In Which Sasha Breaks Her Promise!
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Flightless Bird  ∕  Chapter Three

WHEN THE MEMBERS OF THE SCOUT REGIMENT WERE GIVEN A WEEK LONG BREAK, Araminta was planning on just staying at HQ with Hange and Onyankopon to get some extra time testing their new equipment — which was fine, because Eren was also planning on staying back with Armin and Mikasa.

Sasha was going home, though, and she had practically gotten down on her hands and knees to beg for Araminta to go with her.

At first, Araminta was not keen on the idea. Getting the gear ready to use was really important to her, since she was overseeing the project, and she was nervous about staying with Sasha's family. She'd met Sasha's dad once, when they had rescued a small girl from her village, and he was nice enough, but what if they really got to know her, and didn't like her?!

Parents, historically, did not like Araminta very much. It was one of the reasons she didn't have a lot of friends in Shiganshina. After she beat up Mathilda Klein for making fun of her eyes, word got around quick, and the parents in the neighborhood didn't want their children playing with someone so violent.

What if Sasha brought up the story of the time Araminta broke a table while fighting Ymir, and they decided she was too crazy and violent to be around their daughter? Okay, she knew the chances of that happening were close to zero, but not completely zero.

But, Sasha assured her that her parents were going to adore her, and she just really wanted them to meet her best friend. The sentiment was so sweet that Araminta had no choice but to give in and agree to go with her.

They spent a day on horseback, traveling from the Scouts Headquarters in Trost District to Dauper Village. It was a beautiful ride, Araminta enjoyed getting to see the beautiful countryside of Wall Rose without having to worry about a Titan jumping out at her. The whole ride, Sasha told Araminta all about her parents, and what she should expect when she meets them.

They arrived just after nightfall, where Sasha's parents were waiting up for them. They had dinner made up for the two of them, which Sasha was quick to gobble up, of course. After that, they were so exhausted from their day of riding, they excused themselves to bed.

But, Araminta couldn't sleep — not for long, at least. Just as she had finally managed to fall asleep, she was awoken from a nightmare. Usually, she would go sneak into Eren's room if she was having nightmares and fall asleep there, but he wasn't here.

When she jerked awake with a loud gasp, it must have awoken Sasha. The brunette yawned loudly as she rolled her to look at Araminta, who was sleeping on a cot on the other side of the room.

"Are you alright, Arie?" She asked.

Araminta nodded. "Yeah, sorry. Just nightmares." She replied nonchalantly.

It was quiet for a minute, then Sasha was scooting close to the wall, lifting up her blanket. "Come here." She instructed.

"No, it's fine Sasha, really — "

"Just get over here. I know you usually go cuddle Eren but he's not here so let me cuddle you." She told her sternly.

Araminta tried to find some sort of objection, but couldn't be bothered to. So, she sighed, and got off her cot to wander over to Sasha's bed. "How do you know I cuddle with Eren?" She grumbled as she climbed into her bed.

Sasha shrugged. "I'm pretty sure everyone knows. Except Captain Levi, which is good because I think he would murder you both if he found out."

Araminta cringed. "Even Jean...?"

"Yep. He thought about tattling but Connie and I convinced him not to."

"Of course he did." She grumbled. "He's such a weirdo, I don't understand him sometimes."

Sasha giggled. "Of course you don't."

Araminta frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing, just... You know I love you, but sometimes you can be so oblivious to the things that are right in front of you." Sasha told her, and Araminta gasped.

"What?! I'm not oblivious!" She said, scandalized.

"You are! Remember how you had no idea Eren liked you? Or when you had no clue that I was the one stealing your hair ties?" Sasha reminded her.

Araminta laughed. "So, what? Are you saying Jean likes me, or something? That's absurd."

"I'm not telling you what it is! You have to figure it out yourself!" Sasha told her matter-of-factly, reaching out to poke Araminta's shoulder.

The dark haired girl groaned, and turned so she could bury her face in the pillow. "I think you're full of shit, Sasha."

"Maybe I am. Remember what I told you when we first met? That I like to lie a lot?"

