From Marley, with Love.

Chapter 50: Armin

After 6 months on the island, the higher martial, Zachary. Declared Rosanna an Ally to the humanity on the island of Paradis. She still lived in the same small room in the Trost HQ, but was given privileges to go out and interact with the people of Trost and go out in the neighboring farmlands and woods. Hange had become one of her closer confidantes, the two had regular visits and got along well. Like many mornings' Rosanna calmly sat in the wide window sill, sipping her cup of tea. The weather had become cold and rainy over these past weeks. Autumn was slowly passing into winter and the cold fronts from the continent would soon blow over to the island. This meant hail storms, icy roads and maybe some wet snow. The possibility of good "Snow-man snow." Was out the window due to the fact that the snow had to cross the salty sea. Rosanna looked up curiously when she heard a knock on her door, "Come in!" The door was pushed open by Onyankopon, "You're still inside?" he asked, "Usually you would've gone out for a walk!" the man asked. Rosanna smiled widely, "It's been so cold these mornings, I figured I'd stay in a bit." Onyankopon returned a smile and looked over his shoulder to a young man standing behind him.

"Miss Bauer, I would like to introduce you to someone." Rosanna looked at the shadowy figure before standing up from her comfy spot. The blonde teen stepped out of the shadow and into the room, Rosanna walked towards him her hand outstretched. Something in those big blue eyes seemed familiar to her, "I am Rosanna Bauer." The young man nodded, "Armin Arlert, it's a pleasure to meet you." Rosanna smiled, "What brings you here, Armin?" Rosanna was ready to rush to her bookcase and give the teen a few copies of her new book about medicine. "I need answers about a person you might know well. You see, I am the inheritor of the Colossal titan." Rosanna beamed, ushering the young man to the table. Armin sat down uneasily, "These past years, my sleep has been disturbed many times by the same sight, bertholdt's titan form. But only from the shoulders up. And sometimes morphed with his own face or a skeleton." Rosanna nodded understandingly. "Bertholdt had the same when he inherited the colossal, it is common knowledge in the titan science that every titan has his downsides." She explained calmly. "He had the same?!" Armin sighed in relief, Rosanna nodded, she cast down her eyes. "He was a vivid dreamer; I understand from some sources that he used to wake up in odd positions?" Armin smiled, "Some of us used those to predict the weather." His smile turned into a soft chuckle until he noticed Rosanna's sad smile, "I am sorry..." Arlert said calmly, "Those night terrors or dreams were probably the reason why he would wake like that." Rosanna said calmly, Armin's glee completely fell off his face. "Oh..." he spoke. "Besides that, were you able to see any of his memories?" she asked curiously. Armin shook his head, "No, I maybe have gotten some short flashes in those dreams... but usually I always wake up... feeling... lonely." Armin could not exactly understand this emotion, Bertholdt had never been alone. He was always surrounded by Reiner, Annie, Connie and Sasha. Then he remembered something... "Please someone save us..." Rosanna lifted her head, "What?" she asked. "That is what Bertholdt yelled when he and Reiner attempted to take Eren." Rosanna tilted her head, "Please someone save us?" she repeated, "Anything else?" Armin thought, "No one wants do this... but someone has to get blood on these hands." Rosanna frowned, "Poor child..." she whispered. Armin nodded; he never knew Bertholdt as a small child, but he could imagine what it would've felt like for Rosanna to lose one of her pupils and childhood friends, he had lost so many he loved himself. Rosanna tapped a tune on the table, "Very well, Let's take a walk."

Rosanna handily locked the door to her room before walking out the door with Armin. "You know somethings about me now. But please, who are you?" she asked, smiling at him. The young man seemed bashful about this question. "I am the right-hand man to Commander Hange... I don't really know much more that is of interest." Rosanna nodded, noticing the discomfort Armin harbored against himself. "Where did you live, when... we knocked down the wall?" Armin cast his eyes down, "I lived with my grandfather in Shinganshina district..." Rosanna looked up in concerned surprise, "Were you an orphan?" she asked. Armin hummed, "More or less, my parents disappeared one day, my grandfather took me in after that." Rosanna nodded, "How sweet, my uncle and aunt did the same for me when my father was arrested." She shared cautiously. "Why was your father arrested?" Armin asked curiously. "He was a restorationist, just like Grisha Yeager." Armin froze, "And they let you live? Children were also killed, right?" Rosanna shrugged, "They never did. Probably because they saw me as a victim to a negligent father." Armin nodded, "That makes sense." The boy was quiet for a bit before he remembered something, the book he had gotten his hands on years and years ago. "Miss Bauer, this question is completely beside the point but..." Rosanna looked at him, "yes?" she asked, a small smirk on her face. "As a child I always got my hands on this book about the lands and climates that our planet knows... I have now seen that body that connects all this land into one. But I want to know more..." Rosanna raised both her eyebrows, "Can you describe something? Maybe I can name them for you?" Armin's face beamed; out of his pocket he pulled a notebook full of writings. "Please I need to know."

"So, there is hot water underneath the earth?"

"Yes, water kept near a boiling temperature by volcanic rock."

"Volcanic?"

Rosanna smiled, she grabbed stick and drew a geographical map in the mud.

"A volcano is a type of mountain or crater, with hot magma inside. It's a type of fluid rock, it is hotter than anything on the earth. If the crater erupts when too much pressure is built up, this magma rises up and explodes. Once it's outside, we call it Lava."

Armin stared in disbelief, scribbling away. "Have you seen one in real life?" he asked.

"No, I haven't. I would like to see one!" Rosanna replied smiling widely.

The two continued their road. "Miss Bauer, do you have any books that I could borrow? I would like to know a lot more!"

Rosanna thought for a second, most of her books were on the continent. She remembered a small purple booklet. "I have a small book with notes about geographical situations. You could have that!" Armin nodded excitedly. "Thank you so much!"

"For as long as I can be here at least..."