Mikasa

Lara and Armin were washing the dishes from dinner and tea, right after they all had decided they were going to move to Italy. Hange and Levi watched them from the couch.

"But, Armin," called Hange," what about the others? Did they also agree to go with us? Mikasa, Sasha, Connie, and Jean?"

"Connie promptly accepted," replied Armin, who was drying a bowl. "He got so happy that now his mother turned back into a human, he was the first one who claimed he wanted to get the heck out of Paradis."

Here we need to remember that, unfortunately, Connie's entire family had been turned into Titans through Zeke's spinal fluid, due to a vapor they had inhaled in the village they lived in. Everyone was killed before they even knew they were Connie's family, except his mother, who they managed to find out in time. She had transformed into such a grotesque Titan, that she couldn't even move, so they thought it was best to keep her still, in the place where she had transformed, and Connie constantly came to visit her.

"What about Mikasa?" asked Lara anxiously.

Armin lowered his head in anguish.

"To be honest, baby... I don't know..." he sighed, "She stays practically all day sitting by Eren's grave. I've talked to her a little, but she seemed very uncertain and insecure..."

"Let's try to talk to her again," replied Lara, while she washed the soup pot, a bit apprehensive. "Maybe we can't convince her?"

"That's it!" agreed Hange, stretching her feet on a chair in front of the couch. "Poor thing... Mikasa really needs to have new horizons and change her life, don't you guys think?"

Everyone agreed. They were silent for a few moments. Armin took the pot to dry and continued to speak:

"Sasha and Jean said they would talk to their families, but they seemed pretty excited about the idea of going to Italy too," Armin then almost jumped where he was standing, scaring them all, "OH! I completely forgot to tell you guys!!! Sasha and Niccolo got engaged!"

The others opened their mouths in total perplexity. Lara splashed water on Armin.

"A month will pass and you still will have things to tell us about what happened during the last few days! Gee!" Everyone laughed.

"Sorry, my love," he tickled her ribs. "It's just that it's too much information. I'm remembering them little by little."

"Explain that better, Armin!" exclaimed Hange, laying her head on Levi's chest, who was stroking his wife's hair.

"As far as I understood it, he proposed to her while they were running away from the port, and she accepted right away. I think the emotion of the moment contributed to that."

"Finally Niccolo took some action!" Lara washed the teacups. "Men... I'll tell you! They just string us along!"

"I agree with you, sweetheart!" exclaimed Hange, playfully chuckling.

Levi and Armin looked at each own partner with complete indignation.

"That's absurd!" complained Levi, frowning. "I didn't string you along, Hange!"

"Wow!" exclaimed Lara, boldly gazing back at her father, "Said the guy who took years to ask Mom in marriage! If I didn't drop my hints, you both would still be single to this day, and Tiny-Human-Bean wouldn't even exist!" She turned to Armin, "And you, sir, I won't even say a word!"

"B-But that's defamation!" exclaimed Armin, now splashing water on her. "Watch out, 'cause I can also sue you!"

"Would you sue your own fiancée?!" Lara handed him some cutlery for him to dry.

"Gimme a break... Just now you said you would sue your own mother!" Armin ruffled Lara's hair.

"Right!" exclaimed Levi, looking satisfied. "Keep the discussion between only you both. I wanna stay out of it!" He tried to ignore the pain in his mouth as he spoke.

"No way!" replied Hange, turning to him and pointing to her belly, "Tiny-Human-Bean is on our side," she looked at Lara, "Sweetheart, the baby supports us, we're the majority! Three against two, we won!"

"Its opinion doesn't count," argued Levi, wrinkling his nose.

The baby kicked so hard that Hange let out an "OUCH!".

"See?!" she exclaimed, massaging her belly, "Tiny-Human-Bean is protesting as well!"

The four of them (and even the baby) continued to argue over who strung the other along the most in finally asking for marriage, and in the end, Levi and Armin had to admit their deplorable defeat.