The reminder of their first meeting made Araminta smile. "I can't believe it's been six years since we first met..." She peaked up at Sasha, who smiled back at her.

"I know. It's crazy, right? Honestly, though, it feels like I've known you my whole life." She told Araminta.

"Me too."

It got quiet for a few minutes, and Araminta wondered if Sasha had fallen asleep.

"Arie?" Sasha's voice startled Araminta.

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

Araminta rolled her eyes. "You ask me personal questions all the time."

"This one is more personal though."

"Whatever, go ahead." Araminta said, then let out a long yawn.

Sasha sucked in a breath. "Okay... I've just been wondering... How come you never tell me you love me? I mean, I tell you I love you all the time, but you never say it back."

Araminta stilled, and she felt like her whole body had been paralyzed. Nobody had ever brought it up to her before. People told her they loved her, and she smoothly avoided the topic, and she thought nobody had ever noticed it before. Of course Sasha noticed, though, she noticed everything.

"It's not that I don't love you..." She started slowly, trying her hardest to find the right words to explain it to her. "It's just... I don't really know what it means to love someone... So I'm not sure if I should say it..."

Sasha tilted her head at her. "But — you loved your family, right? Don't you remember how that felt?"

"I don't. I was ten when they died, Sash. I still had my mom, but I don't really think I felt love for her by the time I left. So... No, I don't remember." She sighed. "And I still haven't really figured it out."

Sasha was quiet.

"I know, it's dumb, I don't know why — "

"No-no, it's not dumb!" Sasha was quick to reassure her. "It's totally understandable why you feel that way. I just wish I could help you figure it out. Because it feels really good when you love someone."

Araminta smiled, and she was thankful it was dark so Sasha couldn't see the tears starting to pool in her eyes. "I know. I think... I'm getting close." She confessed, and Sasha put a hand on her shoulder.

"Good. Because you of all people deserve to know what it feels like." She whispered, and rubbed Araminta's arm softly.

Araminta couldn't help being reminded of the times she would crawl into Marina's bed, to try and find comfort while their parents were yelling at each other in the next room. She didn't realize sharing a bed with her sister was something she was longing for so bad until she had it.

"Good night, Sasha." Araminta's eyes fluttered closed.

"Good night, Araminta." Sasha replied.

After that, it was easy for Araminta to fall asleep.

WHEN ARAMINTA WOKE UP, SHE WAS FLYING.

Kind of.

Her eyelids were heavy, and she was having difficulty keeping them open, but she could make out the faint outline of buildings down below her. So, she knew she was up in the air, but how? Had she died and gone up above the world to heaven? No, if she was dead, there was no way she was going to heaven.

Then, she realized there was an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, forcing her to cling to whoever the owner of the arm was. Finally, she kept her eyes open long enough to look up, and she saw it was Sasha who was holding her up.

And up above Sasha was the airship, which she was hooked onto and currently pulling the two of them up to.

"S-Sasha?" She weakly called out her name, and Sasha looked down at her in surprise.

"Arie! You're awake!" She cried out, a wide smile appearing on her face. "Hang on, let me get us up here, then I'll explain everything, okay?"

Araminta nodded. Her body felt strange. Something was different, she just couldn't figure out what it was.

They reached the doorway to the airship, and Connie was there waiting to help hoist the two of them aboard. "Oh, good! You finally woke up!" He exclaimed as he dragged Araminta on board. "Jean is pissed at you, by the way."

"No I'm not!" Jean snapped, but Araminta had no idea where he was.

Araminta settled with her back against the wall, still not feeling completely conscious. She looked around the room, where she could faintly make out the outline of freaking Floch Forster cheering loudly.

Sasha made it aboard, then knelt down across from Araminta, heaving a sigh. "Okay. What do you remember?"

"Um... I remember seeing the airship was coming... And I was fighting with Jean about something, but I don't..." She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to recall what had happened, but her vision was completely fuzzy.

"Arie." Sasha said her name sternly, which forced Araminta to look up at her. "You did it. You're the War Hammer Titan now."

Her eyes widened. "I — What? I am? It worked?" She blinked at Sasha.

