The storm came out of nowhere.

Issac Arlert and his wife Ellie were just coming back from the carpenters in Ragako village when it hit, hard and fast with all the force of a hurricane, least they assumed this was what a hurricane was like from the books they read. They were still a long ways out from returning to Shinganshina, and even if they changed course now and the horse pulled the cart with all her might, they were miles from the nearest village that might offer them shelter.

"Any ideas!?" Issac bellowed to his wife, even though she was sitting right next to him the rain and wind necessitated such action.

"Well we clearly can't stay out here! Lucy was working hard just pulling all this lumber, no way we can ask her to fight this torrent as well!" Ellie called back, trying to shield herself futilely, she was already soaked to the bone.

"That's what I was thinking, but it's too far to any villages! We'll need to find shelter elsewhere!" Issac agreed.

"Right, just… just give me a second!" Ellie looked around, trying to get her bearings. The trees and the land were blowing in the wind, the rain was making it difficult to see, but she thought… "There! Right there, there was a cave in that area, by that hill! We should be able to get everything inside!"

"A cave? Is that safe, could be home to wild animals!"

"I think we'll have to take that chance, unless you fancy a swim?"

Issac looked around, and realized his wife was only half joking. Wouldn't that be a sight, the Wall's filling up with water and everything and everyone floating over the edge?

"Point made. Hang on honey!" With a snap of the reins, they were off. "Come on Lucy, let's get you out of here!"

Their faithful horse gave an affirmative cry, and off she went, ploughing through enough rain that it felt like she was going through a solid mass of water.

The cave as it turned out was more spacious than the Arlert's had been lead to believe. Just the entrance alone was large enough to house an actual house, and that wasn't including how far it went further in. Not that they were really interested, as it was, they were just happy to be out of the rain.

"Oh Walls, I do hope we don't catch our death of cold because of this." Issac shivered as he tried to get a fire going. Much as he hated to use any of the lumber they had just bought, they really had no choice. He'd removed his shirt and attempted to wring it dry, and seeing how that failed, decided to place it aside and hope the fire would do the job.

If he could get it going.

A pair of strong but decidedly feminine hands took his, and Issac paused in his work, allowing his lovely wife Ellie to take over. Smiling, she rubbed the two sticks together that he'd been using, and soon enough, the faintest sign of smoke was rising. Then, actual flame, which she blew on carefully to increase it's size.

"…You always have the magic touch." Issac smiled, his moustache crinkling up in amusement, a very distinct feature on his round face.

"Don't sell yourself short. I can attest your touch is every bit as magical." Ellie beamed as she guided his hands to her stomach, where the tiniest sign of a bump had formed. Issac's smile grew fonder, as he gently caressed the woman of his dreams, who would be the mother to his child.

"Do you think dad knows?" Isaac questioned.

"He knows. That expensive tea he gave me? Helps with morning sickness."

"Never could pull the wool over his eyes. He's going to be absolutely thrilled he's going to be a grandfather."

"I hope so, if this doesn't get him to break out in emotion nothing will. Seriously, a single nod of approval for our wedding day?" Ellie mocked huffed, as she stepped back and began to remove her clothes to dry by the now pretty decent fire.

Issac made to remove their traveling blanket from the carriage, mercifully tucked under their seat so it was more or less dry, and made to cover his wife with it. "You know he was bursting with joy on the inside. The outside too, he was smiling behind that beard of his the whole time, remember?"

"I do. But I also think he enjoys messing with me, like he has this image of the disapproving father-in-law that he thinks everyone should encounter as part of life or something." Ellie laughed, wiping a hand through her hair which cause it to return to it's more natural unruly style.

"He always did say mum's dad was a prick." Issac walked over to make sure the horse had been firmly secured to the post in the ground, and upon gazing outside, returned to his wife. "Well, that storm is definitely not going anywhere. Better make ourselves comfortable. What's your preference for seating arrangements, wood or cold rock floor?"

