A soft, cool breeze swept through the green blades of grass on the slanted hill. Despite the slightly cooler weather, the sun shined down brightly over a little manmade path that led up the hill. It seemed to be connected to a dirt path on flatter terrain that seemed to go on for miles along the trees in front, possibly leading to a nearby town. Leading up from the first path, a small log cabin sat in front of a thick forest of pine trees. It appeared to be quite isolated, with no other houses nearby.. There were several rocks in the ground, and a few rows of bellflowers planted right against the front of the cabin. There was also a short stone fence wrapped around the property, along with a little picnic table that sat just a few feet in front of the small structure. In the back, there was a small horse stable, with two stalls. One stall contained a beautiful blue roan mare with a black face, a white star on her face and a dark mane and tail. She bore a unique branding on her flank. It appeared to be an S with what looked like simply designed wings sprouting out of either side of the letter. The other stall was vacant, though clearly had been housing another horse at one point not too long ago going by the half-full hay basket and mostly filled water trough inside.
The property, at first glance, would appear vacant. Possibly even abandoned. However, there was a single resident living there. Sitting on the picnic table in front of the cabin was a young woman. She wore a soft, light pink cardigan and a white dress that went down to her ankles, resembling more of a type of nightgown. Her long jet-black hair was tied up in a beautiful ponytail, her bangs were long and she had striking dark blue eyes. Her right cheek bore an old but still notable scar in the shape of a slightly slanted line, right under her eye. Lastly, she wore a dark maroon scarf around her neck. It was old and a bit worn, but well taken care of.
The young woman was sitting quietly at the table, her hands holding a warm cup of tea. She seemed to be patiently waiting for someone's arrival. She glanced down, her expression a mixture of nonchalant and deep in thought. She was staring down a bit blankly at the splintered chips in the aged wood, which had lost its original color after some time in the weather. Although her expression appeared blank, she was lost in her thoughts.
Amidst the thick maze of tall pine trees, not too far down the path from the cabin, a large golden figure rushed through an abandoned trail with loud thundering hooves and growling snorts. Sun beamed through the pine's branches, leaving angelic trails of warmth sprawled throughout the trail. Up top the palomino mount sat a cloaked figure, hunched over in the saddle to allow its mount much more momentum. By the tension in both of their postures, the duo seemed to be in some sort of hurry, continuing to race towards a break in the trees. Beneath the worn fabric of the dark green cloak, the rider seemed to have a familiar set of black clothing accented by silver bands and rings. With only the racing breath of its mount, the two continued in silence, both keeping their glances locked forward.
When they finally reached the break in the trees, the rider pulled back on the horse's reins, skidding it to a full halt. The pale-faced horse bobbed his head and chewed frantically on the bit, shifting his hooves in the ground impatiently as his trimmed tail swished. As his bright blue eyes shifted to adjust to the sun, the rider seemed to fixate on the horizon, pinpointing specific geological features that would help describe where they were. He then reached in his saddle bag, unfolding a letter that had descriptions of the area he had arrived in.
"Easy…" his small muffled voice reassured as the rider turned the horse slightly, allowing his coat to shine under the bright warm sun.
Engraved on his neck were numerous dots and bars. This was a descriptive brand written only in the language few were able to read. On its hindquarters, there was a much more familiar brand. The wings of freedom remain carved proudly into the horse's golden coat, matching the same brand the blue roan mare had, as well as another few bars and dots, labeling the horse with more important information.
The rider remained fixated for a moment longer, scanning along the opening before them, before its head seemed to turn and lock on a structure just upon the next hill. The rider nodded, before pulling its horse into a rear, and racing up towards the structure, spurring its sides as the horse cried eagerly.
The young woman sitting near the cabin heard the thundering sound of a horse's hooves approaching. She closed her eyes briefly, focusing on the noise, it sounded like just one mount. She felt her breath exhale in relief, knowing the heavy risk she took with sending her letter. It could have brought any type of guest...and not necessarily the one she sent for. She gently brushed her long bangs out of her face and watched as the familiar Palomino came into view, galloping up the final hill that led onto the property. She felt a wave of relief when she fully recognized the horse and the cloaked rider in its addle.