"Yeah. You ran off and turned yourself into a Titan just as Eren was about to have the War to himself... By the way, you should be thankful you didn't have to see your pure Titan form, it was so ugly! But that's not the point. Eren hurried and grabbed you and shoved the crystal into your mouth, then used the Jaw to crack it. Then bam!"

She clapped her hands, startling Araminta.

"You guzzled her right up, then turned back into a human. I had to hurry and come get you out of there, because some Marleyan officers were about to grab you, but I got you first!"

Araminta nodded slowly, and her gaze drifted over to Jean. For someone who claimed not to be pissed, he sure looked pissed.

"It was stupid and reckless of you. What if Eren had eaten her before you transformed? You would have been stuck a Titan and probably died." He snapped at her.

"Well I didn't, did I? I'm not an idiot, Jean, I wouldn't have injected myself if I wasn't sure that it would work out." She glared up at him, and he glared right back at her.

"What does it matter?" Connie exclaimed, and helped Araminta up to her feet. "The important thing is we're all alive, right?" He pulled her, Jean and Sasha into a group hug.

"Yeah! Which means we get to go drink the stolen champagne, right?" Sasha said excitedly, tightening her own grip around Araminta's neck.

"Of course... But just for a minute, let it be the four of us..." Connie leaned his head back, so he could get a good view and smile at them. "Don't tell anyone I said this... But you three are the most special to me..." He told them, with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

They stood quietly for a minute, and Araminta couldn't help agreeing. She was thankful for any comrade who made it back safely, but she was most thankful for her closest friends being alive. They were her favorite people in the whole world, she had no idea what she would do without them.

Jean was the first to break up the hug. "Agh! You're such a dumbass, Connie, don't hug us with all that metal on!" He snapped, reaching up to rub his arms.

"Excuse me? Who are you calling a dumbass? You're the one who's always playing with his sorry excuse for a beard!" Connie shouted back at him.

"Huh?!"

"He's right, y'know! What good's a beard if you can't eat it?" Sasha asked.

"Huh?!"

"Speaking of, when are we eating?" Sasha whined, resting her head on Araminta's shoulder. "I'm getting hungry."

"You'll eat when we're back on the island." Jean huffed in annoyance.

"Seriously? Some leader you are." Sasha scoffed.

Araminta nodded in agreement. "Exactly. If I had been promoted to commanding officer, I would make sure we have food."

Jean rolled his eyes. "Yeah, too bad you're stuck being the War Hammer Titan and running the research department. It must be terrible."

"It is terrible!" Araminta hissed back at him. "Now I have to experiment on myself! How the hell is that gonna work?"

"Hey, Holm!" A voice called out, and Araminta looked over to see the source. She groaned when she saw who it was. "What the hell was that?! Eren was about to eat the War Hammer, and you stole it from him!" Floch yelled at her, jabbing a finger at her chest.

Araminta narrowed her eyes at him. "Actually, I was on special orders from the Queen herself to acquire the War Hammer Titan if possible. He was the one trying to steal from me."

"You should have let him take it. You're not exactly the kind of person fit to be handling a Titan."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasha asked him, standing next to Araminta's side defensively.

"It means she's too scared to actually do anything with it. Eren would have used it to help Eldia, but she's not going to use it at all unless someone tells her to." Floch stated as if it was fact, and she noticed the blonde recruit from earlier nodding behind him.

"Do you want to test that theory?" Araminta tilted her head at him. "Because I am more than happy to transform the second we're off this ship and squash you to a pulp if you want me to."

"Hey!" Jean appeared next to her. "Stop the fighting, okay? We won, and we're alive, and we're safe. Let's focus on that, okay?"

Floch glared at Araminta, but walked away nonetheless.

"God, I hate that guy." She grumbled once he was out of earshot. "Who does he think he is?"

"I think he's got a crush on your boyfriend, 'Minta." Connie told her with a giggle.

Her boyfriend. At least he had given her what she wanted, right? Maybe she could cut him a little bit of slack. But, the only reason he had helped her in the first place was because she put him in a position where he had no choice. If he did have the choice, she was sure he would have eaten the War Hammer for himself.

