Chapter Text
You wanted to rest, laying your body on the grass back in Liberio as you let the wind accompany you just how it used to. The tickling feeling that jabbed your skin was nothing compared to the serene atmosphere that engulfed your mind, body, and soul.
The sky was painted orange from the sun that started to hide behind the horizon. And you would be there, waiting as the dark blue sky became the only thing that you could see, maybe with the moon which sometimes peeks from the clouds.
What a good time to be alive indeed.
The sun was almost set every time you went out to take a break from the restaurant where you worked, letting your subordinate take charge for a while. You would walk there alone, enjoying the life that you had even though it was not really a good one compared to a lot of people in Marley. At least as an Eldian, you didn’t have the right to have it.
Yes, it was true that you got beaten up a lot as a kid because of your race. Yes, the world was cruel as people would tell you that you should die and hang yourself from time to time. Yes, you couldn’t see any bright future even though you were starting to get accepted by society for joining the Marley Military.
But despite all those partisan reasons, you were still grateful over the fact that you were born.
How could you not? You got to see how beautiful the sun was every time you opened up the window in the morning. You got to take a deep breath, feeling the air as it filled your lungs that could calm your heart rate in an instant. You could run around the neighbourhood, not caring where your feet took you until your body collided with someone else.
How could you not be grateful that you were born? For life has given you a lot of sweet moments and unexpected things in your way.
Including him, a kid with blonde hair slicked to the back. With red hue adorning your cheeks as he realised you had fallen over him. The same kid that turned out to be your neighbour, just two buildings from your house. The same kid that was in the military, devoting himself to Marley so he could get his freedom someday.
And that kid was Porco Galliard, someone who you knew all these times was one of the gifts that the deity had bestowed upon you.
Ah, Porco, you wondered what he was doing now in the afterlife, you wondered what kind of world that you would go to after fulfilling your dream and went on. Was there any heaven? After living on this earth that sounded like hell, you wondered if a peaceful world was something that actually existed.
“Jean, let’s go!” You would like to live in that world, where you could just lay on the grassland and enjoy every second there. “Pieck is much more powerful than you think! She can take care of herself!” Where you could just live, without fighting for your life, killing titans that never seemed to end.
There were dozens of them, resurrected by Ymir the founder herself as she wanted to stop everyone from preventing the rumbling. Pieck was behind you, fighting off the other titans that came in your way before. But even then, even though she could transform over and over and keep on fighting, they would rise again.
That didn’t mean you would stop fighting.
Your task was one, and that was to help Jean get into Eren’s neck and detonate the bomb. You didn’t count how many blades nor how many gases that you still had. The only thing that you needed to do was to keep on fighting and found a way for your comrade to go on.
One titan to another, it was no use and you knew that. Even with thousands of Mikasa, power meant nothing if they could multiply endlessly. God, you just wanted to stare at the sky and enjoy the breeze. With how high you were right now from the ground, you knew that you could touch the clouds.
If it was your end then at least you wanted it to happen peacefully. You just needed to look up and distract yourself from the battle, and the sight of the orange sky would be the last thing that you saw before a titan decapitated your body or devoured you whole.
But your physics wouldn’t stop moving, you could feel tears pricking your eyes, breath laboured from how much exhaustion was taking its toll on your body and yet — you kept going.
Jean was still fighting back to back with you, guarding each other up from the titans. Then there was Pieck, she wouldn’t stop until she met her limit and you believed that she was still alive behind.
Right?
“Pieck!” You screamed when you saw how your friend lost her left hand. She was at her lowest point too, and it made you realise how this battle couldn’t be won at this point. “Tch. Jean!” One of you needed to save Pieck while the other kept on fighting to prevent them from making contact with any titan.
Jean stopped and pressed his back on you, eyeing the titans who currently calculated his every move. “Go save Pieck. I'll take it from here!" And with the knowledge of how good and faster he was in using the manoeuvre gear, you were going to be the one who stayed behind. "Now!"
He immediately dashed out from where he stood before, and you just had to believe in him that he would be safe, along with Pieck.