They thought it was better for Armin to spend the night there and, as they talked, they also ended up deciding that he should definitely move to live with them, as it no longer made sense for him to live alone in the Headquarters. Since they would need to move out soon, they wouldn't stay in the house for much longer, and for now, he could sleep in the living room, lying on the futons, which Lara made sure were as comfortable and soft as possible, to avoid any backache in her fiancé.

The next day, she helped him move into her house, with everything already packed. Armin didn't have many things, most of which were just clothes and books. Lara went to Mikasa's bedroom, for she wanted to give her friend a hug and also try to talk to her, but the bedroom was empty and Lara came to the conclusion that she was probably at Eren's grave.

Later in the afternoon, Onyankopon finally paid them a visit. Everyone was very happy to see him, with many tearful hugs, especially from Lara and Hange. They talked for a long time, until the evening, and were able to work out the details of their move to Italy.

Onyankopon had arranged for a ship to take them within exactly two weeks, which made Hange, Levi, and Lara quite anxious, for they weren't expecting it to happen so fast. To everyone's delight, Jean and Sasha's families also agreed to go, along with Niccolo, and even some other people from the island were also interested in leaving for Italy.

The only one who still hadn't given an answer was Mikasa.

Armin suggested that it would be interesting for them to try to sell the house, because, although Levi, Lara, and Hange had a good amount of money saved and invested, any other help for their future new life in a totally unknown country would be welcome.

Despite the excitement about the move, knowing that they would have to sell their precious home brought heaviness into their hearts, and they felt a great pang of sadness at that moment.

Armin proved to be an excellent administrator, helping them with all the bureaucratic issues, with he himself offering to try to sell the house and helping Levi reclaim his invested money in the bank. Meanwhile, Lara and Hange took care of packing all their belongings, putting them in suitcases and travel trunks. Hange usually just watched Lara do everything, for her daughter still insisted on her not to force herself too much. At least, it was rare when Hange bleed and Tiny-Human-Bean seemed very excited by knowing that it would be born in international lands, even getting a little stuck up.

Lara had drawn a brochure advertising the house, as beautiful as the original one, which they had received at that Festival many years ago. At first, they thought it would be pretty difficult to sell it in such a short time, but due to the Rumbling destruction, many families lost their homes and they soon received a quite fair buy offer.

Moving out is always exhausting. Hange was pretty stressed, for her belly was starting to get heavier. Lara and Armin thought it was best to buy a wheelchair for Levi, because this way he could go around a bit more on his own. However, Levi hated the fact that he still had to depend on his daughter or son-in-law to, for example, go to the bathroom and take baths, which made him embarrassed.

Fortunately, Onyankopon told them that in Italy, medicine was much more advanced than in Paradis, which gave the family great hope that Levi could have a much more effective treatment for his leg. At the very least, that made Levi pretty optimistic and he didn't seem to be so grumpy anymore.

A few days before the move, Lara, Armin, and Onyankopon met with their friends in a square, to talk and work out the last details of the move. They congratulated Sasha and Niccolo on their engagement and told Jean and Connie that they were overjoyed that they were also going to live adventures in Italy together. Onyankopon told them that he had already sent messengers to prepare shelters to welcome everyone in the community, which made them much more relieved. However, he also made it very clear that, at first, everything was going to be difficult and challenging, but that with time, he was sure that everything would work out.

Only Mikasa did not attend the friends' meeting, which left Armin and Lara very afflicted. They agreed they would talk to her urgently. With a certain pain in their hearts, they also noticed how Jean, who, despite appearing to be happy with the move, seemed deeply saddened by Mikasa's total absence.

Before saying goodbye, Lara and Armin approached him, who was crestfallen and his eyes watering.

"Hey, buddy," said Lara, squeezing his shoulder, "we're gonna talk to her, okay?"

