Rachel's P.O.V
"ARMIN!" Turning towards the voice, which sounds male, I spread out my right wing in front of my new friend protectively, and look down to locate the source.
"Get away from him you– ... angel?" I chuckle in response to the boy's confusion. It is obvious he wasn't made aware of my presence judging by his furrowed brows and clenching fists. Looking at the teenager, I observe his features, which are very decent for a developing human. I haven't seen a kid as cute as this one in a long time... A chocolate brown mass sits atop his head, parted curtain-style in the middle of his forehead. And his eyes... even I have to say they are breathtaking. Blue! No... green? Turquoise? Ugh! I'll figure out later. Wait what am I doing? Why does he look familiar too...?
"Whatever you are, get away from Armin!" Oh, now he's getting on my nerves. Looking down at him, I glare, making him shrink back only the tiniest of fractions.
"Or what?" I question, lowering my wing a little bit.
"Eren, stop! She's a friend!" Armin suddenly cries. I looked at him and asked,
"You know this hothead?" Apparently this 'Eren' doesn't like my impression of him.
"Hey!" I turn my glare back to him, and call,
"So, your name's Eren?" He nods, and glares right back at me, not looking away or blinking, until I chuckle and tuck my wing against my back once again, smirking down at him. "Well, young Armin seems to know and like you, so I suppose I should give you a chance." Looking around I notice that the crowd has dispersed, including the dwarf and Commander Eyebrows, so I decide it is safe to transfer Armin to the ground, and land on a lower branch.
"I'm Rachel."
He stares at me, confused by my sudden introduction, then sighs, posture still tensed and displaying by his wariness. I notice that he has gotten closer to his friend and I frown, sensing another presence. Feeling the currents and vibrations in the air, I am just able to duck as the oriental comes flying at me from behind, and I push her down to the ground with one sweep of my good wing when she shoots past. Unfortunately, she lands on her feet, and we lock gazes when she straightens. I huff indignantly, the feathers on my good wing expanding slightly in reaction to my anger at the girl's actions.
"W-Woah, Mikasa, clam down, she was just trying to negotiate with me." Armin speaks. Rollin gym eyes, I sit back on my haunches and say,
"Yes, that was what I was doing, girl. And please, hold more respect for the person who helped you save your precious– whoever it was– from the Female Monstrosity, by the cost of my wing." The boy with the teal... blue... green? eyes looks shocked, and turns to the disrespectful girl as she watches me warily.
"What? Mikasa, explain." The girl tears her gaze from mine with one final look of disgust. Why does this female loathe my presence? I've half a mind to truly discipline her by showing her the friendly Titans outside the walls, if only she doesn't know Armin. She faces Eren, before sprouting out lies.
"Corporal and I were in the middle of slicing you out of the Female's mouth when this creature swooped in, and–"
"Woah, woah woah, hold up." I cut in, and all three turn their heads toward me, the girl glaring even harder at me than before, if possible. "Since you were the one I saved from getting eaten by the monster, I shall tell the truth, and not spin any lies on my loathing towards you, Miss Mikasa." The teal-eyed boy stares at me, uncertainty in his eyes. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I swivel towards Armin and raise an eyebrow, asking,
"Young Armin, you saw what happened with the abomination did you not? If so, then will you do the honor of recounting the tale how it really happened, and please don't lie." With those words, I leap up to settle myself on a higher, skinnier branch, listening to the sounds of the Cadets running around to complete their daily duties.
~~~~
Half an hour later, I hear a, "Rachel, will you please come back down here?" Slowly descending, I perch on a branch lower to the ground, nursing my now dully throbbing wing as I gaze at the trio. Looking down at them sparks a memory within me.
Flashback
"Come on, Lucy, let's go play!" The blonde laughs at her friend's eagerness.
"Ok, ok, I'm coming Rachel! But first, let's go get Jack, too." The duo races through the streets of Shigansina to their best friend's house and run up to it, knocking loudly on the door.
"Jack! Let's go out and play together!" The two girls hear shuffling from inside the house, and then their friend steps out, his pure-white hair shining in the sun. Smirking at them, Jack takes off down the street, calling out over his shoulder,
"Come on then, slow pokes!" Laughing, the girls chase after him and soon catch up with him, silently agreeing to head to their favorite spot. After arriving at the giant willow tree, all three settle into a comfortable position on the rough branches and watch the clouds go by, sharing the occasional joke now and then.
"Hey, Jack? Rachel? Will we be friends forever?" Lucy asks out loud, uncertainty lacing her quiet voice. Rachel smiles widely at her, revealing a gap in her mouth where she recently lost a tooth.
"Of course, Lucy! Let's all pinky promise!" The trio then put their pinkies together, and make the promise. Giggling ruptures the silence around them, and the trio falls on their backs as they gaze up at the sky.
"Hey guys? Have you ever wanted to fly?" Rachel asks the two, staring wistfully at the carefree clouds that soar across the sky without any worries. Jack turns his head so he is looking at the girl and smiles,
"No, but when I grow up, I wanna join the Survey Corps!" She chuckles at his outburst and says,
"I want to too, but I mean to really fly of your own free will. Like, if you had wings." Lucy laughs at this statement.
"I'm sure we all have that thought at some point, Rachel, but–"
"AHHHHHHH!" The conversation is cut short by a loud scream that rips through the air. Rachel recognizes the scream, and her heart jumps into her throat as her eyes widen.
"Mom!" She springs to her feet, ignoring the calls of her two friends, and dashes home. She stops in the doorway to her house, body impossibly rigid as she stares in horror at the scene before her. Her mom is lying on the floor, blood pooling around her head from a fatal wound. Her father is nowhere in sight, and the last thing she thinks before feeling a sharp pain in her head is, 'Jack... Lucy... will I ever see you again?'
Flashback End
A single tear rolls down my cheek at the memory.
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Flying on Her Wings (Attack on Titan)
FanfictionShe's lived outside the walls all her life. When the humans ventured outside Wall Maria, she protected them, and watched over them to the best of her ability. She saw what happened when the Colossal Titan attacked. The Forest of Giant Tr...
