet I feel like stranger that just popped up in his life.

There is barley anyone on this train so it is extremely quiet. My friends from Brass were going to stay in Trost. If they were on this train with us, we would probably get thrown off it.

I should ask him something. Anything really. He's sitting right there, right in front of me. I fidgeted a little, trying to think of something to say till Erwin asked me a question.

"What's Brass like?" Erwin said with curious eyes.

"I-It's…" I stuttered. There really aren't many words that would make Brass nice at the least. Even before the plague, it was a crap hole.

"Was it that bad of a place to live?" he asked.

"Yeah…it wasn't that nice a place to live even before the plague, it was awful." I answered. I looked up at him and saw a depressing look on his face.

"Was your mother okay living in a place like that?"

"Well, I don't really know. She was really good at hiding her feelings from others. I would ask if she was okay or not and she would give me a smile and continued whatever she was doing." I answered while remembering the memories of my mother. Most of them weren't really all that happy moments because she caused a lot of problems but there were some that made me bring a smile to my face.

"I guess you have good memories even though you lived in a bad town." he asked. I guess he saw that smile. That's a little embarrassing.

"Yeah I did. On days, that mom didn't have to work, she would get a movie and snacks and we would just hang out in the apartment and watch. It was like a little escape from the real world you know?" I said as I remembered us, sitting in our little, crappy apartment and watch comedies while eating some chips and candy. Those were probably, the best memories I have of her.

"That's good to hear." He said sounding relieved. Then we went silent again.

…

It took us a while to get here but we made it. We are finally here in Brass.

It was different now than before. There were some new buildings, streets, sidewalks, and some added lamp posts and newspaper stands. Some of the old businesses were re-modeled and open. It made me smile a little to see that things were getting better. Hopefully, things will get better and become a great place to live.

"Mousey!" a familiar shout called out. Erwin and I turned around saw Officer Pixis with his wife.

"Officer Pixis! I told you not to call me that!" I shouted at him.

"I pick you and your father up from the train station and all I get is shouts with no thank you. That's a shame." Pixis complained. I giggled a little and we gave each other a hug.

"Mrs. Pixis! How are you?" I greeted his wife.

"Oh darling I have been great!" she answers happily. "Oh I've missed you so much!"

"How are your boys?"

"Oh you know exploring Wall Sina. Why are boys in the military so curious about other places in the wall?"

"Well it's new place of scenery for them." I guessed.

"Oh who is this handsome man?" She said as she looked at Erwin.

"I am Erwin Smith." Erwin introduces himself and holds out his left hand for a handshake. "I'm Mickey's father."

"Well hello Mr. Smith, my name Shirley Pixis. I am Dot's wife." She said as she motions her head to Officer Pixis. After their introductions, we decide to get some food. Pixis took us to a little restaurant near the train station called Skylar's.

We went in and grabbed a seat next to window. I read the menu and saw that these dishes were familiar.

"Familiar huh." Pixis said to me. I nodded my head.

"Have we been here before?" I asked him.

"This used to be Marty's remember?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Really!?" I was surprised. Marty's was the best restaurant in town.

"It got a whole new make-over when you were away. It still has the same owner but he changed the name to have some new feeling to it." Mrs. Pixis added.

"Marty's was the best!" I said to Erwin. "It is my favorite restaurant ever!" I looked back at the menu and I saw that they still had my all my favorites. We all ordered and we discussed what has happen while I was gone.

Pixis told me that some parts of town were still in bad shape but the government was still trying to clean it up. My old school has been repaired as well as the parks, library, markets, almost everything was getting repaired. Man I was so happy that this was happening to this town. He says that it is all because of the newly crowned ruler Historia.

Krista, well I mean Princess Historia, has been repairing the towns in Wall Rose first before Wall Maria. I'm happy she took over the thrown but I miss her. Everybody misses her, especially Ymir. I hope she can visit sometime.

After we finished eating, we decided to see my old apartment. It was a short walk but it took awhile because I got caught up with the new buildings.

We finally got there and I couldn't recognize it. I even had to ask Pixis if it really was my old home.