"Oh, definitely the floor, I'm feeling like embracing the wild." Ellie chuckled, basking in the warmth of the fire as she surveyed the cave. Even with the light of the flame, the darkness reigned supreme. If she peered down further, she couldn't make out more than twenty feet in! And the ceiling was so high, she wondered if the palaces throughout the Walls reached this height.

'Walls, I'd actually be worried a Titan had made it's home here, it's certainly big enough-'

Suddenly, the darkness shifted.

Ellie blinked. Had she just imagined that? Peering down, in the vast maw of the cave corridor, her eyes adjusting with time to the lack of light… she thought she saw something, amongst the rock formations of the walls.

Then one of those rock formations moved.

"Issac!" Ellie called out in fright, scrambling backwards on her feet so fast she accidentally stepped on the blanket and found herself falling backwards!

Luckily her husband had been on his way back to her and saw her terrified backpedaling, and managed to catch her before she hurt herself. "Ellie? What's wrong?"

"There's something there!" Ellie pointed in a panic, before she managed to get her voice down to a whisper. "An animal, perhaps a bear… what should we do?"

"…Stay here." Issac made to place himself in front, and reached for a piece of lumber that hadn't been tossed on the fire yet. With a quick tear of his shirt sleeve, he had an improvised torch, and slowly approached the shadows. If it was a bear, hopefully the fire would keep it at bay. With that storm at their backs, there was no way they'd make it ten feet outside, hopefully they could placate it somehow, if not just avoid upsetting it outright. A plan that was full of holes, but there was no other choice.

Steadying his breath, Issac held the torch in front of him, bringing the light into the darkness, trying to confirm the cave's resident.

A huge wall of muscle tissue greeted him. It blocked off the passage to the rest of the cave, from the floor to the ceiling. Issac blinked, then looked down. The muscle tissue wall, it ended in… that was a foot. Naked of skin, but those were clearly toes, five of them. No wait, ten, there was another foot right behind it.

The coldest, darkest, most absolute feeling of despair entered Issac's being, as he followed that foot with his eyes. The wall, it was a leg, bent as part of the body that was crouching down. He saw the arms, hugging its knees to its torso, dear god this thing was massive! And above it's arms, peeking out over them and underneath a mop of blonde hair…

A single blue eye stared down at him.

A Titan. Issac was in the presence of an honest to god Titan.

He ran! He dropped the torch and ran for his wife, for the cart! Calling out to his wife to get on the cart, he made for Lucy and hurried to untie her reins from the metal spike he'd embedded in the ground!

"Issac, what's wrong?!" Ellie called out, already in the cart still wearing nothing but the blanket and looking down where Issac had just fled from like the devil himself was after him. The torch's light, it seemed to illuminate something…

"Titan!" Issac screamed. "It's a Titan!"

"A Titan?" Ellie's face went ghostly white. That was… that was literally impossible, they were in the Walls, in Wall Maria's territory, miles away from the outside world! For a Titan to be here, undiscovered until now, that was… there was no other word for it but impossible!

But she knew her husband. He wouldn't be acting like this, wouldn't be so scared if he wasn't sure he'd seen what he'd seen.

Ellie jumped off the cart to help her husband. She knew it was foolish, but fear compelled her body to do something! If she had to, she'd flee into the outside on barefoot buck naked, she wouldn't let her baby die before it had a chance to be born-!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr….

Both Issac and Ellie considered themselves to be good, patient people, who never blamed others for their own faults, or the heavens for life's hiccups. But right now, in this cave, with a Titan at their backs and a pack of wet, hungry, and angry wolves coming in from the rain,

They both simultaneously cursed whatever cruel deity might be watching them right now.

Lucy panicked, so close to the wolves, that she immediately buckled and ran to get away. Her reins, slightly loosened by Isaac's work, came undone, and the horse ran for the back of the cave.

Right where the Titan awaited.

The wolves paid it no mind, more focused on the humans who were clutching each other, trying to stare them down as they backed up, slowly.

Issac held Ellie close, pouring over his options. The cart was close, but the wolves could easily jump on it. The lumber might prove a suitable weapon if he could get a piece that wasn't too heavy, but there was also the fire… but none of that would matter when the Titan came out and decided to have them for a meal.

