The Road to Forgiveness

Part 5

Sasha sat on a rock on the familiar cliff that overlooked the sea. She remembered fondly when they had found the sea. Hange's inquisitive nature, playing in the sea with Jean and Connie. It was one of the rare times that Sasha saw Mikasa smile.

Now she felt alone. The slight chill of death still lingering over her.

"How could I have let my guard down? I've left Connie behind, Kaya...my parents." She felt the tears stream down her cheeks as she watched the future she had envisioned, the future without titans, drift away with the receding waves.

"Sasha..."

She turned her head to see Bertholdt walking towards her. She had seemed a bit shocked when she first saw him here that he had aged a bit. She was still getting used to the facial hair.

"Have you been here all day?"

Sasha just shrugged. "There's nothing else to do."

"It's not healthy." He said sitting down on the grass next to her.

Sasha let out a dry laugh. "We're dead Bertholdt, I don't think health really matters at this point."

"I mean I guess not, but seeing how you are here for...well forever...you want to try to enjoy it."

"Were you like this? After you died."

Bertholdt thought for a moment. "I think I was more angry than anything, but then I saw my father, and that's when it hit me."

"My father is going to be devastated..." Sasha broke down into sobs. Bertholdt wrapped his arms around Sasha as she let her grief the life she lost.

*************************************

Sasha opened her eyes; they were already a bit watery. She didn't think it was possibly to get memories of the afterlife, where technically she still was in that timeline. Sasha sat up in her sleeping bag and saw that Gabi was gone.

She stretched her arms and slipped out of the tent. She saw Gabi sitting by the lake with her sketch book eating a granola bar.

"You're up early" Sasha said sitting down next to her. "Whatcha drawing?"

"Bluey and Bingo, they are sisters. I am trying to mix realism with cartoon drawings." Gabi said showing Sasha the drawing. It was the Heeler sisters floating in a raft on the lake.

"Looks nice."

"Yeah...you know you and Kaya kinda of remind me of Bluey and Bingo."

Sasha laughed, "oh yeah, which one is which?"

"Well considering you are the older sister I would say you are Bluey. But not just because of that. You love the outdoors, you care a lot about your family, you are silly at times and love to make people laugh. Kaya is more like Bingo. She loves to spend time with you, and she is incredibly creative. Kaya also likes to take challenges head on and find her own solutions. But like Bingo, Kaya is also a bit more reserved than you."

"Do the sisters ever get into fights?"

"Yeah, I mean Bingo is pretty sensitive and sometimes Bluey can hurt her feelings."

Sasha thought about the several times her, and Kaya had fought as kids, Sasha saying something mean, going off to fume, and then coming back to apologize.

"Well, I guess it's natural that all sisters fight at some point." Sasha said.

"I guess the biggest difference is you guys aren't from Australia and aren't Heeler dogs".

"I wanted to be a dog when I was four." Sasha said with a laugh.

Gabi closed her sketch book. "Can't do much else without my colored pencils."

"Well, let me eat breakfast and we can check out the other nature trail."

***********************************

The shadows from the tall trees kept the heat at bay. This was more of a relaxed nature walk than a hike. So, the two had more time to talk.

"So...did you sleep ok last night?" Gabi asked with a hint of hesitancy in her voice.

Sasha sighed, there was no point in lying at this point.

"I heard you talking in your sleep. You mentioned Bertholdt's name...and your dad."

"I dreamed about, or more like remembered my time in the afterlife or whatever."

Gabi's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?"

Sasha nodded. "It was right after I died. I remember now that I just sat on a rock. It was on the cliff that overlooked the sea on Paradis, just staring."

Gabi felt the guilt coming on.

"Bertholdt was trying to make me feel better...but all I could think about was my dad...and Kaya...Connie."