Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

Chapter sixty-Seven- Even I couldn't save her

AN

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Listen to the song!!

Chapter sixty-seven

Hanji POV

I looked at all of them; tears had budded in my eyes. I wiped them away quickly, Armin was crying and Eren was on the verge of it. Even stone-faced Mikasa looked upset. “Poor Levi….” Eren said quietly. “I never realized.”  he stopped for a second. "She is a hero..." I nodded quietly looking over each of us. “Titans are cruel beasts, and fighting them comes at a price.” Suddenly there was the sound of boots on the steps caught our attention. I looked up in surprise to see Ackerman standing on the steps his arms folded across his chest looking down at us with his dead stare.  "A ʜᴇʀᴏ ɪs sᴏᴍᴇʙᴏᴅʏ ᴡʜᴏ ɪs sᴇʟғʟᴇss, ᴡʜᴏ ɪs ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴏᴜs ɪɴ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʀɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀs ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴀs ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ. A ʜᴇʀᴏ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ɪs sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ sᴀᴠᴇs ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ᴄᴀʀᴇs.... You could have asked me to tell my story you know.” He said walking down towards us. I stopped and looked at him. He said nothing for a long while eyeing the three ‘brats’ as he so often referred to them as. “I hope that story doesn't make you think any less of me, I'd still kill you in a heartbeat Yeager.” He warned glaring at the young man who gulped and sat up straighter.

“Even humanities strongest solider couldn't save the one he loved…. Keep that in mind runts.” He said turning and vanishing up the steps again. I watched him go with a sigh. “I think he wishes it was him that died… not her.” I explained quietly as we all sat at the table in silence listening to the quiet wind blowing outside. “I think, in some ways he sees you Yeager as his unborn son, your so much like Alya… willing to do anything to protect humanity even put your own head on the line.” Eren shifted slightly and tipped his head. “Really?” I nodded pushing my glasses up my nose. “I think he doesn't want to though, Levi doesn't want to get to close to anyone… after what happened with Alya and then with the rest of them. I'm the only one of the ‘original’ group left.” I sighed quietly and looked up at the roof of the dining room.

We all had some thinking to do so I stood up and left the three alone to talk amongst themselves. I walked up the steps and out the front door into the courtyard looking into the moon and the stars. I wondered… was she up there? Looking down on him, on all of us....Yes. Yes she was.

We never forget the ones we love, its up to you to let them go. To keep them close, or let yourself become filled with regret from the choices you made. 

But in the end. It doesn't matter how you look at it. We're all just... 

Chasing Ghosts.