Pretty Little Liar (Aruani Element Shifter AU) ✔️

Twenty Eight

Christa Lenz stopped outside the post office, flustered and tired.

It was closed. Odd for a Thursday, but considering the events that she had just encountered, she was in no way going to question it. She ran to the door and knocked violently.

Nobody answered it.

"Ymir!" She yelled desperately. "Let me in!"  There was still no answer. She knocked harder on the door.

Finally, somebody opened the door quickly. Mike stood inside, scowling at her. He looked stressed and worried.

Once he saw the miltary uniform she was wearing, he started to shut the door, but Christa stopped him.

"Wait! I was sent here by Armin."

"What?"

"He told me to come here. Let me explain, please."

Mike looked around behind her.

"How can I trust you?"

"Is Ymir here?"

"Yes. Answer my question."

"I just left the forest. Armin, he told me to run and come here. That's where I'd find Ymir. I promise, sir, you can trust me."

She took out her gun, and dropped it on the floor. Mike smirked, then picked it up, and threw it into a plant pot so that nobody could see.

"Come in. Explain yourself. How do you know Armin and Ymir?"

"We went to school togetber. Armin and I are best friends, and Ymir and I are dating."

"Oh, right. And why did you run away from the forest?"

"That's what I've come to tell you. To try and figure this out."

They continued walking upstairs, then Mike lead her into the flat. Ymir sat, apprehension clear on her face, staring at the dining table. She looked up to see who it was, and her mouth dropped open.

"Christa!?"

They embraced, then sat down together by the table, Mike sitting opposite them. Without any encouragement from him, Christa continued.

"The Council told me Armin was dead."

"What? Why would they do that? Armin was supposed to be travelling."

"That's what I thought too. Then the Council told me and his parents that he was killed by thugs at the airport. It's only when I joined the military that I then learnt about Element Shifters. His parents and family all think it was thugs."

"Jesus. They know who he is."

Christa nodded. "They fought against some soldiers that were scouting the area a few weeks ago. One of them recognised him from school. They told the council immediately, who told me and his family that he'd been killed. When I joined the council, they told me it was Element Shifters that had killed him."

"No, he's still alive. Just a little different is all. The Council tend to make up stories about those that have turned into shifters, saying that they're dead, and have been killed by shifters."

"I can't believe it. Armin is alive!"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. But we had to lie. He had to make up an excuse as to why he wouldn't be coming home for a while. He was going to help us fight, that was all. Then he would come home. I never thought the Council would do that."

"We had a funeral for him. During the summer. An empty coffin, because they couldn't find his body. What are his parents going to say now that he's alive?!"

Mike shrugged. "Well. We can just say that he was still alive. The body went missing because he was actually in the hospital. I don't know. We can't exactly tell them the truth, can we?"

"Wait, but, how did Armin become a shifter? Has he always been one? Are his parents?"

Mike shook his head, then looked over at Ymir. She took over.

"Umm, well, normally that's what would happen... but with Armin it was slightly different..."

"Yeah?"

"I used to be a shifter. But I gave my powers to him."

"What?! How come you never told me? When did you do that!?"

"Umm, back before Christmas. Christa, I did it because I could never be with you if I still had the powers."

"But why Armin!? Of everyone, you had to choose my best friend!"

Christa wasn't sure whether she was supposed to cry or yell. She just sat there, avoiding eye contact with Ymir.

"I didn't have a choice Christa. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking straight."

"And now Armin is a shifter forever?"

Silence. Mike frowned.

Christa muttered; "He lied. You both lied."

Ymir shook her head. "We couldn't just tell you. God knows how you would have reacted. We had to tell a lie. To keep you safe as well."

"Don't blame Ymir. She was only doing what she had to do," Mike started, but before he could finish his sentence, Christa gasped loudly, and stood up.

"Oh no..."

"What? What is it Christa?!"

"He's in trouble! Team Levi... the Second Legion... We have to help them!"

"There's nothing we can do kid. We just have to have faith and hope they'll be alright. They're strong."

"Armin?"

"He'll be fine. There's Reiner and Bertholdt. They can take it easily."

Christa nodded, slowly.

Ymir took Christa's hand, and to her surpise, Christa grabbed it tightly. "At least you're safe," Christa whispered to her.

"Believe us, Christa, I wish we could help too. But they've been training for this. I'm sure they're fine. Given enough encouragement, they could probably pull it off. They'll come back here and everything will be fine."

Christa bit her lip, looked at Ymir, then sighed.

"I hope so," she whispered.

They sat in silence for the rest of the night, waiting for the rest to return.