She remained seated, waiting patiently for the visitor and his mount to arrive and come to a stop as the wind continued to breeze. It was the beginning of October, so the air was gradually becoming cooler than usual.
The horse raced up the hill, and before it was pulled to a full-on halt, the rider slid off onto the ground, running a few paces to make sure he didn't slide onto his face. His palomino mount slowed to a trot, immediately turning towards the long grass, before bowing his head and grazing hungrily, shaking out his shaved mohawk mane. The rider seemed much more hesitant to become comfortable, freezing just a few steps from the young woman. He seemed fixated on her long black hair, as well as that familiar scar on her cheek. Silence lingered in the cool air as an odd sense of bittersweet tension formed in between the two of them.
It had been exactly a year since Eren and Mikasa ran away that night in Marley. The pair had seemingly vanished from their group, and the last thing Armin saw of them was Mikasa, as usual, worriedly hurrying off to find Eren who had left several minutes prior. The two had vanished…and for a week the Scouts had no idea where they had gone. They had searched endlessly, and their disappearance created tensions with Marley. These tensions would reach an explosive point when Floch, leading a strange cultist group calling themselves "The Jaegerists" would openly and publicly accuse Marley's government of the murders of Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman. They spun quite the story, claiming that Marley wanted to take Eren's titan. During the attempt, they attempted to feed Eren to one of their people, who had been turned into a pure titan. But during the ritual, Mikasa managed to push Eren out of the way and got eaten instead. This led to Eren breaking into a rage and getting killed in the process.
At first, people didn't believe their outlandish tale. But Floch provided a piece of evidence that, at the least, convinced the people of Paradis.
An old, worn but well taken care of maroon scarf.
The story was ultimately believed, especially since no other leads were popping up, and a funeral was held for Eren and Mikasa. Since then, war had broke out between Paradis and Marley, and the very fragile peace the countries had just started to form…was quickly destroyed. But a new complication had recently revealed itself, a year later. A cryptid, vague letter had arrived, addressed to Armin. And it led the young soldier on a long journey, having to cross the sea to a newfound land he had never been to or heard of before. This letter was more than likely a trap…but if there was even a chance it was true…
Finally, the rider moved to pull back the hood of his cloak, revealing a head of blonde hair and a pair of blueish eyes. Numerous emotions seemed to fly through his blank expression, as his legs remained locked still as his eyes fell on one of his two oldest friends…she was alive.
"Mikasa..? Tell me this isn't some joke…" his soft voice called to the woman, his hand pulling into a fist as his body tensed slightly, preparing for any unexpected movements. It didn't seem real.
Mikasa's expression looked a bit surprised as she gazed at her old friend, he almost seemed like a ghost. She hadn't seen him in so long. Her eyes expressed some sadness, along with relief as she finally looked away, staring down at the table again, trying to find her words. She seemed to struggle for a moment, remaining quiet. Finally, after several seconds of tense silence, she found her words.
"I'm so glad...you got my letter..." she spoke quietly, Mikasa never was one for much conversation, but she knew she owed Armin more than what was in her vague letter.
"I'm sorry I couldn't say much in the letter...if it had been found by anyone else before it reached you...well...I wanted the details kept out.." She apologized, having just written their location, and that she needed help.
Her familiar voice was somewhat jarring to Armin, his eyes widening a bit as he carefully pulled himself to take a step closer. How long had it been? Time had truthfully slipped past Armin's radar since he was told about his two closest friends' untimely and tragic deaths… which had shattered him beyond even his own recognition. Now… with a face to the letter, his world had begun to shift upside down, and questions flooded through his mind. Even though Floch's accusations were full of flaws…in theory it had made sense. Of course, Mikasa would sacrifice herself to protect Eren, that much was believable. But…Armin struggled to buy Marley trying to take Eren's titan, especially after all the cooperating they had done. Then again…their interaction with Marley was Eren's titan lifting one of their ships, and Yelena always displayed an…odd obsession with Eren's titan. She truthfully made Hange look tame in many aspects. Trying to piece it together became disorienting, his stomach churning as he pushed his body to walk closer towards the table, approaching her slowly.
"Mikasa…" Armin finally chimed in, placing his hand on the table.
