Ta dah!

The hours rolled by, and as I watched the sky pass over the wagon I felt a tightening in my chest. Like everything had been drawing to this moment, this chance. The threads we had woven together as a regiment, a family, twisting in my gut, weaving through my limbs, knitting across my heart. Find that new horizon. Seek the new world. Unleash our potential. And all of that culminating in me hugging my knees to my chest, with happy tears rolling down my face as I looked back on all those we had lost on the road.

Gunter, Eld and Oluo. My comrades, my squad-mates, my team. Gunter with his little frown when a joke went over his head. Eld with his dedication to his fiance, that crooked smile as he teased Gunter. And Oluo, so unsure of himself in the day to day, yet unstoppable once those blades were in his hands. Thank you all. You got us here, every single one of you helped forge this path.

Mike and Nanaba. Veterans of the struggle, those who had served alongside my Captain for perhaps the longest except Hanji and the ex-Commander. Nanaba, I didn't know you well, but I know how they relied on you. Looked to you. And Mike. You big dork filled with love. Every wrinkled nose, every smirk, every wink, every jab in the side and waggle of those brows as you yet again teased me about something. I miss it all. I will do so until finally my time is called. I'm sorry. And I'm thankful.

Commander Erwin Smith – bloody intimidating from day one, but similarly fierce when it came to defending your men, fighting Titans and refusing to let the higher ups dissuade you. This was your dream as much as ours, in fact you gave it to us in many ways. Opened our eyes. You looked around that walled existence and decided it needed broken out of. You pushed. You demanded. You ordered. And you got us all the way to the threshold of truth before you fell. Thank you. Dammit it's not right that you're not here to see it, not here to hold Keza's hand and step into the sunlight together. But maybe in another life. I've never put much stock into them, but who knows. Maybe we'll find a big blonde Titan and be able to free you from it. I have no idea how these things work, but for the sake of that dream, I'll dare to hope.

And Petra. My friend. Since training where we sweated, scraped our knees and cut our teeth on the lessons to be learned. We grew together, from sign ups, to cadets, to soldiers, and all the while, as friends. I'll never quite forgive myself for not being quicker that day. I'll never quite forgive the world for taking your light so soon. But you keep me going, keep me fighting, because I know as much as you were fighting for yourself, you were also fighting for me, and for myself, I don't see why that has to change. Not now, not ever. You're here. In my bruised and wayward heart. I love you so much. I miss you so much.

And all those Scouts we lost, whose names are vacant from my memory. I'm sorry I didn't know you better, I'm sorry we didn't share a drink or a laugh, I'm sorry you were lost to the ground. But you helped. You are as much a part of this victory as anyone else. And in every shining face I see once we reach that coastline, every shout of joy, every laugh of triumph, it is yours as well.

Thank you.

For fuck's sake, thank you.

Signals began firing, and at first I feared we had happened upon a last minute glut of Titans, that they had simply been waiting by the water, eager to pounce. But then I peered through the wagon's material and found only green smoke. It was good news. We were almost there. I wondered what it would feel like for the others, riding ahead, their eyes landing on that open horizon for the first time. Levi. I wish I could see that first moment with him, but at least he was getting to see it. No. Not 'at least', it was amazing. He was finally getting to see the fulfilment of so many people's dreams, so many hard fought battles.

The wagon went onto an incline and I held onto the side, my wound prickling in pain, but barely noticeable as my adrenaline spiked. So close. The whoops and cheers had already started to erupt ahead of us and more flares fired. Celebration. Victory. It was palpable on the air.

And then the wagon slowed, and I heard folks dismounting, cheering, clapping, running.

I shuffled to the back of the wagon, swinging my legs out, readying to jump down and join the festivities. And then a hand reached for me. I stopped and blinked at it, looking up to see Levi stood there, a small smile in place. I took his hand.

He helped me down and looped an arm around my waist. "C'mon Sanshi, time to see that new horizon."

"Why didn't you just go ahead?" I laughed breathlessly, admittedly touched to my soul that he had come back for me, but having not expected it. Not because he wouldn't be so kind, but because I wanted him to be in that moment for himself. "You didn't have to–"

"I know I didn't." He took more of my weight. "I wanted to."

"Fair…" I swallowed and looked down, I had no idea why that touched me so deeply, but it did.

"I had a lot of time to think on that final ride, to be honest." He sighed and I could feel his eyes on me. "A lot of this went beyond what I 'have' to do… And that's the point."

I peered up at him, each step up the incline thundering through my body. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't have to ask you to see what this might become, I didn't have to kiss you that night, I didn't have to let my idiotic heart fall in love with you, but that was the point wasn't it? Something beyond the 'have to', beyond duty?"

I concentrated on my boots for a moment, eyes itching with fresh tears. Way back when we started this, yes. That had been the point. Something for us both beyond our duty. To feel. To be free even if only behind closed doors, in whatever small space or snippet of time we could find.