Jean lifted his head, blinking several times, trying to hide his red eyes.

"O-Oh... Right..." he sniffed, "Thanks..."

Armin also squeezed Jean's shoulder.

"No need to thank. We, more than anyone, wanna see Mikasa happy."

Jean ran a hand over his face, with an expression of great anguish.

"She won't leave her bedroom!" he let out, distressed. "And when she's not there, she's at..." Jean pressed his lips together, closing his eyes, looking to be in a lot of pain, "Eren's grave."

Armin and Lara looked at each other, feeling a tightness in their chests and a lump in their throats. Lara squeezed Jean's shoulder tighter.

"We'll do and give our best!"

"You guys promise?" Jean was about to cry.

Unintentionally, Lara ended up hitting her fist into her chest, making the Survey Corps salute.

"We promise!" she exclaimed. When they all realized what Lara had done, they couldn't help but laugh a little.

About four days before the move, Lara and Armin went to the Headquarters, to Mikasa's bedroom. They knocked on the door and she told them to come in. They found her sitting by the desk, gazing contemplatively out the window as she stroked the red scarf around her neck.

At the sight of her two friends, Mikasa got up and stood in front of the desk. Her face had no expression at all, with deep circles under her eyes. It broke Lara and Armin's hearts.

Lara couldn't hold back anymore. She ran to her friend and hugged her tightly, rocking her slowly, holding behind her head. At first, Mikasa was startled, but that hug brought her so much affection, that she found herself hugging back with the same intensity.

Lara rocked her as if she were a child and when she least expected it, she realized that Mikasa had started sobbing and crying into her neck. Armin watched them from the doorway, with silent tears streaming down his face as well. He locked the door behind him and walked over to the girls, wrapping them in his arms.

The three of them stood there, crying and embracing each other for a long time. Lara stroked her friend's black hair, saying:

"There, there, my dear... Pour it all out..."

Mikasa was crying so hard that she was almost screaming. Every cry that came out of her throat translated the deep pain she was feeling in her heart for Eren's death.

Until that moment, the only one who had hugged her for her loss was Armin, and knowing that there was someone else who cared so much about her made Mikasa feel her heart break.

"Lara!" she exclaimed, her shoulder bouncing, "Eren's gone! He died!"

"Yes, Mikasa," replied Lara, squeezing her affectionately, "You're right. Eren's gone and you have every right to cry about it. Don't hold it back."

Embracing them both, Armin varied between kissing the top of Mikasa's and Lara's heads, stroking their backs and squeezing them, as if he wanted to protect them from all the harm in the world.

When they drew apart, Lara gently ran her hands over Mikasa's face, wiping away her tears, and lifted herself up on her feet to kiss her friend's forehead. The three of them sat down on the bed, with Mikasa in the middle, giving one hand to Lara and the other to Armin, who stroked her back.

"I'm deeply sorry for your loss," said Lara, wiping another tear from her friend. "I cannot imagine the pain you're feeling..."

"I-It's been v-very difficult," sniffled Mikasa. She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Eren was... M-My world!" She turned to Lara, with a crying face, "Absolutely everything I did was because of him!"

Lara swallowed a bitter saliva and nodded.

"What are you feeling?"

Mikasa bit her lip, shaking her head. She deeply gazed at Lara.

"Nothing. That's what I feel. Absolutely nothing," Mikasa squeezed her shirt, close to her chest. "It's like there's a huge empty hole, right here."

"And you're absolutely right, Mikasa!" said Lara, surprising her. "No wonder! Look at everything you've been through in your life! It is totally understandable that you're feeling this way."

Mikasa didn't expect that reaction, but on the contrary, that they would try to tell her not to feel that way. She widened her eyes.

"Think about it with me," continued Lara, firmly, "Armin told me everything about how you and Eren met for the first time, isn't it, babe?" she looked at her fiancé, who agreed. Lara tried to choose her words well, so as not to hurt her friend any more, "He told me how your parents, unfortunately, passed away in that horrible way, and that you and Eren had to face those kidnappers completely by yourselves, didn't you? No child had to go through such a thing..."

