Love in a Time of War

Chapter Twenty-Five

Emiko refills her tanks with gas and restocks her blades with Jean "What are you two doing?" Reiner asks. "What does it look like? We're resupplying." Emiko tells him. "Yeah, but why?" Reiner asks. "Because we're heading back soon and unless you've forgotten, we're still in Titan territory." Emiko retorts, looking at him like he's an idiot. "Emiko!" Levi calls. Emiko turns and sees him motioning her over "Be back in a minute." she tells Jean, making him nod. Walking over, she comes to a stop next to him "Levi?" she asks. "Here, you need to hydrate." Levi tells her, passing her a canister of water. Emiko nods and drinks some of it "How long til we're moving out?" she asks. "Shouldn't be too long, the last few people are returning now." Levi responds. "Okay." she nods. "Go make sure your friends are hydrated, don't want anyone passing out on the way back." Levi tells her. Emiko gives him a small smile and nod, walking back over to Jean and Reiner "Everything alright?" Jean asks. "Yeah, he just wanted to make sure I'm hydrated. Told me to make you lot are too, we don't want people to pass out while we make our way back to the city." Emiko explains.

Later on Emiko stands with Levi and her horse, making sure he's ready to leave "You alright with me riding next to Jean on the way back?" she asks. Levi nods "Just keep close." he tells her. Emiko nods, smiling lightly as her horse nuzzles her slightly "We're almost done. There were about five dead that we couldn't recover." Peer tells Erwin nearby. "Not even a part of them?" Erwin asks. "They're the only ones we couldn't due to the Titans. It's probably best for the families that we not bring those back." Peer responds. "Say they're MIA." Erwin tells him. "Yes, sir. We saw several Titans near the forest, but none are headed this way as of yet." Peer says. "We're moving out now. Tell all the squads." Erwin decides. "Yes, sir." Peer nods. "I cannot accept this, Commander Erwin!" Dieter exclaims. "Hey, you...!" Peer starts. "We should recover them! Ivan's body was right in front of us!" Dieter interrupts. "There was a Titan right next to him! It could result in another casualty!" Peer tells him. "If they attack, we can just defeat them!" Dieter exclaims.

"Ivan's an old friend. We're from the same town! I know his parents. If nothing else, I'd like to bring him home!" Juergen tells them. "Don't be selfish!" Peer exclaims. "Squabbling kids?" Levi asks from next to Emiko. "Lance Corporal Levi..." Peer trails off. "If you confirmed he's dead, that's enough. Whether you have the body, dead is dead. It won't change anything." Levi tells them. "No..." Juergen says. "We'll say Ivan and the others went missing. That's my final decision. Give it up." Erwin tells them, walking off with Levi and Emiko following. "Ahh... Don't the two of you... have any human feelings at all?!" Dieter exclaims. "Hey, Dieter! You're going too far!" Peer shouts. Emiko strokes her horse as they walk "Emiko, remember to stay close while we ride back." Levi tells her. "I will, promise." she responds with a nod.

Emiko rides alongside Jean as they head back to the city "The rear line has sighted Titans!" someone exclaims, making Emiko look back to see Titans closing in. "Onward at full speed!" Erwin orders. "I don't see any tall trees or buildings. Fighting out here will be difficult." Levi says. "We're better off outrunning them until we reach the walls." Erwin tells him. Levi pulls back, giving Emiko a 'stay put' look. Emiko nods, staying next to Jean "They're going to catch us!" Armin exclaims. "Do we have to fight?!" Jean asks. "ODM Gear has limited utility in open areas. And look... They just keep coming!" Emiko tells him, motioning to the fact more Titans have appeared. "Ahh... Then what do we do?" Jean asks. "...Levi is giving the orders now." she tells him, looking back at the dead soldiers. "What do you mean, Emiko?" Aemin asks. Emiko looks at them "The only way to speed up is to..." she trails off, looking back again. The two boys follow her line of sight, seeing the dead being dropped out of the carts. Emiko feels tears in her eyes when she sees her fallen squad members "I'm sorry." she tells them, looking back to the front again.

They all come to a stop to regroup, Emiko staying on her horse as she watches her brother walk over to Dieter "Ah... Lance Corporal Levi... I..." he stammers. Levi removes a badge out of his pocket "This proves that they were alive... to me, at least. This was Ivan's." he tells him. "Ah... Lance Corporal..." Dieter starts, stopping when Levi jumps back on his horse and rides over. "It was one of the spare ones you carry, wasn't it?" Emiko asks quietly, getting a small nod in response. "We're leaving!" a soldier tells everyone. "Come on, we shouldn't be too far away now." Levi tells her. Emiko nods and follows her brother, Jean rejoining her side and passing her a water canister "Thanks." she tells him, taking a drink. "No problem." he responds with a small smile. Emiko passes it back to him, Jean taking a drink from it as they follow everyone back towards the city "We should be back soon." Emiko tells him. "Good, it's been a long day." he responds. "That's one word for it." Emiko nods in agreement.

Emiko walks alongside Levi as they head through the city, Petra's father approaching them "Lance Corporal Levi! My daughter is in your squad. I'm Petra's father. Before she finds me, I want to talk to you. She sent me this letter. She mentioned that you respected her abilities enough to let her join your squad, that she was going to devote herself to you. Well, I guess she's too starry-eyed to consider how her father feels! Haha! Well, as her father, I think it's too early for her to marry. She's still so young, with so much to experience..." he starts. Levi cuts him off by giving him Petra's badge, Emiko giving him a sorrowful look as she follows her brother away from him. "Commander Erwin! Answer us! Did this expedition learn enough to justify the number of dead?! Do you think the dead have no regrets?!" someone from the crowd calls out. Emiko looks down, blocking everything out as she walks alongside her brother.

A/N: I've had some remarks about Levi and Emiko not acting like siblings. Here's a reminder. Levi is a lot older than her and has raised her himself, he is practically her parent as well as her brother. If they're acting a certain way, such as Emiko sleeping in his bed when he got back from the mission and everything is Shiganshia happened, it's because he is the only family she has left and wants comfort from him. He raised her and is the only constant in her life. If you have a problem with it, don't read it and don't add it to a reading list that says it's bad like 'Bottom Tier 😂👎🏻'. I work really hard in these fics and it really upsets me that people would do that. Sorry for the rant, just needed to get it off my chest.