He didn't know why it hadn't come out yet, perhaps it had already eaten and was lethargic? Wishful thinking, but Issac would take what he could get.

"What are we going to do?" Ellie whispered, terrified.

"…Lucy's gone, we are outnumbered, and boxed in. We have a cart, lumber, and a fire." Issac took stock, terrified but working his brain to find a solution. "…If we feed the fire, use the wood to make a barrier around us…"

"We'd be trapped, and the Titan could grab us whenever it likes."

"But the wolves would be held off."

"Provided they give us enough time and we don't burn ourselves alive." Ellie winced as her foot stepped on a particularly sharp rock, breaking the skin. "…If we can make it outside, the rain should hide our scent, and maybe obscure their vision."

"That's what I was thinking, but… I don't think they'll let us leave. At least, not both of us." Issac slowly reached down for the nearest arm sized piece of wood beside him, and slowly rose again, never breaking eye contact with the leader of the pack. The beast had done the same, snarling and fangs exposed, it was clearly getting more and more impatient.

Just then, the sound of great movement was occurring behind them. The terrified couple felt it in their bones, literally, as the Titan approached them. Ellie chanced a look and couldn't help the trembling of her lips, seeing that thing crouched down on it's knees, and planting it's hands on either side of them in terrifying BOOMS of might, less than five feet away. No doubt it was about to snatch them up and gobble them down.

As if all hope wasn't lost already, the wolves themselves seemed to have had enough, and were preparing to pounce. Evidently they didn't see the cave dweller as an obstacle, perhaps due to the fact Titans left animals alone? Either way, they were ready to feast.

Issac knew it was hopeless. He was going to die here, his wife was going to die here, his child… this was where it would all end.

But damn it all, he had to try.

"Run." With a cry of desperation, he raised his makeshift weapon and rushed forward, hoping to bash the alpha away and draw the Titan's attention!

The alpha wolf responded in kind, leaping forward to sink its fangs into Issac's throat! Ellie cried out in anguish just as she took the first step!-

And suddenly Issac was no longer facing a wolf, but the skinless forearm of the Titan, as it reached forward and flicked it's forefinger from it's thumb to send the beast flying into the cave wall with a sickening crunch.

Issac blinked.

Ellie stumbled and tripped, then blinked.

Lucy snorted from her spot by the Titans thigh.

And suddenly the wolves were now very aware of the cave dweller. Now sensing it was a terrifying threat, they all scattered, running outside into the storm with their tails between their legs and frightened whimpers!

Both humans were frozen still, even as the Titan retracted its arm and sat up, its head brushing the ceiling of the cave. It made no other movements, aside from adjusting it's leg to get into a leaning position, resting an arm on one knee.

Ellie scrambled up and ran to her husband, who was still frozen in a mix of terror and bafflement. His wife's touch snapped him out of it, and they slowly turned to look at the Titan, who stared at them through half-lidded eyes, the blue quite striking against the red and pink of it's flesh.

Had it… had it just saved them?

"Lucy, get over here." Issac clicked his tongue, trying to call his horse over. After a few minutes of staring each other down and determine the Titan was not making any moves to eat them, the Arlert's had slowly sat down next to the fire, while trying to make sense of what was happening. While doing that, Issac thought it might be a good idea to get the cart ready to get the hell out of here!

Unfortunately, Lucy evidently preferred the safety of the cave that wasn't polluted by wolf stink. She shook her head and whinnied, then bent down to nibble at some moss on the ground, still right beside the Titan's leg.

Issac tried again, as Ellie sat down and took the Titan in. She had honestly hoped never to see one in her lifetime, so many times she'd witnessed the poor Scout's return in an unbearable state, and the stories they told… but this was nothing like she thought it would be.

The Titan had made no movements to harm them, or even approach them, content to stay at the back of the cave. She (and it was clearly a she with that feminine figure and body, and two very noticeable skin-less breasts that were just there) just watched them, perfectly still, with a look that suggested disinterest even.