"You know, I'm not really mad at you." Jean said to her, his voice barely audible over the sound of the loud shouts coming from the other Scouts. She looked over at him curiously. "I was just worried. It could have ended really badly, you know? I was worried that I — that we would lose you."

Araminta smiled at his confession, and reached up to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know. But you shouldn't worry about me, Jean. I always pull through." She told him confidently.

"Not worry? Of course I'm always going to worry about you." He shook his head, then looked down at her. "Oh, shit. Your scars — they really are gone."

"They are?" Araminta darted her fingers up to her cheek, feeling around for her scar, but her skin was completely smooth. She felt for her nose as well, but it was also smooth.

"Guys, did either of you hear that?" Sasha's head suddenly poked up in between the two of them, looking around curiously.

"Hey everyone, quiet down!" Jean shouted at the other soldiers, but it just seemed to make them want to be even louder.

"Lobov isn't back yet." Connie informed Jean, who furrowed his eyebrows.

"Really? That's weird, he should have been back by now."

Those were the last words Araminta heard before her whole world fell apart.

She heard a clanging noise behind her, and turned around to see a young girl rolling onto the airship. Then, in slow motion, she pulled out a shot gun, pointed it straight at Sasha, and fired.

It was just like her recurring nightmares. Sasha staggered backwards, looking down at the wound in her abdomen, then fell back onto the floor. A pool of blood immediately started to form around her, just like in all of Araminta's worst nightmares.

Except this wasn't a nightmare. This was real. Sasha had been shot. Sasha was dying.

Araminta collapsed onto her knees, grabbing ahold of Sasha's hand while Connie fell down on the other side of her and began to wail. There was more gunfire, but Araminta couldn't be bothered to see what was going on. All she could think about was Sasha.

"Sasha, just stay with us a little bit longer, okay?" She told her, tightening her grip on her hand. "Please, just a little bit longer!"

Sasha blinked, her gaze elsewhere. "Why are you guys being so loud?" She asked quietly, her lips barely moving as she spoke.

Araminta could feel the blood reaching her knees now, no doubt soaking through her pants. "You can do this, Sasha! Just stay awake! Just stay right here with us!"

"Hey... Are we gonna eat soon?" Sasha wondered out loud.

"Yes, Sasha! Just stay alive, and we'll all go eat, okay?" Araminta was shouting at her, and her vision was completely blurred by how badly she was crying.

"Please, Sasha! I can't lose you! I can't lose another sister!" She sobbed, and her knuckles were starting to turn white from how hard she was gripping Sasha's hand.

Sasha's lips moved one more time. "Meat..." She whispered.

"Sasha?" Araminta called out her name quietly, noticing the stillness in her eyes. "Sasha! Wake up!" She screamed, and shook her hand. "Wake up, Sasha! You're my sister! Please, Sasha, please!"

She was begging her, screaming at her, sobbing, doing whatever she could to try and bring her back. Jean finally pulled her away from her so another soldier could wrap up her wound, but she knew deep down it was too late.

Once again, she was plagued by the feeling of how useless she was. It was just like Shiganshina, when all she could do was watch as Marina was eaten, or like in Trost, when she just watched her mother fade away into a shell of a human and there was nothing she could do.

Now, she was forced to just sit there and cry as Sasha died. There was nothing she could do to help her. From the second that little girl rolled onto the ship, Sasha was already a goner.

Jean let her cling onto him and sob into his arm for a few minutes, but after a little bit, he had to get up and deal with the kids who'd snuck onto the ship. Once the soldiers had finished bandaging Sasha up the best they could, Araminta was back by her side, holding her hand once again.

The only thing she could do now was be there for Sasha for every second she had left.

"You're breaking your promise, y'know." Her screams had finally calmed down, and now they were just quiet whimpers. "Remember the first time we went back to your village? We pinky-promised each other neither of us would die."

The doors to the room swung open, and Mikasa and Armin ran in. "Oh my god, it's true." Armin said, his eyes wide as he stared down at Sasha's body.

Araminta didn't have the capacity to pay them any attention as they knelt beside her, and began to cry loudly. All there was room for right now was Sasha. She delicately reached out, brushing the hair out of Sasha's face. Even though she was dying, she looked as beautiful as ever, Araminta thought.