Mikasa nodded, shedding another tear.

"I perfectly understand that, at that moment, when you found yourself alone after everything was over, Eren and his family were the ones who gave you a shelter, a support, am I right?"

Once more, Mikasa nodded with sorrow.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was around that time that Eren wrapped the scarf around your neck, isn't that what you've told me, Armin?" she looked at her fiancé, who once more agreed.

Mikasa stared at her, eyes wide and her jaw trembling a lot. She pressed her lips together and let out a cry from her throat.

"Y-Yes! I-It's was on that very day..."

Mikasa laid her head on Lara's shoulder, crying again. She stroked her friend's hair, while Armin stroked her hands, also unable to hold back a few tears.

"Tell me," said Lara, making her look back at her, "What does this scarf represent to you?"

Mikasa straightened her back, surprised by that question. Even Armin was startled. She blinked several times and stared at a fixed point.

"Wh-What does the scarf represent… To me?" repeated Mikasa, frowning. She was silent for a few seconds, then said, "It represents... Comfort, security, affection…"

Lara nodded.

"I didn't expect another answer. That's exactly what you needed during that hard time, right?"

Mikasa agreed. Lara sighed and stroked her friend's back.

"You and Eren went through a lot together. Good times, but lots of bad times as well." She got a sad expression, "You were only ten when Eren's mother died, am I wrong?"

Mikasa lowered her head, shedding a few tears on her lap.

"Y-Yes..." she replied, her voice breaking, "A-A Titan devoured her, right in f-front of us, when the A-Armored and Colossal Titans destroyed the Wall."

"Yeah..." said Lara, contemplating the sky outside, "I remember that day, I was eight years old at the time…"

"W-Were you there?" asked Mikasa, looking at her from below.

"No... I used to live in Karanes District, at one of the orphanages."

Mikasa blinked slowly at her friend, who hugged her, rocking her slowly. She laid her head on Lara's chest while Armin stroked her hair.

"I can't imagine how much anguish you and Eren felt that day..." Lara sighed, feeling her jaw tremble and tears welling up in her eyes, "You didn't deserve to go through this and I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart ."

Mikasa let out a big sob from her throat.

"After that," continued Lara, "you had to live completely by yourselves, didn't you? Eren, you, and Armin, too?" she looked at her fiancé with a sad smile. Armin returned it, gently running his hand over Lara's cheek.

"Y-Yes..." replied Mikasa, staring at a fixed point, "It was so scary... We were alone and without anyone to take care of us…"

"That I can understand well, due to my experience in the orphanage," Lara chuckled in a melancholic way. Mikasa looked up and even Armin gazed at her, for he had never talked to his fiancée about details of her life when she lived in the orphanage.

"Was it really bad there?" asked Mikasa, frowning.

Lara scratched her chin, thoughtful.

"Oh, it was. Nowadays I only have a few flashes of memories, but I remember the feeling… It was all very cold and dark… All sort of lifeless…"

Armin and Mikasa looked at each other, a little distressed. They were startled when Lara clapped her hands together, surprising them with a smile.

"But that phase is already gone! It's no use for me mulling over these bad things. Will they lead me somewhere, by any chance?"

Mikasa and Armin had to agree, trying to smile back, but quite didn't make it. Lara then held her friend's hands, brushing the bangs away from her eyes.

"Mikasa..." she began slowly, "Eren was an extremely important person in your life. And, in my opinion, you should never forget that. There's no reason to forget him. He was, and it is a fact. There is no way to erase it. Eren was a great companion for many years." She gazed at Mikasa, "But, I want you to be very honest with me: did you love him?"

Mikasa's eyes widened, holding her breath.