“No! Jean, what are you doing?!” You could hear the ravenette screamed at her saviour. “I can keep fighting once my arm’s fixed. (Y/n) needed your help! She can’t survive alone she can’t—”
Her words made you smile wistfully as it became more distant, you were happy enough to know that at least she would survive this. You wanted them to run away, living another day along with your new friends. You knew too at this point with how open you were on each side, a titan would catch up to you, and this gigantic bones of the founding titan would be the place you die.
And just for the last time, you had to make sure that they all saved.
It happened at the same second, you looked back just a little while you moved around, and that was the only thing that it took for them to leave marks on your skin. Giant claws scratched your abdomen, leaving multiple huge gashes as blood poured out from the wound.
Just a scratch. You reminded yourself, and rest a little, leaning your body to the bone. They all retreated to Reiner, and now you just needed to catch up and kill the remaining titans that chased them. Shaking your head to keep you conscious, you charged, never letting your eyes shut too long. Three titans were closing in, and you dashed forward without caring that it was the last gas that you had.
What you didn’t expect was to see two other titans, coming out of nowhere and bite the other’s nape. Your eyes widened in confusion and shock, but that didn’t stop you from slashing the last titan standing near Jean and Pieck.
You stumbled as you aimed your hook in front of them, gasping as the hard surface made contact with your body. Your vision started to blur, and you were not sure if it was due to the tears in your eyes or how you slowly drowned and lost your consciousness. You reached out to Pieck, making sure that she was alright, and you could see the glimpse of light brown strands, noting that it belonged to Jean.
They were safe and sound, and that was enough for you.
“(Y/n), you have done your duty so well.” Pieck’s voice was cracked as she helped you lay down, parting your bangs to the side so you could see the sky clearly. “I am going too after this, I need to help the others fight while Jean goes to the nape.” Her voice sounded so distant, but you tried to keep listening to it. “Once it’s all over I am going to take care of you, we can be free to roam this earth together.” She let out a sigh before standing up, eyes never leaving your face. “So, hold on, okay?”
Pieck gritted her teeth as she didn’t hear any response from you, not even a little movement of your body. She ran, eyes blazing with rage and determination before she transformed once again and snapped the titan’s ancestors right on its nape. If she wanted to save you, she needed to finish it all — fast.
Once upon a time, she made a promise to her best friend, or perhaps it was he who forced her to do so, she couldn’t remember that since it felt like a long time ago. But she knew one thing; that was whatever happened, she would try to keep you safe.
“With this titan form, I am more vulnerable than you, Pieck. I am an easy target for the enemy.”
She didn’t know if you saw Porco and Marcel’s titan helping you before. With how focused you were with your task, trying to keep her and Jean alive, you probably just kept on killing the other titan before stumbling to where she was before.
“So, I needed you to promise me if you are still alive and I am not, you will be there for her.”
Then at least before the two departed, she wanted you to know that everyone was there to back you up, even without you having to ask them first.
A resonating boom filled her ears, and that was when she knew Jean successfully blew the founding titan’s nape. She bit the last titan around her, pupils widened when her gaze followed through the glowing centipede that was hot in its trail to be connected back with Eren’s head again. Just like what Gabi said.
Reiner jumped toward the mysterious creature, trying to hold it down as long as he could. Everything was secured, for now, so she knew that it was safe for her to come back to you. Turning around, she immediately ran to where you were before, and she jumped out from her titan form the second you were within her reach.
“(Y/n)! Stay awake!” She pulled your head to her lap, tears glossed her orbs as she saw how your body went limp. “Let’s go, we are going out of here and you will be safe!”
“Pieck!” Hearing Jean’s voice, she whipped her head to the side as he landed beside her, but focusing back on you immediately as she tried to check on your pulse. “Pieck, we need to get away! Armin’s going to blow this place!” He grabbed her arm with force, needing her to listen to him. “Pieck we need to go now!”
“She’s alive!” No, she couldn’t leave you here. “Jean, go take her and I can jump to Falco later in my titan form. Please, save her!” She had made a promise, she couldn’t go on knowing that you could be alive.
“You can’t! You are at your limit!” He shouted back, trying to pull her from where you laid. “We can’t risk it. She’s barely breathing and you could still fight if you rest a little. From any point of view, everyone knows it should be you!” She gasped at the realisation, and the tears that were hiding before, now cascading down her cheek without mercy.