He looked ahead. "And I don't regret it. None of it. But I know I'd regret seeing that new horizon without you."

"Levi…"

"Mm?"

"You make me blush any harder and all the blood's gonna have rushed to my head and I'll pass out."

He held a little tighter. "I've got you."

"Fuck…" I chuckled and put my head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"Likewise." He paused as we came to the lip of the small hill, beyond which golden sunshine poured over the top, us snuck into the small pool of shadow right before. I held onto him tightly. He looked at me and as my eyes met his, all that apprehension paused, and all I knew was the feeling of his strong body beside mine, his heart beating with me.

I grinned. "Shall we, Levi?"

"Let's, Robyn." He strode ahead and as we crested the hill, sunshine washing over us both, a salty air filling our lungs, my heart soared.

Blue. Above and below. A few white clouds skirted by, and waves crashed against the shoreline, spraying in what looked like drifts of snow at first glance. It must be foam or something. Birds flew overhead, calling to the winds. Pale sand, the kind we'd only seen small patches of before, if that, now spread in either direction for ages. Powdery, golden, soft. Our boots sunk into it as we strode forward, the salty air tickling my nose, catching in my hair as it came loose. Levi was wide-eyed. His hold on me almost became too tight to bear, but I stayed put. He needed something to ground him right now, that much was clear. For so long he had been a kid staring up through sun wells. Clasping at whatever slivers of light he could, dreaming of an open sky. Then he was a soldier, reaching beyond walls. Beyond the spilt blood of comrades and steaming corpses of enemies. And now he was Levi. Just a man. Staring at an open horizon and knowing he was allowed to be there, that he had that right.

The other cadets were running back and forth, kicking up the water, splashing in it, laughing and throwing their arms up. Nothing was on the horizon but more water. No enemies. No threats. A structure was to our right, but from what Eren had said, it was just a landing dock for the Marleans. And it was empty. We were alone for the time being, and so damn it we would enjoy that.

I smiled at Levi. "Do you want to go in the water?"

He wrinkled his nose. "It's bloody freezing, and I doubt that's sanitary."

"Fair." I laughed and bent to tug off my boots.

"I can't persuade you out of going in?"

"Not a chance." I winked and hobbled closer, leaving him just shy of where the water reached.

Armin was cradling a large shell, the pink swirling pattern gleaming in the sunlight as he held it out to Mikasa who was wobbling where she stood. I think that had to be the first time I'd seen her unsteady on her feet. Jean was chasing Connie and Sasha around the place, and Hanji was peering at the water fixedly. Eren was off to the side, facing away from me, staring out at the horizon, his hair shifting in the breeze. I looked down at my feet, the image wobbly under the water of course, my toes sinking into the sand below. Grainy. Soupy. Cold. Very cold. But wonderful all the same. The ocean. I was in the ocean. Petra, I wish I could be holding your hand right now, I wish we could be running about laughing our asses off like these kids.

Eren was still just standing there. I expected him to be beside the others, squealing and running about elated, but instead he was staring out, completely still. I looked back but Levi had moved over to Hanji, and was berating her on how many things she was reaching out, touching, examining. Moblit wasn't here to babysit anymore I guess, and Hanji was Levi's oldest friend. He had someone else to fuss over for now.

I strode across to Eren and looked in the direction he was, only seeing more open water and horizon. Lightly, I touched his shoulder. He was trembling. I gave a little shake and he sucked a breath between clenched teeth, his eyes shining with unspilt but ready to go tears.

"Eren? What's wrong?"

"They're out there still."

I looked again and felt a sinking feeling in my gut. "The Marleans you mean?"

He nodded, trembling harder. "We finally found it, we got here… And they're just waiting across the water. Better technology, better intel on us, better… Better Titans."

"You don't know that."

He looked at me with such derision I flinched back. "Like hell I don't. I can barely control mine, Armin is brand new and–"

"You're both training hard. You've come leagues from where you were at the start, and Armin is a fast study. We have Annie locked away still, too. Sure they have the Ape guy, the Armoured and that weird Convoy looking one, but so what? We beat them, Eren. When they had all that extra intel, they had their ambush ready to go. We still won. And now they're on the backfoot."

"How'd you figure that one?"

"They're not here. After months, they've still not reappeared. They're licking their wounds, and yes, no doubt planning another attack. But we're preparing. We're going to be ready for them when they finally turn up again. Not to mention this weird command thing you might have, we have no idea what kind of an advantage that might–"

"You're seriously pinning any hope on me?" He snorted and shook his head, the tears starting to fall.

Lost. Unsure. Everything that determined kid I met at the training camp hadn't been. Sure Eren had made some mistakes lately, he had stepped too far in certain areas, and had to learn the importance of boundaries. But this wasn't him. Fear was infecting his freedom. That wasn't right, that was so wrong it ached in my chest.