"Tell me the truth," continued Lara, "did you love Eren? I'm not talking about sibling love. I'm talking about romantic love. The way I love Armin."

Mikasa blushed a lot and lowered her head. Gradually, she began to nod.

"I did love him, yes..." she replied, looking down at her own hands. "I loved Eren more than anything in my life. More even than myself."

Lara made her look at her and said:

"That's where the problem lies, my friend."

Mikasa's eyes widened in surprise. She even opened her mouth a little.

"You loved Eren so much, but so much... That you ended up forgetting about yourself."

Mikasa's jaw trembled.

"See Armin for example," Lara pointed at her fiancé, who was startled to be mentioned. "He did exactly the same as you. Armin loved me more than he himself, when he didn't want to stay with me, for not wanting to make me suffer because of his Titan curse." She squeezed Mikasa's hand, "Now, tell me, in your opinion, during all this time that Armin and I were separated, did it do us any good?"

Mikasa looked shyly at Armin, who was a bit embarrassed, and looked back at Lara. Slowly, she shook her head.

"No..." she replied with melancholy, "In fact, I was very distressed to see you both in that state, always looking sad..."

"Exactly," agreed Lara, firmly, "Am I saying that loving someone above ourselves is wrong? Of course not. However..." she raised her index finger, "There are the right moments for that."

Mikasa listened very carefully. Armin was also staring at his fiancée.

"We must love other people as we love ourselves." Lara straightened up on the bed, "Look. If I need to love other people the way I love myself, then…" she raised her eyebrows, "First of all, I need to love me. You get it?"

Slowly, Mikasa nodded. Even Armin nodded, his mouth slightly open.

"We need, first of all, to love who we are, to only then, love other people." Lara couldn't hold back a smile, "We need to value ourselves and realize how important we are. This is something that many people have trouble seeing, and that's completely normal. But these people just haven't found themselves yet and realized how much potential they have inside them."

Mikasa felt her eyes welling up and lowered her head. Lara held her chin, making her lift up her head.

"Be honest with me, Mikasa. Do you love yourself?"

She widened her eyes, mouth agape. She blinked several times, staring at Lara in a sort of bewilderment.

"I-I..." stuttered Mikasa, feeling a tear run down her cheek, "I-I don't know... I don't think so..."

Lara gave her a kind smile, wiping her tear away.

"So, the time has come for you to start loving yourself, Mikasa. The time has come for you to start valuing yourself, for who you are, and not for what others think about you."

Mikasa let out a little lament from her throat, grimacing with tears, and bouncing her shoulders. She laid back on Lara's chest, crying, who wrapped her in her arms and started rocking her.

"Armin told me about the conversation Eren had with you both at Niccolo's restaurant, where he literally beat up my fiancé and insulted you until you couldn't take it anymore, didn't he?" Lara pouted with indignation and Mikasa cried even more, remembering that terrible day. "Honestly, my dear, we don't know why Eren did and said all that stuff to you both, if that was an acting or not," she looked at Armin, who was downcast, with some tears also running down his face, "Eren could have his countless reasons for acting the way he did, and unfortunately, he chose the worst path, leaving many with a big wound in their hearts, especially in yours, Mikasa."

Mikasa let out a great cry from her throat.

"I'm not asking you to forget Eren, much less to get yourself a boyfriend, no!" Lara took her friend's face, making her look up, and continued in a very firm tone, "What I'm asking you is for you to stop living in the function of others, and start living on your own! You don't have to depend on other people."

Sobbing a little, Mikasa started to wipe her face, getting back to sit properly. Lara squeezed her hands.

"Tell me, what do you like to do the most? Do you have any hobbies, something you enjoy doing in your free time...?

Mikasa was thoughtful for a few moments, her chest still trembling.

"I-I... Like to practice fighting..."

"Okay, good," said Lara. "But, tell me, why do you like fighting? How did you begin to enjoy it? Was it something coming purely from yourself or was it influenced by someone else?"