As he looked at her, studying her for a moment… he noticed just how much she had changed in all this time they had been apart. Her hair had grown out a lot, and something about her face and way she held herself was…softer. Dare he even say it…maybe even weaker? She seemed and looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes. There was also an obvious sorrow in her face, it gravely reminded Armin of a time long ago, when Eren had been taken by Bertolt and Reiner. Mikasa had broken down to Armin, expressing she just wanted to be by Eren's side. The memory always caused Armin's heart to break for her, and seeing her in a similar state now both worried him and made him question what exactly happened.
"They told us you were dead… that we couldn't even go back and get your bodies…an entire war with Marley was started because of it…they even found your scarf… I…." Armin felt his voice crack with emotion, as tears had attempted to surface. He turned his face away from her, clenching his jaw as loose strands of his short blonde hair fell into his face. Mikasa's expression darkened a bit at the mention of the fake scarf. It was a part of…his plan…she heavily disapproved of. Truthfully…she disapproved of all of it. But he had convinced her it was the only way.
"You can't just disappear like that.. then write to me like you're some younger sibling sitting comfortably at home… we devoted a lot of things towards you and Eren… I still do…. What is going on…" Armin continued to question frantically, moving to sit himself down just across from her, turning his glance to focus on her again.
"I know...I'm sorry Armin...to be honest..no apology can make up for putting you through that kind of hell...so the best I can do...is explain everything..." Mikasa exhaled softly before continuing.
"That night we were all in Marley...I had caught up to Eren…and he asked me how I felt about him…so suddenly. I told him…the truth…and we decided to run away together...leave all of this behind. He offered me...everything I've been wanting...all this time. Just us two...living a peaceful life together...by his side. We wanted to tell you, and Connie, Hange and everyone..but Eren didn't want to risk your safety. We both knew...if anyone knew of our whereabouts...it wouldn't end well for them. So…he took advantage of Floch and his group. They looked up to Eren…more so now than ever it seems. Asked them to fabricate a story of our deaths so no one would look for us…that story…I imagine is why war started..." Mikasa took a moment to gather her thoughts.
"So..we came here...and have been living here ever since...Eren's the one who came up with the cover story...he trusted Floch to simply deliver it…along with the fake scarf. He said he knew that would convince you and Levi..." she trailed off, looking up at Armin a bit anxiously
Armin remained silent as she spoke, keeping his jaw clenched to remain silent, trying to gather all of the understanding he was able to. This all still seemed like some sick dream, and it was nauseating to endure. Finally, he heaved a heavy sigh, recognizing that this was something Mikasa had wanted for a while, and although her means of reaching that goal weren't at all ideal, it was the only way she was able to achieve it all. On Eren's terms. Finally, Armin moved to lean his elbows against the table, keeping his head low as he shifted his tension slightly, feeling a chill roll down his spine at the mention of the Jaegerists.
"I can't fault you for doing what you had to do… but Mikasa… they held a service for you both… there's an empty grave somewhere in the woods for you.. you couldn't even consider telling me? You know I would have fought to keep that secret for my life. Especially if it meant knowing you were okay." Armin expressed; pressing the matter once more as his eyes narrowed gently, studying the generosity in her expression.
"The Jaegerists have become a bigger problem now… you thought they were bad then… we've lost a lot to those assholes…" Armin confessed vaguely, studying his fingers as they tapped gently against the surface of the small picnic table.
A question kept nagging at Armin as well…while Eren and Mikasa running away would have created some problems…would it really have led to war between the two countries if Eren hadn't fabricated such an insane story? Confusion, yes. Tensions, possibly. But war? Couldn't it have been avoided? Couldn't Eren have come up with a less…dramatic story? One that didn't involve accusing Marley? Armin wondered…if there was more to Eren's motives than just running away with Mikasa.
Mikasa's eyes saddened at his words, feeling a sting of guilt for leaving him in the dark like that. Leaving everyone in that grieving state when it wasn't even needed. While Eren and herself lived a cozy, happy life across the sea…they had abandoned not just their comrades and captain, but their country…and Armin, their closest and oldest friend. It was a selfish choice…and it ate at Mikasa every single day since they arrived. But it also reminded her exactly why they didn't bring Armin along, or at the least tell him what they were doing.
