Chapter 15

Crystal's eyes widened at the sight of Levi feeding her food, and tears started to fall.

"Crystal?" Levi asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"Let me wake up... Please..." Crystal muttered, her heart shattering, "This isn't reality. This is just a dream, Levi. This. Us. This cottage. The three kids sitting here with us..."

"Crystal... I know." Levi pats her shoulder, "It's okay. Just stay focused on my voice okay? You were poisoned."

"I know that you dumb idiot..." Crystal sobbed as the world around her disappeared, leaving just her in a large field of sand. The night sky above her had streaks of glowing lines going to a large pillar.

"You..." A man spoke, and Crystal turned to look at him. She moderately recognized his face, but couldn't place it, "You don't have chains... You can get up."

Crystal stood up as sand fell from her waist, "What is this place...?"

"This is the founding Titans world." The man said simply, "I don't sense any animosity from you. Do you know who I am?"

"No, not exactly." Crystal walked over to him and looked at his sand castle.

"I'm Zeke Jaeger." Crystal froze, "The Beast Titan..."

"Wait. Why am I here-" Crystal asked and he shook his head.

"I have no idea. I think Ymir has a plan for you, so while you sit there poisoned... You'll stay here until you've healed."

"I see..." Sitting down across from him, Crystal shifted, "You titan shifters are so lucky when it comes to healing. If I was able to just have the healing properties, none of my comrades would have to die..."

"Why do you fight...?"

"Because that's all I remember of my earliest days in life. Was fighting. I will always fight, no matter what."

"Where do your loyalties lie? With Eren? Maybe Paradis? Or the foolish Scouts?" Zeke asked as he added a new tower to his castle.

"My loyalties only lie with the Scouts. I don't have any particular loyalty to any one person." Speaking softly she started to add details to the castle herself.

"You look tired..."

"I'm exhausted. I had the longest dream in my life just this morning, and found a camp full of spies outside headquarters."

"I see... You remind me of someone I used to fight..." Zeke said quietly, "He had a similar anger behind his eyes, perhaps you know him..." Crystal hummed for him to continue, "Captain Levi if I recall correctly."

"Yeah... He's my captain." Crystal nodded, "Ridiculous little man, but he's got a good heart."

"I fear I do not know of goodness in hearts I cannot see..." Zeke said softly.

"I think it's important to see everyone's hearts, even your enemies. When I cut someone down I have to remind myself that I'm seeing their last moments, someone should remember them." Crystal knocked over her tower, "Without that, I'd be no more human than a weapon."

"I think I see why Ymir wants to keep you... When the time comes, be sure to save yourself with Titan Serum." Zeke said softly, "You'll become a mindless monster, but it shouldn't last long."

"What?" Crystal asked when her vision shifted and she felt like she was going to hurl as she was back in Hanji's office, "F-Fuck- B-Bucket-" she managed out when a bucket was shoved in front of her face and she started to puke into it. God that feeling hurt, it was so disgusting and she couldn't breathe properly. But smooth circles were flowing across her back as she continued to hurl.

"What is wrong, Four eyes?" Levi's voice came out harsh but riddled with concern.

"I think her body is simply recovering from the shock. You have to remember that even though she's one hell of a tough cookie, she's still human underneath that facade." Crystal groaned, she hated that fact more now than ever before.

"H-Hanji...." She muttered before swallowing another hurl, "Bring me a pen and paper... Quickly." She managed to get out as she heard light steps get up and come back, the piece of paper being placed at her side and the pen put in her hand, blindly she started to write on the paper as she hurled. She had to write down all the details of her weird dream before she recovered from puking.

"How is she writing without looking...?" Armin's voice suddenly chimed in and Crystal groaned before hurling again, thinking to herself that it was a trick she picked up during battles where she thought she was going to die. As the thought left her mind she felt her consciousness slipping as she realized she needed to write more.

"L-Levi-!" Crystal coughed out, and Levi was at her side in seconds, "Kick the shit out of my leg!" Crystal cried out as she struggled to keep her mind active and she felt Levi hesitate as his words became muffled, "Fuck! Do it now!" Suddenly a sharp pain shot into her leg muscles and she coughed in pain as her consciousness came back to her.

"She used the kick as a way to remain conscious-" Hanji informed Levi who was cursing under his breath about hurting her, "If she passes out she'll lose what she's writing."

Crystal smiled to herself, Hanji was such a good person, she understood the situation because her mind was always going a million miles a minute, and that was her calm. But as Crystal finished writing she leaned back against the wall, her hurling ceasing.

"Our Mission-" An unfamiliar voice spoke up, as Armin and Mikasa questioned him, "Was to take out her. Paradis's only hope."

