Like A Fallen Angel

A Dangerous Promise

Armin's POV

Iolani looked like death.

The girl leaning on my shoulder was clearly malnourished and appeared even smaller curled up like that. A sickening amount of blood had seeped into her clothes – yet inexplicably evaporated into thin air. 

Bruises and other minor afflictions marked her from head to toe – it didn't take a lot of imagination to piece together something awful had happened to her.

But despite her current disposition, I could tell she was normally very pretty. I'd never seen anyone like her before – heaps of dark curls created a halo, adding to the glow of her caramel skin.

Some MPs informed me they'd found her on the side of the road, tire tracks pressed into the mud all around. I speculated that she had fallen off an evacuation wagon – hitting her head – and losing her memory as a result.

I had studied many medical journals for fun and remembered reading of something called "amnesia", or the loss of memory after injury to the head, or a particularly traumatizing event. I guessed it could be either situation, given the circumstances.

 It was a solid theory... but something still felt off.

They had found her in South Shiganshina, the region closest to the wall. If she had just been laying there in the mud – the titans should've made an easy meal of her long before anyone could help.

So how did she survive?

The second issue was the paper she had folded in her pocket. I had grabbed it from her quickly enough that Eren and Mikasa didn't see it – because well, I didn't know how Eren would react after all that had happened today.

The parchment contained one word – which I assumed was "Iyolani". But to me, it looked like chicken scratch.

She had read it like it was a given, something that came naturally to her, almost as if it was the first she had ever learned.

I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but I was certain in all my years of study, I had never seen that language... it had to be foreign.

A thought began to form in my head... but I wouldn't say it aloud. Her words, appearance, and strange circumstances of her rescue... could she be from outside the walls?

That would mean she knew what life was like out there – in the rivers of fire, endless bodies of water, and fields of exotic plants. The deserts, forests, mountains, and valleys... a wealth of knowledge my parents never been able to give me... all contained in the head of the girl sleeping next to me.

If I could help her regain her memories, would she be able to help my dreams come true?

Some minor movement from Io snapped me out of my selfish thoughts. She had begun to shiver in the brisk night air, so I turned to drape my shawl over her. Her smile of relief sent a pang of guilt through me... how selfish could I be to barter her memories on my own desires.

If I were in her shoes, I'd be so afraid... it wasn't fair of me to think of her as something to be used. I swore to myself then that I would help her, no matter the cost.

The four of us would survive this cruel world. Together.