Another desperate call to Lucy from Issac, and suddenly that changed. With a look down to their beloved horse, the Titan moved its hand towards it. Immediately Issac panicked, the images of his horse being squashed or eaten (this Titan was strange enough, who's to say it didn't eat animals instead of people!) flashing through his mind!…

…when instead, the Titan used two of it's fingers to lightly poke Lucy in the butt.

Both Arlert's stared in total disbelief. Was she… was she trying to get Lucy to move forward?!

Yes, that seemed to be what she was doing. Another poke, dragging it's fingers across the ground to encourage movement, but all her efforts got was Lucy's hindquarters being slightly lifted in the air, evidently the steed was not feeling like moving from her dining spot.

The Titan frowned, and raised her hand, now deciding that picking Lucy up would yield better results…

"Wait!"

The Titan stopped, and looked to Issac, a… questioning look on her face?

Issac's hands were reached out in a "stop" gesture, and he suddenly realized what he'd done. With a swallow, he shakily repeated himself. "W-wait. It's… it's alright, she can come when she's ready?"

The muscle around the Titan's right eye shifted, and Ellie immediately thought 'Is it raising an eyebrow at us?', the gesture just seemed like a perfect fit. But the Titan lowered it's hand as requested, once again staring at them.

Issac found his feet speed walking towards his wife, and almost immediately he was whispering.

"This is insane. It's insane, right? But it's also very real, I didn't bang my head real hard and I'm suffering the most bizarre dream."

"If you are, then we're sharing that dream." Ellie adjusted the blanket. "…I'm going to say it. Issac, we may have just made the most amazing discovery of humanity's existence."

"And should we make it home I will respond to that with the appropriate enthusiasm, wonder, and astonishment it deserves. But right now I am desperately trying to figure out a way we do make it home!"

"Well, we don't have the wolves to fear anymore, and evidently, nor do we have to fear her." Ellie rubbed a hand through her now dry hair, laughing in disbelief. "It seems our biggest concerns went right back to not catching our death of cold and waiting for the storm to pass over."

Said storm dropped three consecutive lighting bolts one after the other at that very moment, the flash and crack almost instantaneous.

"…Waiting does seem to be our only option." Issac cursed. "But… is it really safe to stay here, with her?"

"We really don't have a choice, do we?" Ellie pointed out. "…Though I suppose we could ask for permission, this seems to be her home."

"Honey?" Issac had only just registered what his wife just said when she stood up, and took a few cautious steps forward, her bandaged foot leaving faint red footprints on the stone floor. Issac got to his feet and hurried to pull his love back when she spoke,

"Lovely cave you have here." Ellie offered a shaky smile, trying to not let how terrified she was show. Saving their lives or not, this was still a Titan, and just the slightest movement from it would end them in an instant, case in point the dead wolf that had slid down the cave wall.

The Titan, for her part, merely gave an unimpressed look. That caused Ellie to panic, and she hurried to say, "I'm sorry for intruding, as you can see, we just wanted to get out of the storm. We meant you no disrespect or harm, I assure you."

No response, though the Titans face shifted back to it's neutral staring, so Ellie would take that as a win.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but… we can't go out there, not like this. And that storm doesn't seem to be passing by anytime soon." Ellie lightly bowed her head, keeping those giant blues in sight of her own. "Can we.. can we stay here, please? Until the storm passes, then I promise we'll leave, first thing!"

No hesitation. The Titan gave an uncaring shrug, then gestured with it's hand. "Make yourself at home" was the clear message.

"Thank you, thank you, you are too kind, thank you." Ellie bowed her head down and up while backpedaling, right into her husbands arms. They both scurried back to the fire together, slumped down, and exhaled in relief.

"I know I married you for your brilliant mind and adventurous spirit, but damn if you didn't just make me age fifty years just now."

"I love you too- wait, were my looks and charm not a factor at all?"

