Wings [Levi Daughter]

Chapter Fifty-Two

Levi sighed as he drank his tea alone in the empty Mess. His mind has been going on with the battle at Wall Maria, the soldiers that died in battle, and Maria... he unknowingly placed his hand on his chest and felt the feather necklace there, he could feel the cold crystal on his chest. He hasn't done this for a while since he and Iris finally fixed things between them, and that because he found out that she was alive, but now, he found himself doing this again... asking for advice from his deceased lover.

Maria, please... what would you do? Iris is expected to have a child so that child would be her successor... I can't possibly force her to have a child just for that reason...

It was these times that he wished that Petra was alive, the woman would know what to do, she always knew what to say.

"You look like you're in deep thought." Hange came and sat across from him.

Levi scoffed.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied. "What do you want?"

Hange stared at Levi as he drank his tea, she sighed before she spoke again.

"I know what you're thinking, I know that you think it's cruel –"

"It is cruel."

"—but this is for our people, Levi."

"There has to be another way, Hange..."

"I'm sorry, unless we find another way to pass on Iris' Titan abilities to someone... this is our only option... look at the bright side, you get to see your grandkids."

"Do I look like I'm prepared for grandkids?"

"Well, you're not getting any younger, you know." Hange teased.

Levi sighed.

"I was only nineteen when Maria gave birth to Iris... Maria was twenty-one... and having a child at that age is scary... what more for a fifteen-year-old..."

Levi suddenly let out a bitter chuckle as he remembered something.

"What is it?" Hange asked, confused to his reaction.

"I just remembered something that Iris told me... it was when the two of us were arguing about her joining the Cadets and the Scouts..."

"I WANT TO BE FREE!" was what Iris said. Levi thought. That's what Iris always wanted...

"Well, what did she say?" Hange asked.

Levi smirked.

"Nothing... forget about it."

"Oh, come on! You can't be serious!"

~*~

Iris laid down on the green grass, her eyes staring at the starry night sky, it was a calm evening with the sound of crickets could be heard from the trees, and the constant shifting of wind, it was calming. She has been counting the stars since she's been there, and she already reached five-hundred.

"Five-hundred and ten... Five-hundred and eleven..." She muttered.

"Mind if I join you?"

Iris turned and saw Armin standing beside her.

"Yeah, go ahead." Iris said.

Armin nodded and sat down beside Iris, he had his eyes at the night sky.

"It's a beautiful night." He said. "A bit cold... what are you doing out here?"

"I should be asking you that."