It was a silent walk, but it wasn't awkward. At least I didn't think so. We stopped at the stables first and left Ace there, not before I told him I would be back and I love him.

Eren and I continued on in search of our friends... his friends. Seeing as I just left them all here with no warning and it's been 3 years since I've last saw them. I don't think I can call them my friends still.

I guess Eren could feel my anxiousness because he bumps his shoulder against mine and shoots me a reassuring smile.

"Come on, I know what's going through your head. You got nothing to fear." I scoff.

"Easy for you to say. You didn't up and leave with no warning like I did."

"Only because I couldn't. Truth be told I would love to leave the confinement's of these walls and venture out into the unknown world without worry of anything. But in order to do just that I need to stay to help." I'm quiet for a moment.

"Do you believe we'll be able to live our lives without fear?" Eren nods. "Do you think... all of us will life to see that day?" Eren places a hand on my shoulder and gives me a reassuring smile.

"Absolutely. With my help we won't be living in a human eating world filled with Titans. And you can count on that."

I continued to follow Eren into a large building. So much has changed I didn't even recognize the place. He lead me to two big oak doors.

Again I haven't watched the anime in so long i don't remember anything from it.

Before he opens the doors, he turns back to me.

"Are you sure you're ready to face them?"

"Honestly? No, but there's no time like the present." Eren smiles and opens the door. There weren't many people inside, but I did see some familiar faces. And they seemed to recognize me too.

"Y/n? Is that you?" A girl with short hair asks as she walks up to me.

"Mikasa?" She's still just as pretty as I remember her being. Others begin to join in the reunion. And it surprises me how they are just welcoming me back.

"Where did you go?"

I shift my weight on my feet before I answer.

"I just..." Suddenly, the doors are forced open. A boy I don't recognize stands there panting, with one hand on the door as he tries to catch his breathe.

"We...we have... to go. Like, right now. It's time." Everyone begins to leave, even Eren.I follow him out.

"Are you guys going outside the walls?" He nods. "Can I come with you guys?"

"Do you have your ODM gear?"

"No, but I could always barrow someone else's."

"Then let's go."

———

I wasn't apart of the formation, as you can imagine. I was pretty much by myself. And the only reason they allowed me to join is because I said I was leaving (right after I stole someone's ODM gear) I grabbed Ace from the stable and we headed out.

As we gathered everything, I had spotted someone. Captain Levi Ackerman. Still looks the same as the last day I saw him. And still short. I rolled my eyes and continued to helped gather the things needed. Though, I'm sure I saw him glance at me a few times. Probably to make sure I'm the real deal and not some freaky look alike.

As everyone got into formation Levi walked up to me, a mean glint in his eye. I fully expected him to yell at me to scram. But he didn't.

"L/n you're with me. Deal with it." And walked off.

"Yes sir... captain short-stack." I mumble as I give him a half assed salute. I hop up on Ace and stand next to Eren. And then the next thing I knew we were off. We rode through town and I looked around. Many stood there waving us goodbye and wishing us good luck. Others prayed for our safe return. However there were a handful that didn't seem to care whether any of us made it back or not. I guess even after all these years there were still some who saw our efforts as a waste of time, only slowing down our impending doom.

At last we enter titan territory and each group spreads out to cover more ground. Immediately, a smoke flare went off, signaling a titan had been spotted. I watched Levi pull out the smoke flare gun and shot one of the flares into the sky to warn the others.

'Does he just not care that I'm back or is he waiting for a better time to talk to me?' I shake my head. 'Not that it matters what he has to say anyways. Nothing he has to say could change how I feel about him. I will hold a grudge against him until the day that I die.'

In the mist of my inner monologue the sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard behind us. Taking a peek I could see a titan running towards us. It was a female. But instead of looking like a regular old titan, her muscles were showing. She had blonde hair at her shoulders along with piercing blue eyes. The way they stared ahead gave me the chills.

"Uh... guys?" I say catching the attention of the others. They didn't bother to turn around and look. Matter of fact they ran faster, getting closer to the forest up ahead. But still nothing was done. The only thing that seemed to be happening to show that they were at least aware was the sounds of other soldiers speeding by on their ODM gear to try to kill her or slow her down. However, their efforts didn't matter as each person was killed without hesitation.

Eren yelled at them, screaming how innocent were dying when he could just transform. He held his hand up to his mouth.

"Eren, please! Trust us! Trust Captain Levi!" Petra yelled. I remember her. She was a sweet girl but I could always see her eyes linger on Levi for a little too long back when we started dating. It was obvious she liked him but never made any advances. I can only imagine what her reaction was when she found out what he had done.

Eren's eyes shifted between his hand to Petra and the female titan behind us. Until he finally shouted, "I trust you!" With a grin, we sped up. I could feel Ace growing tired from him pushing himself trying to keep up with the other horses.

We passed a certain point in the forest when I heard shots going off. I looked back in time to see the female titan cover the nape of her neck as arrows pierced her body all over keeping her in place. Her eyes widen as her titan form trembled. The group slowed down until we came to a complete stop. We all hopped off our horses and allowed some other soldiers to take them away to tie them up somewhere.

"Do you remember how to use that?" A voice asks. Levi stands beside me his eyes still focused on the titan. I roll my eyes.

"Of course. Sure, it's been three years but using something like this isn't something you forget how to use." He nods and heads up into a tree beside Erwin. I follow behind him. The two speak briefly before Erwin moves away.

We stand awkwardly beside each other for a moment.

"I'm surprised you came back."

