Humanity's Future

Little Steps

Rachel

I was physically exhausted.

My wings used to be my pillar of support– always constant and always stable. Now, I could barely stay in the air for more than two minutes. My black feathers were ruffled in irritation as I rested on the ground, wings outstretched as I took in the sunlight.

Ever since I had saved Armin, I had to learn to survive on the 3-Dimensional Maneuvering Gear. Many offers were made to amputate my wings since they were seen as useless, but it seemed as though I could never let go of them. Armin, Eren, Levi, and Mikasa grew close to me, closer than I had ever gotten with anyone before. I was already yearning to see them again, but I knew that if I wanted to be useful, I would have to learn to rely on my own skills once more. So, I stood and said,

"Again." Spark was in her Titan form, and had been helping me by throwing me high up in the air. I practiced hovering, but would always begin to sink after the first minute. By the second minute, my wings began to slow down significantly, and it would take all of my willpower not to crash to the ground. Spark lifted me once more and tossed me up in the air. Taking in a deep breath, I spread my wings, focusing on all the little connections between them and my shoulder blades.

It was just like any other time. The beginning was just like when my wings were in their grey state– flying was manageable, but tougher than before. Then, I began to sink, feeling the connection dim as I sank lower to the ground. I focused all of my willpower on the single objective of staying in the air, but my wings refused to comply with the command, and I landed a little harshly on the grass for the hundredth time. I sighed as I lay down, spreading my wings as Spark knelt and exited her Titan body. I watched her as she approached, before sitting down crossed-legged next to me.

"I feel as if we need to find a way for you to conserve your energy. You noticed how you began to tire after only one minute, right?" I nodded, a little confused about where she was going. "Well, maybe you only need to be in the air for a few minutes at a time." I stared at her, beginning to see her point.

   "As in, stay near semi-tall structures so I can at least be in the air for the minute I am able to utilize my wings.  That is a good idea."  I sat up and set a hand under my chin.  "If we ever were to go outside the forest and enter a plain, however, how would I modify the situation?"  Spark glanced down for a moment, and we sat in silence.

"I'll try to stay near you, but on the off-chance that I'm not, that is a problem." I shook my head, standing and stretching out my wings as the soreness from today settled in.

"That is alright. We have made plenty of progress on thinking of this solution today. Thank you, Spark. We will try and amend the other problem in the morning." She took my hand and stood, smiling and nodding. Together, we bedded down for the night, watching the stars before drifting off to sleep.

~~~~
2 Weeks Later

In the Forest of Giant Trees, fighting Titans once again by Spark's side, I couldn't be happier.

I did miss my friends from the Recon Corps, but working on my individual skills makes me feel as if I have a purpose again. Over the last 2 weeks, Spark and I reintroduced killing Titans that wandered into the forest. I kept one of the blades from the Survey Corp's uniform and modified it. Since I used my wings now for staying in the air as long as possible, it seemed only fit for the task.  I also wore the clothes I used to wear before my time with the Survey Corps– a long-sleeved, white shirt, brown cargo pants, and darker brown boots.

   My time in the air has increased to 3 minutes tops, and though I was disappointed by such a little amount of improvement, I was increasingly encouraged to continue building my endurance.

Thanks to Spark, flying and killing Titans how I used to came back to me fairly quickly. Together, we would slay any monster who entered the forest. It was exactly like it used to be– except this time, I had a friend by my side.