Microcosmos || Rivamika

Ch16 Diamonds in the Rough

Summary: In the middle of the countryside, Mikasa and Levi meet an elderly man who seems rather curious about Levi. The two soldiers experience a slice of normal life on their last night in Marley, leaving them in their late-night contemplations. Commander Magath reviews the report of local sightings of the Ackerman devils.

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"Are you sure this is going west, Levi?"

Levi tossed his satchel over a shoulder and flashed a smirk as he led the way forward. A compass found in the drawers of the communications room as they scoured the barracks one last time was a god-send — cracked and dusty, it still proved to work after knocking it a couple of times. It would be a long journey on foot back to the port of Marley, and with no room or time for error, they had no option but to follow the rusty hand that pointed west.

"Forty-eight hours." Levi held a deep breath in his lungs and released it at the sight of the long westward horizon. The final stretch. "Let's go, Mikasa."

Mikasa picked up her pace to walk closely beside Levi on the dirt path. She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the early morning post-storm rain that rose in the fresh air. They were surrounded by barren countryside now — dewy planes of grass completely fertile and green eventually turned to golden fields of wheat, dried in the high afternoon sun. It was peaceful and completely untainted by war or titans.

Far away stood a tree on a hill; a sight that would never fail to unearth the memories of Mikasa's past. Her sullen face could not hide the growing ache in her heart at the view. Lost in her thoughts, her feet stopped moving.

Leaving Eren here was necessary and unavoidable. She knew that. Eren had always been the one to run away from her, yet this was Mikasa's first time being the one to walk. And it was good. Freeing, even.

But something still panged deep inside of her conscience. Perhaps it was the unspoken grief of watching a loved one slip further and further into darkness to a place where you can no longer reach them. Or maybe it was just that the sun shining on her now was the same that shone on them as children, yet it didn't feel the same. Whatever dark feeling it was replayed the vivid images of Eren rolling around on the grass below the tree as she and Armin playfully tossed sticks and branches at him, laughing innocently into the air without a concern of the world.

There were endless happy memories, all innocent and pure, as untainted as the open fields before her. But there was simply no possibility of going back to those days. Memories are simply best as memories. And that was okay. She just needed time. Then, maybe there would be more growth than the fact that she no longer reached for fabric around her neck.

Maybe this really was the start.

Levi glanced back, noticing Mikasa slow her pace to a standstill. Her somber gaze traveled far out to the open fields, tresses blowing softly against her skin as the wind brought her even further. Levi reached for her hand, grounding her again. She was grateful for his warm, wordless expression paired with the unhesitated touch that always reassured her of his presence with her.

He didn't try to distract her from her painful memories, nor would he ever dare to imply that none of it was worth looking back on anymore — of all people, he understood that the memories of loved ones would always remain largely in their hearts. He simply knew what was most important to Mikasa, and perhaps what would always be most important to her, was to stay beside her in the midst of the pain; to love her deeply and closely, without hesitation, without fear, to sit with her when she felt alone in the darkness... Just as she had asked of him that morning.