"You're upset, you're confused, and hell you'll be overwhelmed by all of this. Take a breath, dumbass. You're not alone in this, no one is." I put my hands on his shoulders and squeezed. "Concentrate on what's in front of you right now. You got to the ocean, Eren. You're here. Now go celebrate that with Mikasa and Armin for fuck's sake. Take the win."

He blinked. He looked over to where they were both gazing at that shell, chattering away. He looked back to me and swallowed hard, he nodded and he turned away, trudging over there and hugging them both close. They were confused at first, their own mindsets seemingly far less worried than Eren's, but they soon cottoned onto what was needed. They held him close. Those kids would be fine.

And now for my own worry-wart.

I strode over to Hanji and Levi, him leaning as far away from her as possible as she brandished something green and slimy towards him. His eyes flickered to me, and if he saw safety in my approach, he was very wrong. I grinned. He looked me up and down with suspicion. Hanji turned to me with the green blob and I gave a thumbs up, pressing forward and grabbing hold of Levi's wrists. He shook his head. I nodded mine.

He tried to pull away, the sand shifting under his boots. "Brat don't you fuckin' dare."

"Or what? You gonna court-marshall me for getting you soggy?"

"I could. Who'll stop me?" He wriggled and Hanji snorted.

"I would. Get in here spoil-sport." And she grabbed his arm, heaving with me.

Splash.

I think it's the only time I've ever successfully outrun my Captain. Wading through water, simply due to the fact I was fine splashing around to flail my escape, while he kept trying to minimise the splash. But hey, I'll take the win. It didn't last long. I yelped as he grabbed me and chucked me into the water, arse first. He stood over me, soaked, but still triumphant. I laughed big and loud. And then he rolled his eyes, smirked and hauled me up, pressing against my side. Ah. Yes, that was burning a little.

He helped me back to shore, me still giggling at his dripping hair, and sat me down on a rock. Without the running about, and the wintry winds nipping by, yes, it was rather bloody cold. He got some fresh water from a flask and made me lift my shirt while he peeled back the bandages.

He frowned. "If this gets infected–"

"Levi." I let him rinse it, but then I put a hand to his cheek and smiled. "Let's just enjoy this? Okay?"

He sighed. "Alright. You're right."

"I know I am." I winked and leaned in to kiss him tenderly. "We made it. And they're watching, you know they are. All of them."

He looked confused for a moment, but then a shine entered his gaze and he gave a small nod. He knew what I meant. Who I meant. "Yeah. I reckon they are."

His eyes moved along the sands, then to the open sea. The air was so fresh here, crisp and tingling to even breathe due to the chill. But it was beautiful. And as he sat by me on that rock, I could feel things tumbling around in his mind. Something was brewing. I stayed put, accepting a blanket when Jean came around with them, doing his best to then wrangle both Sasha and Connie as they continued to play in the freezing waters.

Another ten minutes went by and still not a word from my captain.

Something was on his mind. I could see it rolling around in thee amongst the steely shades of his eyes, but I just stayed quiet, let him process it. A cadet kindly came over with fresh bandages and I patched myself up while Levi turned over whatever it was in his mind.

"We should get married here."

I laughed softly. "Huh?"

"We didn't talk about that ring for so long, and I know why. We both do. We were both waiting for the other shoe, of all the thousands that there are, to drop."

My mouth closed. My mind skimmed back along the plains, through the streets and landed in Hanji's office, it peeled into her drawer and plucked up a small black leather pouch. And inside, all those promises and hopes.

He took my hands, the water drying and leaving a little salt in its wake. "I say fuck the shoes."

I nodded, biting my lip.

He huffed a laugh. "Thought as much. And this place… All that it represents… I know we don't have the ring here, I'm not so much of a fool to bring it on a mission. But even so, Robyn, would you… Can we…"

"I want to marry you, yes."

He blinked at me and I blinked at him, soon hidden behind a wobbling wall of water, but there all the same. I laughed. The tears fell. He pulled me close and put his head against my shoulder, shaking a little as he held me close.

"It's a stupid piece of paper from the government I know but–"

"It's not." I laughed against him. "It's us looking ahead instead of behind."

"Right." He breathed. "There's so many things we still don't know but we can do this, right? For us?"

"Of course we can." I leaned back and kissed him tenderly. "Right now, it feels like we can do anything."

He grinned, unabashedly, no mask to be seen. "I better go talk to the Commander, I guess."

I tilted my head. "Sunset wedding down by the shore? The one we were searching for for so damned long?"

"Sounds perfect." He put a hand to my cheek and stared at me with such adoration that there was no room for the cold anymore. "I love you, Robyn Sanshi."

"I love you, Levi Ackerman."

Cya next time!