"So your mission was to kill Crystal? What was on that bullet?" Hanji pressed, "I will gladly let Tito bite off your limbs until you spill."

"Pft. Kill me, have me chopped to pieces, the poison won't go away with simple antidotes." Suddenly he screamed as something made contact with his skin.

"Fucking tell me or I'll personally slit all of your family members' throats right in front of you," Levi growled harshly and Crystal tensed up, that threat was so dark and so heavy.

"N-No not my family-"

"You want them spared? Save our friend." Hanji said sharply, "You have 10 seconds. 10... 9... 8... 7... 6..."

"FINE FINE!" The man shouted, "I'll tell you-!" Hanji sighed in relief, "You need to give her a special herb. It looks like a flower, but thats just the leaves. You need to get the leaves and roots."

"Hold on.." Hanji examined her shelf before pulling a jar down, "Like these? These are toxic though."

"Not if brewed into a drink. You need to add it to coffee or tea..." The man said weakly and Levi's voice cut through the air.

"I'll test it out first. If it makes me feel funny, we won't give it to Crystal-" Suddenly a boot went flying across the room and hit him upside the head, sending him flying to the floor. Hanji jumped before looking in the direction of Crystal who was now without a boot.

"How dare you suggest such a foolish idiotic thing!" Crystal shouted, "If you want someone to test it, test it on the fucking captive! Not your damned self! You idiot! You dumbass!" Crystal shouted the insults towards the short raven-haired man as he fixed himself up onto his butt, staring at her in shock, "How dare you! You should know better than that!" Crystal started to rip her other boot off when Armin grabbed her stop her.

"She's right. We'll have the captive drink it. If he hesitates out of fear, we won't feed it to her." Hanji says softly, "What does she prefer?" She looked down at Levi who was still dazed.

"Black Tea..." He mumbled, rubbing his reddening cheek, he figured that she was weakened by the poison otherwise he imagined that he would be knocked out on the floor. But it still hurt like hell.

"Gotcha. Armin, could you please?" Armin stood up and left immediately, Crystal leaned over her bucket before hurling again. Hanji eyed her sympathetically, "If you're not better by tomorrow..."

"I'm still fighting." Crystal growled, tugging at her boot until it came off, her glare sending shivers down Hanji's spine, "Keep yapping your mouth and I'll do you the way I did Levi."

"R-Right!" Hange gulped nervously as Armin returned with the teapot and they began boiling the herb leaves into the black liquid. Pouring a cup Hanji brought it over to the man, "Drink it if it's truly safe." Hanji put the cup up to his mouth and took a generous sip.

"See? It's safe-" He said softly and Hanji examined him before looking at Crystal who seemed to be turning paler by the minute.

"Please don't be lying to us. She's our family..." Hanji says weakly and the man for a moment held an almost sympathetic look on his face as she walked over to her, "Crystal... Please drink this..."

"Is it safe...?" Crystal asked warily as she lifted her mouth to the cup, ready to drink before Hanji even responded, but Hanji tilted it until the hot liquid went down her throat.

"It should be safe... If not My life is over." Hanji smiled and Crystal reflected it.

"Levi..." She mutters out softly, and Levi got up from the floor to walk over to her, "Can... You take me to a comfortable bed...?" Crystal asked weakly, unsure of if Levi would be kind to her after she threw her boot at him.

"Yeah..." Levi bent down and moved the bile bucket before putting his arms under her, lifting her in one swift motion, "I'll put you in Four Eyes' bed," Levi looked at Hanji for approval who just nodded simply. Levi carried Crystal over to the adjourned door and opened it, revealing the chaotic room of a scientist before sitting her down on the bed, "Let me grab the bucket..." Levi let her go and walked out. Crystal felt her body going limp, but she willed her body to stay awake until he came back.

As he came back with a fresh, untainted cup of Black Tea and a new fresh bucket, she felt her body giving in.

"Please... Drink some of my tea." Levi said, his voice practically begging her to stay awake, but when she proved to be unable to lift her head he took a big drink of the liquid, and her eyes widened as he pressed his lips against hers. Slowly trickling the hot liquid into her mouth, she felt tears falling down her cheeks, Levi was so worried about her. She couldn't judge, she found her life pretty bleak at that moment.

As he finished giving her a drink, he lifted to find her eyes closed peacefully, and he felt all his worry boil over as tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Crystal... Don't you dare die on me..." He muttered as he laid his head on the bed next to her hand that he interlocked his with. Falling asleep felt impossible, but as his eyes closed he found himself dozing off to her soft touch.