Sasha's chest stopped moving.

She was dead.

She broke her promise.

It had all happened so fast. Araminta sat and stared at Sasha for a moment, trying her hardest to process it. It was just a few minutes ago they were talking, giggling at Jean's stupid beard together. Then, some child appeared, and all it took was one bullet for Sasha to die.

She placed her fingers against Sasha's eyelids, then closed them. "She's dead." She announced quietly, just loud enough for Connie to hear her.

With a sniffle, she looked over at Connie, who was in complete shock. His eyes were just locked onto Sasha, and his mouth was hung open.

"I've gotta... I've gotta go tell them. I need to..."

Her heart ached as she let go of Sasha's hand, and laid it across her chest. Mikasa and Armin were still crying over her body, like they might be able to somehow bring her back if they cried hard enough.

Araminta didn't want to leave her. But she needed to tell Jean, and Hange, and Levi, and Eren.

She felt like she was drunk as she stumbled out of the room, and over to the command room. Her head was spinning, and there was only one thought playing over and over again in her head, like a broken record: Sasha is dead.

With a shaky breath, she opened up the door to the command room, and stepped in just enough so everyone could see her.

Immediately, her gaze drifted to the bench, where Eren was sitting. She was right, his hair was longer. And he'd even grown in a beard that could rival Jean's. He was staring at her, his teal eyes wide as he took in her appearance. She was sure she looked awful, but she didn't really care.

All she cared about was Sasha. And Sasha was dead.

"Araminta...? What is it?" Hange asked her slowly, but she knew they already knew the answer. Everyone in that room must have known already.

"It's... It's Sasha. She's dead." She barely managed to get the words out.

The room fell silent, as everyone inside stared at her in shock.

"Ara..."

She didn't look at him.

Sasha is dead.

If he had just stayed with her, if he had just gone home to Paradis with her, none of this would have happened. They wouldn't have come all this way to Marley, and no Marleyan children would have been able to sneak aboard the airship and shoot Sasha.

If he had stayed with her, Sasha would still be alive.

"Araminta." He said her name again. "Did she... Did Sasha have any last words?" He asked her.

Meat. Her lips were chapped, barely able to connect to form the word. Her gaze was elsewhere. She probably couldn't even hear Araminta and Connie's pleas. She was probably dreaming of the spread waiting for them back in Paradis as she drifted away.

"She said 'meat'." She told him.

The room was silent again. Until Eren started to cry.

No. He wasn't crying. He was laughing.

Araminta couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sasha was dead, and he was laughing. "Oh, you think that's funny?" She snapped at him, balling her hands into fists and digging her fingernails into her palm.

"Hey, Min, let's get out of here." Jean was in front of her, trying to push her away from the door as Eren's laughter began to fill the room.

There wasn't enough energy left in her for her to try and fight Jean. He easily ushered her out and closed the door behind them. Araminta's hands were still balled into fists, but when she noticed a sharp pain in her palm, she quickly stretched out her fingers. If she wasn't careful, she could accidentally transform and take this whole airship down to the ground.

"I hate him, Jean." She whispered, her eyes trained on their boots. "I hate him so much."

"You don't mean that." Jean told her softly, and he used his thumbs to wipe the tears off of her face.

Under his touch, she felt another wave of grief wash over her. "She's dead. Sasha's dead. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. She's dead, she's gone." She started to sob. "It should have been me, I would have been able to take it. I should have been the one that got shot, not her."

Jean shushed her as he delicately cradled her cheeks in his hands. "Hey, stop that. You know she wouldn't want you sitting here wishing it was you."

What do you know about what she would want? Araminta wanted to ask him, but she also knew he was right. That didn't stop her from thinking those things, though.

"Come on, let's go back out there. Can you take me to see her?" He asked her.

Araminta shook her head. "I can't go to her again." She told him, her voice wavering.

"Why not?" He frowned.

"I'm afraid if I go back to her, I'm never going to be able to leave her."

hahahaha... my heart is genuinely so
broken im so sorry... they were fr
sisters i am so sad 🙁... gabi is the
worst but also she's my daughter so
please leave her alone.