When you Came Back ( Yumikuri / Ymir x Historia )

Chapter 7: A Reason To Live

Just after the sun set that day, Historia's former comrades gave her another visit. This time, they all seemed to have a sense of urgency in their faces.

"Historia, you asked Ymir about the escape, right?", Armin asked as soon as he approached her, "looks like we're going to have to carry it out sooner than we thought. I'm going to tell Hitch to give Ymir the details-"
"Ymir doesn't want to escape", Historia interrupted.
"What? Why is she letting them do this to her?", Eren exclaimed.
"Ymir chose to come to Paradis", Historia stated.
She couldn't be bothered to go against what Ymir wanted, even if she thought it would be better for her.
"Oh, Historia hasn't heard the news - they probably only told members of the military", Sasha gasped.

"What news?", Historia asked, suddenly alarmed.
"Commander Hange went to check on Ymir's wounds a few hours ago and they had all fully healed. Her fingers had even grown back. The fact that she lied about not having the jaw titan makes her untrustworthy", Mikasa explained, "before the Island was cleared of titans, Hange captured some and they have successfully extracted a titan's spinal fluid so..."
"So they're going to kill her and steal her titan", Historia finished, with bitterness, as she realised where Mikasa was going.

Historia had had enough. She barged out the living room and ran to her bedroom, where she dug through her clothes to find something she had kept there for emergencies. There it was, a gold encrusted gun. She then turned around and marched back through the living room to go downstairs.
As she marched past her guests, they saw that her face was burning red with fury and that she had a gun in her hand so they chased after her, sensing that she had lost her mind.

Historia stomped up to the entrance to the prison where the guards immediately blocked her path.
"My Queen, we can not-" a guard started.
"You're going to let me in", Historia interrupted, her usually sweet face filled with rage.
"But-", the guard tried again before Historia pulled out her gun and shot him in the foot without a single hesitation.

The guard screamed in pain and the others lifted up their rifles to point them at the Queen, who wasn't at all fazed by this.
"Go on then, shoot Paradis' only hope for a good future", she threatened.
The guards shook with trepidation but they all eventually put their guns down.
"Fine! I'll do it!", Historia exclaimed, "I've had it with this fucking island".
She lifted her gun up and pointed it directly at her head, her index finger firmly on the trigger and her eyes flooded with determination.

"Historia! Don't", she heard Connie scream from behind her.
"I won't if you free Ymir and let me see her", Historia stated, with a callous tone and her gun still pointed at her head.
It was undoubtable that Historia would not think twice before shooting and ruining the future of everyone on Paradis.

"Fine, you win", a guard finally said.
He pulled out a set of keys from his jacket and they rattled as he handed them to Historia with his trembling hand.
The Queen snatched them off him and barged past the other guards to open the door before thundering down the stairs.

Ymir was both alarmed and confused when she heard someone coming down the stairs but her eyes started to flood with tears of joy when she saw the short blonde figure enter the room. It was her Historia. She had somehow come for her.
She watched as Historia unlocked her cell and ran to her.

"Hist-", Ymir started, ready to embrace the Queen with a hug, before Historia slapped her right across the face.
"What was that for?", Ymir questioned, putting her hand on the part of her cheek that had turned red due to the impact.
"You're a liar. This is all your fault. Fuck you, Ymir", Historia screamed, kicking Ymir in the stomach with her heeled boots.
Ymir jerked forward, coughing up some blood right onto the Queen's face which only enraged her more.

"Why would you leave?", Historia screamed, delivering another blow, "and then you came back and then-".
Her face was burning red and her eyes were twitching with insanity.
"Alright, I'm sorry", Ymir managed to get out.
"Stay with me while I get you out", Historia commanded, her tone full of disgust.

Historia unlocked the chains around Ymir's wrists and then started to leave the prison, with Ymir meekly following behind her. When they returned upstairs, they realised that a crowd of people, including Commander Hange, General Zackly and Commander Dok had been called to the scene. Historia returned the gun to her head.

"Listen carefully, this is what's going to happen: Ymir and I are going to leave the royal capital to stay in a cottage near Wall Rose, within the Reiss family's land", Historia stated, "there, I will try and muster up some respect for Paradis and decide what to do next. If you cooperate, I won't shoot but if you don't, I won't hesitate to".
Everyone stood and stared at her, open mouthed. She really had checkmated them. She could probably demand anything and they would have to obey her.

"My Queen, please think about the good of the people", Zackly pleaded, his eyes as desperate as the others.
"Obey my commands and I'll think about it", Historia instructed with bitterness, before turning to Ymir.
"As for you", she stated, "don't say a word. I want to hear your explanation when we get there".
Ymir opened her mouth to say something but hesitated and ended up just nodding. Even she was unbelievably shocked by Historia's behaviour.

Historia marched back upstairs and gathered a few of her belongings. She threw a shirt and some trousers at Ymir and instructed her to change into them. She then made her way downstairs, with Ymir following her and then entered the carriage which was awaiting her.

The journey took a few hours but neither Ymir, not Historia spoke a word. They simply sat and stared at eachother in deep thought.
As soon a they arrived, Historia went up to her room without a word and slammed the door behind her.

Ymir sighed. She finally remembered Historia but Historia was nothing like she remembered. She wondered how the innocent Krista Lenz could have changed so much in a mere four years. Guilt consumed her; was it all because she left?

***

- 5 years ago -
"What you did to Reiner was kind of mean", Krista said, looking up at Ymir with her glowing crystal eyes.
"He deserved it", Ymir laughed, ruffling Krista's golden hair, "why do you care anyway?".
"Uh, b-because...", Krista started, unsure herself.
"You need to stop pretending to be so nice", Ymir smiled, cupping her hands around Krista's little face.

Krista was unable to speak as she didn't know what to say so all she could do was blush as usual.
"I mean, I'd you want to live your life hiding behind a mask you put on for others, then you can", Ymir sighed, "I kind of have a hope that someday you'll live for yourself".

"You'll always be a reason for me to live", Krista's mellifluous voice finally beamed.
This time, it was Ymir who did the blushing.
"Awww, I love you too - let's get married after this task!", Ymir laughed, caressing Krista's hair.