"Nope, though they were a wonderful bonus." Issac saw the fist coming down to bop him in the noggin, and he didn't care. So many thoughts were running through his mind, as much as he meant what he said about making it home, the always curious and analytical part of his mind was just begging him to take in the Titan's appearance. Take it in, and pursue all the possibilities it entailed.

"…Do you think… is it possible there are more like her?" Issac whispered.

"I was just thinking that. Her appearance, not just her obvious gender but the lack of skin… and the fact she's clearly intelligent, able to understand us."

"Understand us, and come to our rescue. Does that imply a sense of morality, or at least empathy?"

"Could that be the defining factor for the species? The males are bloodthirsty and monstrous, and from what we hear simple minded, but the females are the opposite?"

"How do you think the exposed muscle comes into play?"

"No idea. At first I was thinking maybe she's been injured and was recuperating in here, but then I recall that Titan's heal, and they produce steam when they do… maybe it's to help the males identify mates?"

A sudden noise blew out past the Titan's mouth at Ellie's theory, and both turned to see a flash of pearly white teeth disappear while it's cheeks deflated.

"…I think you made her laugh." Well, more like a snort or a quick guffaw, but even that was outrageous.

"I got that impression, yes." Ellie was smiling herself, this Titan… she was just so fascinating! Still awe-inspiring and terrifying, but… to think there was a mystery as powerful and driving inside the Walls as there was outside. While the world beyond would be Ellie's first and foremost secret to learn the truth of, this Titan was coming in right behind in second place! She honestly didn't think she would be able to sleep a wink from the excitement!

A treacherous yawn escaped her.

Issac patted her shoulders. "Come, you need your rest. I'll keep a watch out, while you get your sleep."

Another yawn, seems the day had taken more out of her than she thought. "A watch?… Issac, I think we've got that covered."

Issac glanced upwards, before shaking his head. "I can't take any chances. As improbable as it is considering her recent behaviour, I don't want to risk she's just been waiting for us to fall asleep before eating us, so we don't fight back."

A sharp SNAP startled the Arlert's, as they looked up to see a familiar Titan hand with its bone white fingers right above them. Despite the lack of skin that one would think would make such a thing possible, indeed, the Titan had just snapped her fingers to get their attention.

Right before it grabbed them.

Issac screamed, Ellie screamed for Issac before seeing a second hand coming for her to snatch her up, then she cried out, her feet kicking in the air. Both of them were brought to the Titan's face, their arms pinned in her grasp.

They struggled, they twisted, they pleaded… nothing was working, her grip was like iron! Issac looked to Ellie, prepared to tell her to close her eyes, not to look…

Only to find themselves back on the ground, less than three feet away from the Titan's groin. They scrambled to hold each other, then looked up to the Titan who had an unimpressed look on her face.

Before either of them could do something stupid, like cursing out a much larger being for scaring them to death, the Female Titan brought up her hands to her face, then placed her thumbs and forefingers under and above her eyes. Spreading them apart, she made a clear show of showing herself eyes wide open.

Then she smacked her fist into her open palm.

She then pointed to the Arlert's whose shaky legs kept them pined in place, brought her hands together as if in prayer, and then pretended to lay her head against them, closing her eyes in a simulation of sleep.

And then she smacked her fist into her open palm, again.

…Issac stood up, his wife following, and glared the most angry look he dared to give, but kept his voice level.

"Point made. You could kill us at any time, us sleeping is not a factor." He took a deep breath, then exhaled, considering this from a logical perspective, on how limited commutation was between them. "…I take it you're saying we should both get some rest?"

A nod.

"…Alright then." Issac escorted his wife back to the fire, still going strong, then made to retrieve the outdoor bedding from the cart, located in a chest at the front. It was honestly meant for sleeping in the grass, but beggars couldn't be choosers. One night on a stone floor wouldn't kill them.

Ellie waited for her husband to lay it down, as he insisted she not strain herself anymore, then looked to their wet clothes, still drying out near the fire. It was slow going, thoroughly soaked as they were, if only they had a more efficient way…

The sound of movement occurring behind them, and Ellie groaned. She turned to look at the now much closer Titan who loomed over her with her own judgemental stare to match the Titan's, fear having given away to annoyance. She was still smarting from that rather forceful example of how easy they could die at the Titan's hands, and was in no mood for another demonstration.

