Lara (Long-Fic Levihan | Armin Arlert X OC)

Chapter 59 - A True Friend

"NOW, MIKASA!" exclaimed Hange, flying with her ODM gear.

Mikasa attached her hooks and landed right inside the Armored Titan's mouth.

"Reiner..." she said, threateningly. "GET OUT, NOW!"

She shot her Thunder Spear deep into that creature's throat.

BOOM!!!

Reiner flew out of the Armored Titan's nape.

Lara couldn't see straight, her vision was blurry.

She staggered for a few moments. Everything revolved around her.

With a last shred of sanity, she jumped off the rooftop, attaching her ODM gear to a nearby wall. She urgently needed to step onto a more solid ground. Her body wouldn't take it.

She tripped over some rocks and dropped to her knees on the ground, right in front of the Armored Titan, which was already starting to evaporate.

At this instant, they all felt the ground shake greatly. Everyone, except Lara, looked at the Colossal Titan.

He was falling down.

Somehow, someone had managed to get Bertholdt out of his Titan's nape.

A huge cloud of smoke covered much of that area.

Lara closed her eyes, leaning over her body.

"What's going on...?" she thought. "Is this all just a dream...?"

She dared to open her eyes. All she saw in front of her was smoke, dust, and steam.

Then, like an apparition coming out of all that smoke, there she was.

Her Hero has returned.

Her green cloak fluttered behind and her hair was slowly blown by the wind, which seemed to caress her face.

Hange.

Her mother... She came back to Lara.

Hange walked toward her daughter, with a beautiful smile on her lips.

Lara's arms hung at her sides as she was kneeling on the ground. She felt tears and more tears running down her face, but she wasn't able to show any expression.

Gradually, a little smile formed on her mouth.

"Mom..." she whispered. "Mommy..."

Hange finally stopped in front of her daughter and slowly knelt down.

They looked at each other for a long, long time.

Lara couldn't feel her body. It seemed like she was living in a dream.

Then, Hange slowly wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her into a warm embrace.

For a few seconds, Lara was completely without any reaction. She pressed her ear to her mother's chest and then, she heard it.

Hange's heart.

It was beating. She was alive...

When her mind finally processed the fact that Hange was there, with her, it felt like her body received a burst of energy.

Lara hugged her mother back, very tight.

They both cried. They cried for a long time.

They cried for missing each other and for their reunion now. They cried for those who were gone and for those who were still there.

They cried for Levi, for they knew nothing about where he was.

Lara thought she could stay there forever, feeling her mother's protective warmth.