"That's exactly why we didn't tell you...we knew you above anyone would endure the worst forms of torture to keep our secret...and we didn't want you to go through that.." she explained softly, after being quiet for several seconds to allow her friend to process all of this.
There was a moment of silence between the old friends, until finally Armin decided to break the ice with the most obvious question that had been truthfully pestering him the longer he stood there.
"Where's Eren?" He asked, furrowing his brow as he noticed his old friend wasn't at Mikasa's side, nor had he exited the cabin. Armin also couldn't help but notice there was only one horse in the stables behind the cabin. Falcon, Eren's dark bay stallion was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was in town?
At the mention of Eren's name, Mikasa went eerily quiet as she looked down. Her eyes stared numbly at the chipped wooden surface of the table she remained sat at. It seemed to be an unusually sensitive topic as her expression filled with a mixture of somberness, confusion, and even a hint of frustration. She struggled to find her words, this time for much longer as she took several seconds, possibly minutes, to explain. Finally, she exhaled, her fist gripping the front of her scarf as she kept her eyes averted from Armin.
"He left…" She confessed.
Her voice very slightly cracked. The sting of heartache she had been feeling for a while now seemed to amplify at confessing this out loud to someone else, and it weighed her down. She gripped the front of her scarf tighter, struggling to fight back tears that began to sparkle in her eyelids. Armin's glance shot up, and he stood to his feet frantically as he slammed his hands down on the table, turning to Mikasa with a panicked expression. Mikasa jumped slightly at his hands suddenly hitting the wood, but she couldn't blame him. She wasn't sure how to explain it..even she didn't fully understand it. She could only go off of what Eren had left her in his...frustratingly vague letter.
"Wait... Eren left?! He left you alone?! Do you even have food here?! How long ago did he leave?!" Armin questioned, panic setting into anger, his brow furrowing more as he couldn't contain his onset of anger and frustration at Eren.
"About…six months ago…" Mikasa replied quietly, still keeping her gaze down on the table.
Armin reacted pretty much exactly how she expected. Mikasa was usually the protective one of their friendship, but when it came to Eren hurting her…Armin always stepped up. His usual calm and level-headed demeanor would shift in an instant to protective rage, making him nearly unrecognizable. He pulled himself from the table, before beginning to pace back and forth, brushing his hand through his chopped hair as he heaved a heavy sigh.
"He can't even elope right… I was supposed to just entrust your safety to him? This was the best for you both?! Or was it just for him?" Armin's tone shifted his words entirely as he paused his pacing, turning to face his friend once more.
"There's a town with a market I've been able to get food from..it's a bit of a ride but..it isn't too bad...he left a lot of money behind for me..but still.." Mikasa answered his other question, as she swallowed hard, before pulling the folded-up parchment out of her pocket. She unfolded it, the paper making crinkling sounds, as Mikasa began to read it out loud.
"My dearest Mikasa...I'm sorry. I thought I could do this. But I can't. I've returned to Marley...to finish what I've started. You'll be safe. Your area won't be touched. Goodbye
Eren"
As Mikasa read through the letter, the vagueness in Eren's words only arose more rage within Armin. With a heavy exhale, Armin pulled the paper from her hands, before slamming it down on the table, sliding it towards her.
"Mikasa read it for yourself, don't read it to me! Read those words. He left you alone here. He abandoned you! The only difference here is that he told you what you wanted to hear. He can't even show some respect to your dignity by saying it to you in person. And he's damn lucky that he isn't here to hear my mouthful that I have for him." Armin's voice continued to raise as he vented, using a finger to point to the words, trying to help his friend understand.
As he continued though, he began to realize just how harsh he was being to the wrong recipient. Carefully, he took a deep breath, before sitting himself calmly in his seat across from her once more.
"All those times when we were kids… those speeches when we were in training… for fucking nothing," Armin mumbled under his breath as he squeezed the bridge of his nose, sighing shakily.
"I'm sorry… I know you didn't want to be put in this position. Let alone by him... I just… if I knew where you two were… I would have shown up much sooner. Or never left for Marley."