"I'll tell you right now, I'm not up for another game of charades. Please, we'll go to sleep, we'll leave when the storm clears, what else do you want from us?"

The Titan stared her down, then held up a single finger. Just as Ellie thought the Titan was signalling to wait, her eye's widened as suddenly, the digit transformed! From bone to… was that crystal? That was the very first thing Ellie thought of, she was looking at some sort of crystals, shiny and blue and mesmerizing.

Wordlessly (as ever) the Titan brought the crystallized index finger to her forearm, then promptly plunged it inside. Furthering the act of self-mutilation, she slide it across to leave a slash vertically across, blood dripping out to Ellie's shock. It didn't help that the wounded limb was brought down and placed directly before Ellie, Issac, and the campfire.

The horrifying thought that the Titan was offering herself as some form of sustenance crossed both Arlert's minds, and they were wondering how they could politely refuse… when a feeling of heat washed over them, different from the fire. The air was suddenly humid, and the air was starting to shimmer.

The source of this disturbance became clear, as the Titan's arm was producing steam, the stories were true! Complete with heat that bellowed out and washed away any dampness clinging to the couple, and their clothes, finishing what the fire had not.

The Titan appeared to be satisfied with her work, as she retracted her arm and sat up, backing into her previous position, the wound on her arm vanishing.

Lucy the horse had finished her meal. And was now making to lie down, still next to the Titan.

The Arlert's decided their horse had the right idea, and after Issac removed his now noticeably less damp trousers, hurried under the blanket with his wife. He allowed the days events to bring exhaustion to his mind, and drifted off to sleep. Ellie did the same, though she spared one last look at the Titan, still illuminated by the fire, it's blue eyes and blonde hair so striking.

'Just what are you?' Were Ellie's last thoughts, before she too fell asleep.

"We promise, we won't tell anyone about you." Ellie swore, which the Titan didn't even react to. She just lazily watched as Issac hitched up Lucy to the cart, and got all their possessions packed away.

The storm had lasted most of the night, and only just passed over by the time the sun had risen up. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to, the wet grass accompanied by a rainbow and the sounds of nature recovering from being water logged, and the smell of fresh dew. Provided the roads weren't caked in wet mud, the rest of the trip home to Shinganshina hopefully wouldn't take too much longer.

"I don't know how you came to be here, inside the Wall's. And everything you've done has shown me you aren't a mindless monster. But the people here won't see it that way. If someone sees you, they'll tell the soldiers, and either the Garrison, or even the Scout's, will come here looking for you." Ellie warned. "But it won't be because of us, I swear it. We won't tell a soul."

"Well… we'll only tell my dad." Issac admitted. The Titan gave no reaction, but Issac still felt he needed to explain. "It's just because he's my dad, he'll have questions. But he can keep a secret, I swear! He didn't tell my brother he was adopted until he was thirty!"

"And as a result they didn't speak for almost three years, so he knows the cost of letting the truth escape." Ellie joked. The Titan rolled her eyes, and responded with a "shoo, shoo" gesture from her hand, signalling she was unconcerned and really wanted these people out of her home already.

"Right, we'll be off now." Ellie bowed, then headed for the front of the cart, where Issac helped her up. Issac went around to get into the drivers seat, only to startle as the Titan made to pick up the wolf's corpse from where it lay. She held it between her fingers, then unceremoniously dropped it in the cart atop the lumber.

"Wha-Why- No thank you, we're really not in the fur trading business…" Issac began, only to throw his hands up in the air. "You know what? You're right. We should at least have the courtesy to clean up after ourselves, it died because of us, fairs fair. Thank you, good day, I hope we don't inconvenience you again."

Ellie giggled at her husband as he just accepted the "gift" they'd been given and made fast tracks to get out of here already. Combined that with the view outside, and how unbelievable this all was, Ellie turned one last time to face the Titan.

