Mysterious Figure

"We'll be leaving for the capital to talk to the Queen about certain happenings, as a recruit, you wouldn't have a seat at the table," Hange says gently as Crystal stands outside with them, "I'd invite you, but maybe just take the day off to relax around headquarters."

"Are you all leaving?" Crystal eyes the cart full of scouts that had a cover on it.

"Yeah, we'll be back in 3 days, so keep yourself occupied until we return." 

"Alright, Commander. Have a safe trip." Crystal salutes, and before she knew it, they were all gone. She walks back into the headquarters and felt suddenly very lonely. She had been alone for all those years, but she had gotten used to being around the other scouts, and she felt it hard to readjust. 

Walking down the corridors to her quarters, she opens the door and looks at her desk before she sits down. Picking up her pencil, she starts writing in it. 

-{Journal Entry 304}-

It's like I can hear my thoughts as loudly as I could hear my friends talking next to me in the mess hall. The absence of those lights that have been introduced into my life makes it feel so dark and cold, it's like I'm back in that Basement, waiting for the thumps of Titan feet to pass by. Memories of our training sessions, the shared laughter and camaraderie, I miss the reassuring presence of my fellow recruits, their comforting words and unwavering support a beacon in the darkness.

I want to find a way to adapt, to forge new connections, and to discover a place of belonging within the ranks of the Scouts. 

I may be unsure of where I'm heading, but I'm determined to see it through. I will draw the strength I need to keep pushing forward from the loving memories of my fellow comrades, and become the best Scout I can be.

I am Crystal, a Scout, and I will not be swayed by the weakness that lurks around me.

-{End}-

Crystal closes the journal and gets up, walking outside of the headquarters she goes into the shed and gets the rake out. She starts to rake up the fallen dead leaves on the ground and pushes them towards the padded dirt area of the training grounds. 

She gathered the bigger sticks and threw rocks out of the way so that when training it would be safer.

Setting the pile of leaves and sticks on fire, she watches it burn, wondering for a moment, what Captain Levi would be doing in the presence of the Queen.

Putting out the fire with water, she kicks dirt to cover the scorch marks on the ground before going over to the shooting range, picking up almost shards of wood that laid in the grass. Tossing them into the fire wood box, she suddenly feels the hair on the back of her neck standing up, but instead of whipping around, she kneels down as if to pick up more broken pieces of wood. She turns the glass bottle used for target practice around, and squints her eye. Very slightly she could see a shadow in the windows behind her.

Who was it? Was it a ghost? She turns to look and by the time her eyes reach the window, the figure is gone, she was certain now that there was someone else in the headquarters. But everyone left, didn't they? Was it actually a ghost?

Crystal scoffed at her own thoughts as she starts to head back inside, grabbing the cleaning supplies she starts to clean up the foyer, humming along as she sways side to side, after she cleaned up the foyer, she starts to clean down the hallways, leaving the mess hall for last since she wanted to eat first. 

An hour had passed and Crystal wiped her forehead clean of sweat, she had taken her scouts jacket off due to how hot she felt. Walking down the hall, she puts the cleaning supplies back where they belonged, and heads to the mess hall's doors. Opening them she groans a little before making her way to the kitchen, some bread was left for her with a note that said to check the container where they had smoked butter. 

Walking over to the pot of tea, she pours herself a cup of black tea before heading back out to the tables, when her eyes widen and she jumps a little at the sight of a silhouette sitting at the end of a table.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost, something wrong?" Levi asks, and Crystal swallows all the fear she had felt for a moment, shaking her head.

"Oh, no. I just... thought you went with the others to meet the Queen, sir." Crystal hesitates, trying to figure out where she should sit, but she settles for sitting where she normally does with Hange, a little further down the table from him.

"As if I'd want to stand around talking to a bunch of Military Police higher ups who think they work harder than us." Levi scoffs before sipping on his tea, "I see Hange decided to leave you here?"

"Yes, sir." Crystal nods.

"I see, what have you been doing?"

"I cleaned up the training grounds, and I cleaned the foyer plus the hallways, sir." 

"You cleaned on your day off?"

"I'd feel useless sitting around in my room," Crystal looks down at her bread before spreading her butter on top of it, "Sir."

"No need to say sir after every sentence, there isn't anyone here who cares that much about formality." 

"Oh-" Crystal jolts a little, "Sorry." Levi looks at her across the table and she looks away, lowering her head as she takes a bite of her bread, he shifts a little to rest against his hand.

"Is cleaning all you did?"

"I wrote a little before I cleaned, but that is pretty much all I've done." 

"Did you have anything planned for after?"

"Was thinking about training, but since you're here I think I need to actually ask for permission to use the training grounds."

"I'll allow it, but I'll get to be there to grade your work."

"That's fine with me."

"I didn't ask if it was." Crystal froze up a little at his harsh words, but then couldn't help the giggle that escapes her lips.

"You really can be rather cold, can't you Captain?" She smiles at him, and he huffs.

"What's so funny about it?"

"Nothing, sorry. It's just the other scouts always talk about it, and I guess its just kind of cool that I get to see what they were talking about." Crystal looks down at her food before taking another bite, "Speaking of, what do you think of the Queen?"

"I respect her," Levi starts before he takes a sip of his tea, "But she's young, only time will tell if putting a teenager in charge of the people was a good idea."

"I get it. She is rather young, but I heard that people spoke highly of her." 

"She saved the Orvud District, she's a hero to some of those Sina folk."

"That's convenient, it made people see her as a hero before she took over, right?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Well if you don't mind, I'm going to get changed into new clothes for training," Crystal says as she stands up.