Chapter Text
They couldn’t believe their eyes.
Right in front of them lay an endless blue field, stretched far beyond the horizon, and covered in sparkles that glimmered under the bright summer sun.
They looked through the surroundings. As far as they could see, there was only blueness of the water, a relatively narrow beach covered in white sand, and, further from the shoreline, the same greenery as the one they had passed while getting there - the grassy hills, the groves, and the forests. The gulls were flying above the surface trying to find and catch some fish, but except that, not a single soul. At least they were alone.
The expedition team went down to the water, that was playing with its little waves at the shore. Each took the sea differently.
Most of them took off their boots and walked right into the unknown. Sasha and Conny, of course, started goofing around, and soon enough the tempting question of whether the sea was that salty got its answer, as Sasha screamed from the stinging in her eyes after Connie had splashed some water onto her.
Armin couldn’t comprehend that whole thing. His eyes were glimmering and a hint of wonder crept onto his face as he looked into the water and the sky mirrored in it.
Mikasa was standing in the water barefoot, a beaming smile suddenly appearing on her face. That was one of those warm sincere smiles she rarely ever revealed to anyone. And it suited her so well.
Hange had already gotten about knee-level into the water, trying to grab some shells and rocks from the bottom, not caring whether it was safe to touch the unknown objects in the first place. But Hange was Hange, and the new curiosities were all too thrilling and exciting.
Whether Levi, cautiously eyeing everyone from ashore, should even bother to try and warn the crazy scientist, he didn’t know but attempted anyway. Not that it had any effect. Tch, Shitty Glasses was getting into trouble without putting any special effort.
And then, there was Eren. He was the only one of them that didn’t seem all too excited. Or rather, not excited at all. Even at the sight like this. The one he had fought and argued so fiercely for on that damn rooftop in Shiganshina.
Levi thought again, for walls-know-what time in the past months, about Eren’s strange behavior and distanced demeanor. Something was not sitting right with him. Had those memories he’d got from his father influenced him that much? Was there something he wasn’t telling and trying to hide instead? Something was there - something no one could understand or guess. Maybe the gloomy brat did. That he wasn’t so sure of, either.
The group messed with the sea for a little longer, finally getting out and trying to plan their next moves.
By the time the last sun rays touched the horizon and disappeared, the camp had been set up, the night watch spot and order defined, and the campfire was crackling and spatting sparkles under the bubbling stew.
That day, humanity was reminded. The world, although cruel and unfair, had its good moments about it, too. And at the very least, one person’s dream came true.