It was a white building with a red roof on top. The stairs were re-built with iron railings. It was cleaner now and I felt really happy that it was not run down anymore. As we were about to leave, I noticed a little old couple leaving their apartment. I looked closely and saw that it was Langnar's parents. I stopped in my tracks. Then the couple noticed and recognized me.

"Mickey?" Mr. Langnar asked as he looked more closely at me.

"Hello Mr. Langnar." I said softly.

"Oh Mickey…" Mrs. Langnar said almost in tears. I gave her a big hug to calm her down but she just broke out crying. I felt tears run down my face too and I started to cry with her.

"Are you here for the funeral?" she said in between her sniffles. I nodded my head, unable to use my voice.

"Oh you are such a good girl. Ilse would be happy that you came." Mrs. Langnar said with her voice going hoarse. I gave her a sad smile and hugged her again.

"The funeral is tomorrow at the Garrison Cemetery at 1." She said to me.

"I'll be there." I said. She gives me a sad smile and goes to her husband. They grabbed each other's hand and left.

"Are you ready to go?" Pixis called out. I slowly walked over to them and we all began to walk together again.

…

"Are you sure that we can stay with you guys?" Erwin asked as he came into Pixis and Shirley's house.

"Of course you are! You're Mickey's father. She's part of this family and now you are too!" said Shirley.

"Use my son's room Mr. Erwin. Mickey, go to the guest room and get some rest. You have a very long day tomorrow." Pixis suggested. I nodded, told everyone good night, and went to bed.

….

"Here lies Ilse Langnar, a wonderful daughter and a soldier of the Military Police…" the priest starts to say but I space out thinking about Ilse. Why would anyone want to hurt her? The police really need to get this criminal off the streets.

After the priest and her parents blessed her, they gentle put her into the fire and let her body burn. Her parents chose to cremate her instead of burying her because they wanted her close by at all times. After her body was turned into ashes, the priest put the ashes into an expensive-looking vase that had trees carved into it.

After the funeral, Erwin, Pixis, his wife, and I walked the Langnars back to their apartment.

"Thank you for coming Mickey. Ilse was very fond of you. When she called us, she would always ask questions about you. You were like a sister to her." Mrs. Langnar said to me as remembers her daughter.

"Come visit us sometime will you?" asked Mr. Langanr.

"Of course I will." I said to them and they went inside their apartment.

"Let's go Mickey." Pixis grabbed my shoulder and motion his head to go. I agreed and we all went back to Pixis' home.

….

After a quiet dinner, I sat on the couch in the guest bedroom and looked out the window. 'I can't believe she's gone.' I thought. Then I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." I said and Erwin came in.

"Hey." He said as he sat next me on the couch. It was quiet for a few moments.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"…I don't know." I answered honestly. I really don't know what to feel. I feelings are mixed with sadness and anger. I squeezed my hands and looked down. Then I felt a hand pat my head.

"It's okay to feel this way." Erwin said to me as he petted my head. Tears started to form and I couldn't hold back. I quickly wrapped my arms around Erwin and started to cry.

"It's okay." He whispers to me as he wraps his arms around me and pats my back.

After a while, I stopped crying and just leaned my head against his chest while he patted my back.

"Tell me." He says in a calm voice. "What was she like?"

"She… was like a sister to me." I start to say. I told him everything about her. We meet at the grocery store when mom wasn't feeling well and I didn't know what to get her. Ilse worked there for money to take care of her parents. She was a few years older than me. I think I was in the 8th grade and she was a sophomore in high school. We hung out a lot before she graduated and join the military. When she left and really haven't heard from her in a while.

"She must have been important to you huh." He said as he looked at me lovingly. I nodded my head.

"She was the great person. I…I just can't believe she's gone!" I sobbed into Erwin's chest. When I was sobbing, I remembered something from my childhood. I remember having a bad nightmare one night and he was there. He pulled me to his chest and told me everything was alright.

This is really my father huh. I cried myself to sleep that night and had a dream of my childhood. Then at the end of my dream, I saw Ilse standing there in a white. Looking at her closely, she kind of looked like Ymir.

"Everything is alright now." She said as she turns around and disappears in to a bright light.