Mikasa's eyes scanned over the words on the parchment...she knew Armin was right. With each passing day, she found herself growing...for the first time ever..angrier and angrier at Eren. She had an intense internal battle happening within her. Part of her knew this was wrong...and was unbelievably frustrated at Eren...but another part of her still..held onto that undying love for him. And that part would have happily welcomed Eren back with open arms no matter what happened or how much time passed. Despite it all, she still loved him. However, her frustration seemed to be stemming from something deeper than just him leaving her alone here. She didn't feel it was right to keep anything more from Armin, and there was one last detail he should know.
"I think...Eren left for.. another reason..." Mikasa confessed slowly.
She exhaled softly, before standing up from the picnic table. She was being more careful and slower than usual, which confused Armin at first. But once she had stood up straight, it became obvious as to why as Armin's eyes widened and he couldn't hold back a gasp. He even felt sickened, as the reality of the situation crashed down and why Mikasa needed help. Mikasa's stomach, which used to be muscular and flat, was now ballooning outward, obviously swelling and rather big. Mikasa gently placed both hands on it in a cradling position, one hand under it, the other more towards the top just under her breasts. Armin's glance remained panned down towards her stomach, and amidst his rage… a sharp sting of guilt struck his own stomach. He felt as if his innards had collapsed into a deep pit hidden within him. He swallowed the sickness forming in his stomach, before collecting his composure as best as he could.
"Mikasa… I know how much he means to you… but there's much more at stake now than your own life…" Armin began to explain softly, before allowing his voice to trail off, lowering his head. He knew this wasn't his place, his brow furrowing sadly. Finally, he stood up, walking over to his childhood friend, before pulling her into a soft embrace, silently ensuring his support.
"I'll stay and help for as long as you need… please just… make the right decision. For you and the baby.."
Mikasa felt an overwhelming sense of comfort in Armin's embrace. She found herself clinging to his shirt tightly as tears began to well her eyes before she could fight them. So many emotions came crashing down at once...she had been so incredibly lonely since Eren's departure, confused, hurt and frustrated all at once. The entire time he was gone, she had been trying her best to stay strong for her unborn child's sake. But…it was getting harder each day, and now that she had a safe space to break in…the tears kept coming as she hid her face against Armin's chest. It was hard to imagine, but Armin had grown so much since Mikasa last saw him. When they were kids, he was always the small and weak one of the trio, always steps behind her and Eren…but now he seemed stronger, even slightly taller than Mikasa. As she let herself break into her childhood friend's arms, Mikasa knew Armin was right. There was so much more at stake now. And one thing she knew above it all...was that she wanted to keep her child safe. No matter what.
"I know...I...I'm sorry...I'm just...so glad..that you came, Armin.." Her voice broke as she finally found her words. She also felt an overwhelming amount of exhaustion, allowing herself to slightly lean against Armin.
Armin's eyes widened slightly at her sudden tight grasp, a gentle exhale escaping him as he moved to tighten his own embrace on her. He heard the gentle hiccup in her voice and shifted his glance down slightly to notice the moisture in her eyes. A once hardened expression of anger had softened ever so slightly as he moved to lift his hand and wipe the tears attempting to escape her eyes.
"Anything for you, Mikasa. I'm just glad you're safe… I won't leave you alone with any of this. I trust you'll make the right decision." Armin reassured softly as his hand gently caressed her upper back, pushing back on her slightly to allow her a firm structure to lean against.
"I won't let anything happen to you. Or the baby."
Armin's head moved to lay against Mikasas for a moment, feeling the heavy weight against him grow as her swollen abdomen pushed slightly against his own. He could tell that she had little to no rest since Eren's departure and that even her immense strength had been pushed to its limit. In his chest, he felt his heart pounding roughly, but slowly, his beat matching hers, as his eyes closed slowly, allowing his mind to wander. Deep down, he felt that urge once more, the same one he had felt when they had first begun their training. It was a wave of confusing emotions colliding together at once, causing an overwhelming shift to churn deep inside of him. Armin knew well of his place with Mikasa, but that constant nagging urge for something more was gnawing at him, chewing at his skin for a chance to escape. Each time it had tried to surface, Armin was quick to find a distraction, turning his full focus towards his childhood friend, who had been practically falling asleep on his chest.
"You should rest, Mikasa. I can tell you're exhausted. It isn't well for you or the baby to be staying up this long, especially after something so sudden." Armin finally spoke quietly, squeezing Mikasa gently to attempt to wake her slightly. "I'll help you to bed."