She bawled her hand into a fist as she stared at your unconscious body, and her pupils dilated when she saw you snatched Jean’s arm.
For a second as you looked up at him, you could see the hesitation in his eyes. You knew that even if he took off with Pieck in his arms, he would be trying to get back at you, something that you sure could make himself killed.
“Someone who can’t sacrifice anything, can’t change anything.” He gritted his teeth when he heard your words. It was the only thing that you could say to give him an impact, because it was the words that you learned from his friend a few days ago. “So go! Take her and never look back!”
Ignoring the confusion in the ravenette’s face, you kept your eyes locked on Jean and grateful that sentence was enough to snap him back from his suicidal thoughts.
“No!” Pieck screamed as Jean wrapped his arm around her waist, securing her body as he ran and took off to catch Falco’s titan. “Jean, please! You should have taken her, not me!” He bit his lips, jumping to the sky and landed safely on his ride. He ignored the weak punches on his chest that came from her, letting her release her sadness with it.
She cried out, muttering your name again and again under her breath. Pieck said something about a promise as she apologized to whoever it was that she could not fulfil it. Her face was buried in his chest, and he let her do that because she knew exactly how it felt to lose a friend that meant so much in his life.
His brown orbs fled back towards the founding titan, where Armin was ready to blow it up into pieces. From the small distance, he could see a titan landing not far from where you were before, and he gently shook the ravenette’s body, with his gaze never leaving the scene.
“Pieck, you should see this.”
With her lips trembling, she slowly turned her face to where Jean’s forefinger was pointing at. Despite the tears that blurred her vision, she could see the silhouette of her friend. “I think she’s safe now.” And to know that you were not going to be alone, she couldn’t help but smile.
You were not aware of how many seconds had passed, what you knew was that they were all going to be alive and orange skies would be the last thing that you saw before Armin’s transformation. Little by little, you were slowly drifting apart from consciousness that you even started to hallucinate.
A shadow loomed over you, and you saw a titan with a pair of gunmetal eyes which you were familiar with. The titan had a long, blonde mane swept by the wind and a beard on its chin with the same colour. It looked majestic with white armour covering the whole face, but you still had to be cautious over every movement that was made.
“Porco,” You whispered out, wanting to make sure if it was really him or another titan that would eat you. It looked at you with those intense eyes, waiting for your next words. “Have you ever thought about growing a beard?" The titan growled after he heard your question, and it sounded more like he was irritated rather than a murderous one.
That was when you knew it was really him.
“So you saved us, huh?” You kept talking, ignoring the pain in your abdomen that you felt every time you took a deep breath. “You just love to play hero, eh, Pock? With Falco back then in Paradis and now this.” As if you were trying to distract yourself from the inevitable death.
There were vibrations and a sound of a thunderous boom echoing through spaces. You knew what it meant, and your assumption was right with how you could see a flicker of light in your peripheral vision.
But you were not scared, not when he was here too. You kept looking at him, focusing yourself one hundred percent on a man that became one of the reasons you fought for your life the past few days. Because you still had that dream, and it was something that you needed to achieve before you die.
Then you remembered, a promise that you kept for yourself the second you saw him died with your own eyes. That when you met him again, either it was in the earth or the afterlife, you would tell him everything that you wanted to say to him.
“Hey, Pock. I know this is stupid to say, but," You gulped down, winching slightly as the pain became more prominent. There was too much that you wanted to tell, but at the same time, you knew you couldn't pour it all out. Not everything, but maybe this one sentence was enough for now.
"I have loved you since we were kids."
There was a bright yellow hue in your peripheral vision, catching up to you fast as the orange sky on top of you couldn’t be seen anymore, lost from the brightness of the colossal titan's transformation.
As yellow lights filled your vision, you gave him a smile that you thought he would like to see, saying a silent reassurance through your gesture alone. That perhaps after this, you and he could be granted a privilege to love one another.
You were happy that you achieved your mindless dream; to win and having him by your side as the two of you finally granted freedom. And you didn't close your eyes, no, you wanted to make sure that he was the last thing that you saw in this world.
Then at the last second of your life, your smile became so much wider.
Because in between the havoc that surrounded you, somehow you could hear his voice whispering in your ear with affection.
"You are not the only one, kid."