"I'm Ellie, by the way. Ellie Arlert. And this is my husband Issac. From the both of us, thank you."

With that, Issac snapped the reins, and they were off.

Only to suddenly jerk to a stop almost immediately.

"Oh what now!" Issac couldn't help it, this was ridiculous! Was she now deciding to eat them, waiting until the last moment when they thought they were in the clear?!

He couldn't even be terrified, just perplexed and frustrated, as he turned around in a huff, along with his wife who seemed less upset, but equally confused. They looked to the Titan's hand as she clutched the back of their cart, slightly raising it off the ground. Lucy was actually dragged backwards a inch.

The Arlert's sat there, waiting to see what this was about. They only felt the slightest bit afraid when the Titan leaned in, and took a sniff. Then another, a deep inhale that had Ellie worried she'd end up sucked into one of it's nostrils, wouldn't that be the perfect end to this adventure?

The Titan pulled her head back, but then she pointed with her free hand, right at Ellie.

Right at Ellie's pregnant belly.

"…My baby?" Ellie instinctively out a hand in her stomach. "Do you… you want to know about my baby?"

The Titan nodded.

"…Well, I'm about three months pregnant. You know what pregnant means, yes?" A nod. "Oh, well, good then… Well that's really it. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, but we do have names in mind. If it's a daughter, we were going to call her Nicole. But if it's a son, we had our heart set on Armin."

CREAK

A smile had adorned Ellie's face, now it was a look of concern, as the Titan's eyes were wide in a clear expression of shock or surprise, and her grip on the cart seemed to be tightening, causing the wood to groan.

"Oh hey hey! Please don't go breaking our ride!" Issac pleaded.

The Titan blinked, then looked down. Quickly, but carefully, she set it down, and withdrew her hands, almost looking apologetic.

Had she not been aware of what she was doing? Subconsciously squeezing… like a human might.

This Titan was just full of mysteries.

"…Well, if that's all then…" A nod, and a careful retreat further into the cave, as clear a sign they could leave as anything else, "Right then." Issac snapped the reins once again, and they were off.

Ellie kept the Titan and the cave in view the whole time until they were out of sight, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, first things first, we defintely are not telling anyone but your dad and only after we make him understand how big of a secret this is."

"Right. Unless of course we hear rumours of people disappearing in the area. If she is killing people, then we have to report her."

"Agreed. But only if we're sure it's her." Ellie didn't want to imagine they'd condemn this creature to death after it, she, saved them. Not to mention the thought of people who would lose their lives fighting her, the way she'd killed that wolf so effortlessly… "Only if we're sure."

Issac nodded. His fingers rubbed up and down on the reins, and his foot was tapping on the wood, something Ellie very much noticed.

"…You want to come back and study her?"

"Oh yes." Issac confirmed. "You?"

"Definitely. There's no way we can just leave things like this! If we can establish more dialogue, then… we may actually have a way! A way to the outside world! If she can tell us about the Titans, how we could talk to her brethren… this could change everything for humanity!"

Ellie couldn't contain her excitement and let out a cheer, feeling like a young maiden again! To think, her child could have the whole world!

This trip had truly been a miracle!

Watching the identified Arlert's leave, flexing her fingers at the thought she had held the love of her life's parent's in the palm of her hand (and by extension, his life as well), Annie leaned back against the cave wall's with a great thud, giving in to the urge to sigh, in both relief and exhaustion, a great gust of wind escaping her Titan mouth.

'Can someone please wake me up already?'

New story, less detailed than my crossovers (so far that I can see), a fun little idea I've been kicking around. Will jump through time here and there, skip ahead by months, then years, slowly getting to when the canon kicked off, enjoy seeing how Annie spent her time waiting for that.

Will also cut to Annie's life post-Rumbling, won't really spoil the anime finale but what comes after canon? It won't be pleasant. The appeal of time travel for me is the ability to try and avoid a terrible future, so yeah, hard life for Annie, but hopefully it will get better here, somehow.