"Not like I wanted to. I ran out of supplies so don't think I came back to stay."

"So why'd you come along with us?" I didn't answer. Why did I come with them? To hang out one last time before I go? To get a good feel of the old times? To see him again?

"Why'd you do it?" I ask straight up. "There wasn't a single night where I laid down to sleep only to have that thought plague my mind. So why'd you do it,Ackerman? Hm?" I cross my arms and look at him. "Are you gunna answer me or is this conversation a dead end?"

He bit his lip in frustration. "I-I don't know, ok? Honestly, I just wanted to go out that night for a drink or two and the next thing I know.." he lets out a breath. "I'm sorry. I am." I scoff. "I was drunk-"

"If that excuse was used on all the things we did wrong there would be a lot more murderers on the street. You knew you couldn't handle your alcohol and yet you chose to get shit faced drunk at a bar by yourself. How do you expect me to think it was an accident when you set yourself up for disaster?" By this point tears were silently falling. I brushed them away as quick as I could. I thought I was over this... over him but I guess not.

"I'm sorry but you don't have to leave again. I'll make sure you aren't put in my group but I'll make sure you're ok. Cause  god dammit Y/n not a single has past that I don't regret what I've done. Not a single day. And the fact I didn't know if you were alive or not made that even worse. Cause then you would've died pissed at me for fucking everything we had up. And for that I am so fucking sorry." Tears of his own we're starting to form. In the time that we were together I had never seen him cry.

My eyes softened and I wiped away the rest of the tears. "You mean it?"

"I do."

I sigh. "I can't say I forgive you but... it's a start." I give him a half hearted smile before and eery noise is let out. The female titan screeches so loud that it only when I could see other titans coming that I could hear their thunderous foot steps.

They attacked her and began eating her. Tearing her muscles apart and dragging her down to the forest floor for easier access.

"She called them? To eat her?" I say.

"Tch, guess the bitch really doesn't want us to know who she really is." Levi says. He curses under his breath and moves to talk to Erwin. It was then decided we'll grab our shit and leave while the Titans were distracted. Levi said he needed to stay behind for a bit but we needed to go on. I met up with my group and we headed out. As we moved, thunderous footsteps could be heard from behind us. I checked and choked on my spit.

"It's the female titan! She's back!"

"Already!?" We moved faster but we knew we couldn't shake her off on horse back. So we decided to take it to the sky and start going on our ODM gear.

We flew through the trees and she followed us, hot on our trail. I could see in Erens eyes he was planning to transform.

"Don't you fucking do it, Eren." I hiss. He looks at me. "It's been three years but I know that face. Don't do it."

"Eren! Trust us! Did that last talk mean nothing?" Petra shouted as she moves through the trees. He lowered his hand and sighed. The group smiled.

"Watch a pro do it." One of the guys said and moved back to try to face the titan. I narrow my eyes at her, trying to read her face and he movements. Her actions weren't like a normal Titian and certainly too far coordinated and skilled to be even an abnormal.

"Did you guys ever think about the possibly that she's another person who could turn into a titan?" Before anyone could respond, I watched as the guy who went off had his string grabbed. She twirled him around and threw him at a tree. He tumbled down and his strings got caught on some branches and tangled up.

One by one, each person from Levi's squad was killed until Eren and I were the last two remaining. I was freaking out. I didn't think something like this would happen and I never was a captain of my own squad so I didn't know what to do. We were running out of forest, time and options. Our horses were no where in sight and that titan was catching up to us.

"Eren, I want you to listen to me right now. No shenanigans, no back talking and no whining. I haven't been here for long. I don't know what you guys have figured out or you haven't. I don't know what is going on. But what I do know is that fucking titan isn't a normal one and she is clearly after you. So I want you to make your escape while distract her. Ah- shut the fuck up right now." I silenced and gave him a smile. "And if I don't make it out alive take care of Ace for me? Please? That horse may seem smart but he's a little dumb without directions so he's be a little lost on his own."

"Y/n... don't you do this."

"Eren, it's my job as a soldier to be prepared to give my life for humanity." I give him one final nod before I turn around to face the beast behind me. I dance around her head for a moment before I see a clear opening for her neck. I shoot the arrow things idfk what that parts called into her shoulder and prepare to cut the nape. Pressing the button to make me go quicker, I draw my blades back to cut out the nape only for my blades to break against some crystallized material. My heart drops as the whole world around me goes in slow motion as I watch the titan grab my string and slam my body down on the ground. My body crashes against the ground as I feel my body begin to hurt. The last thing I hear is Eren's screams as I'm crushed.

My final thought?

"It's the end." Darkness.

———

The female titan had gotten away and Levi had managed to retrieve Eren along with help from Mikasa. Levi gently glided above the forest floor searching for the bodies of his squad. With every encounter he made, his grip on his blades tightened. And then, he found you.

Crushed as if you were nothing but a bug. An annoyance that needed to be killed. Levi landed on the ground and stood next your crushed body. Blood soaked the ground. You were hardly recognizable. It was only because Eren remembered where you were killed that Levi was able to find you.

His legs felt weak and his palms were sweaty. He had just gotten you back. He had just be able to apologize to you. You guys could've fixed your relationship. But now, you were gone. And it's all his fault.

***

And scene! Two years. It took me two years to write that! And I'd like to say I'm aware the timeline or whatever doesn't line up. Like they would've already gone through the whole female titan thing a long time ago but it's fine. It's ok. It doesn't matter bec you're dead anyways, well at least Y/n is. 😊

I hope you enjoyed!

Bye 💙🖤