𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 | 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭

Chapter Fifty-Six

It's been a while since then and everything changed, but it had all changed for the better.

There are butterflies around, beautiful flowers blooming, and the sky has never shined so bright.

In the time that has passed everyone's changed, I've changed.

Mentally and physically.

I see the world differently now, and I found a reason to value my life and to know that my existence was not a mistake.

But physically I've grown, my body has changed with time and some height was added onto me.

As for my hair, it's been shortened only by a little the difference is there. But it wasn't what I was going for, why it isn't the length I want it is because, in the middle of cutting my hair, Hange cut themself.

Their finger was nasty and bleeding, they were so ecstatic to cut my hair that they weren't paying attention.

I wanted the captain to cut it after that, but Hange was upset they wanted to be the one to do it. So, I informed them that I will wait till their hand heals enough.

I'm so excited, I can't wait till their hand heals enough.

Change isn't always good, but I think it can be all right sometimes.

As of right now, we're outside of the walls again, we have resumed our expedition.

I turn my head to the left of me, a blush raising on my face as I see Armin.

Since we've been able to relax, we have been exploring our relationship. I've never liked the idea of people touching me, but Armin helped me.

I long for his touch, even in places where I hated it.

He has helped me grow.

Everyone here has.

Eren has been leading us on where to go after he had those weird memories. That's where we are right now, riding in a sandy deserted place.

I know this place, it's right by Marley. I know what goes on here too, what they do to the Eldians here.

Annie use to tell me if I didn't behave this is where she would take me, I use to be on my best behavior for her even if all she was saying was an empty threat, sort of.

We round the corner slowly as we reach a mountain top, the grass is greener than ever, but that doesn't matter. What matters is what is below it.

Underneath the mountain is the sea, it's blue almost as blue as Armin's eyes.

Camly the water is rocking back and forth as birds fly around, I stare with my mouth open in complete shock.

I knew it was here, I always did but I've never seen it.

I turn to look at Armin, his eyes have tripled in size. I can see the excitement behind them as a slight smile is on his face.

It's all he ever wanted.

The wind blows through my hair as my hands tighten on my horse, I can't believe it. I mean I can, but I can't believe I'm here to witness it.

Hange moves first jumping off their horse and running down the mountain, the captain follows behind them yelling for them to slow down.

Sasha is next she does the exact same but as she runs down the hill, she begins to take her shoes off. Connie and Jean yell after her I jump off my horse looking at the remaining people with a smile painted on my face.

I quickly grab Armin's hand pulling him off his horse, "come on! It's the sea!" I yell pulling him down the mountain as he looks behind him yelling to Mikasa and Eren.

"It's really here!" He flashes them the sweetest smile, completely warming my heart.

As we stand in front of the sea I let go of his hand, quickly bending down to take my shoes off throwing them aside as I begin to roll up my pants.

Armin does the same, but he is slower with it, a smile still shining brightly on his face.

Once I see he is done I push him into the water, giggling as he tumbles.

But as my feet meet with the water I shiver, it's so cold despite the sun shining brightly."Don't go too far!" Captain Levi commands us, I ignore him pushing Armin again only to be pushed back, I stumble and quickly grab onto Armin for stability.

"Don't push me," I mumble as he only laughs at me.

I turn my head to Sasha and Jean from all their yelling, Jean drank the water and is screaming about it being too salty while Connie splashed water onto Sasha as she screams about it hurting.

Connie laughs hysterically as he turns catching my eye in the process.

"Adelita." He goes, and I hum softly. But the only thing that comes after that is a stupid shit-eating grin, his hands quickly sweep through the water hitting me right in the face.

I go to open my eye, wiping the water off so I can see but then it sets in.

I screeched out beginning to rub my eye, "it burns! Oh, my fucking eye!" I rub it even harder as Connie begins to splash more of the water.

"AH! I CAN'T SEE CAPTAIN! COMMANDER, IT HURTS!"

Connie is hysteric as I keep going, Armin grabs my hand telling me to stop rubbing it.

"Connie, that's enough. She already has one eye."

He listens to Captain Levi and drops his hands, as I finally come to it.

"Are you okay?" Armin asks looking into my eye I nod only looking at Connie, something catches Armin's eye as he looks down forgetting about me.

I begin to splash water onto Connie, as he shields his face walking backward. Only to fall into the water in the process.

I laugh as he is now soaking wet, Sasha laughing with me as Jean only complains about the taste of the water.

I walk over to Armin again, now seeing Mikasa and Eren in the water.

I place a kiss on his cheek.

I notice something in his hand, it's shiny and spikey kind of. I begin to poke at it as he places it into my hand.

It has the same feeling as a rock, but it's not hollow.

"You see, Eren? It's just like I told you. A body of water so big that merchants could spend their whole lives and still not get all the salt out. That's what I said we'd find, and now it looks like I was right."

Armin is flustered and overfilled with joy, but with Eren, it's not the same.

"Hey. It's like you said, too! On the other side of the wall-." Armin goes to continue but Eren cuts him off.

"There's a sea. And just across that sea freedom's waiting. That's what I always believed at least. But I was wrong, I know what's waiting across this sea now. It's our enemies. Everything we've seen has been exactly as it was in my father's memories."

His voice begins to crack as he places his finger up, pointing to the other side of the sea.

"Hey. If we did cross the sea, and we killed our enemies... After that, would we finally be free?"

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A/N

Y'all should've fucking seen me when I saw that the aot trailer dropped. I WAS SO EXCITED I COULDVE DONE A BACKFLIP, MARCH THIRD COME I DONT WANT TO HEAR SHIT FROM NO ONE.

But here's the sea chapter, I was holding off on writing this because the forth season is after this episode. And it all goes to hell then.

-lei <3