Suddenly, Mikasa's eyes widened and she stared at Lara, open-mouthed.

"I-It was because I wanted to protect... Eren."

Lara clapped her hands together.

"There it is. See your problem? Even your hobby was done for Eren's sake. You see, maybe you can even have the talent to be the..." Lara puffed up her cheeks, waving her hands, "Dunno, the best pianist in the world and... You just didn't find it out yet!"

"Pianist?!" asked Armin. The three of them couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Oh!" Lara clicked her tongue, "It was the first thing that popped up in my mind!"

She took Mikasa's hands once more and sighed.

"Listen... Eren made countless mistakes. But, one of them was the same as yours: he didn't value you, Mikasa." Lara squeezed her friend's hands, "Please, I beg you... Do not keep on making this mistake anymore."

Mikasa stuck her nose inside her scarf, looking downcast. Lara watched her.

"I understood very well what this scarf represents to you," continued Lara, "And you're not wrong to think so. However..." she gazed deeply at her, "How about we give it a new meaning?"

Mikasa frowned, curious. Armin did the same.

"How so?" she asked.

"What if..." Lara pressed her lips together thoughtfully, "We make this scarf represent the 'old Mikasa'? That it is the embodiment of everything good and bad you've lived so far?"

Gradually, Mikasa's gaze was making it clear she was understanding what Lara meant.

"However, to exist an 'old Mikasa'," continued Lara, raising her eyebrows, "there has to be a 'new Mikasa', right? Listen, I'll repeat. I'm not asking you to forget Eren. You won't be able to do that, because, as I said, he was someone very important in your life. But I'd like you to give yourself a chance for this wound he left in you to be healed within time, until your heart is completely restored."

Lara squeezed Mikasa's hands.

"Come with us to Italy. Build this 'new Mikasa' from scratch! Give yourself a chance to meet new things, places, people, and experiences. Don't stay here alone." Lara pointed to herself and Armin, "We love you, my dear. We want your well-being. We're your family. Now, you're practically my sister-in-law," she suddenly looked sideways, intrigued, "I wonder if we're even related. How about that, Ackerman?!"

They all laughed and gradually stopped. Lara pulled Mikasa into a tight hug, which she returned with the same intensity.

"Promise you'll at least think about it?" asked Lara.

Mikasa sighed. Then, she replied:

"I promise," she squeezed Lara even tighter in their embrace, letting a tear fall down, "Thank you so much for coming here to talk to me."

♦♦♦

Hange, Levi, and Lara were standing at the doorway of Tiny-Human-Bean's bedroom, contemplating the wall with the painting that its sister had done. Levi leaned on a crutch. By that time, he had already removed all the stitches from his face, being able to speak normally. However, he was left with big scars all over the right side of his face. But in Lara and Hange's opinion, he was looking stylish.

"Mom..." said Lara, feeling a lump in her throat, "I promise that in Italy, I'll do a painting even more beautiful..."

Hange let a tear go down her cheek, stroking her belly. Tiny-Human-Bean gave a quite sad kick.

Lara turned to Levi.

"Dad..." she hugged him, surprising him, "Thank you so much for buying this house for our family. It was the best present in the world. I was very happy here."

Levi felt his jaw tremble and his eyes water. Hange turned and joined the hug. The three of them allowed themselves to cry a little, very quietly. Then, Armin appeared behind them.

"Let's go? The carriage is already waiting for us."

They nodded and slowly walked towards the front door. Levi was helped by Armin. Before leaving, each of them took one last look at the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The furniture would be left to the new homebuyers, since they would live in temporary homes in Italy until they could fully settle down.

With tears in their eyes, the four of them walked out the door. Lara and Armin helped Hange and Levi into the carriage that would take them to the port. The sun had not yet risen and a cold, serene temperature hung in the air. All their belongings had already been taken by another carriage to the port. The ship would leave at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Lara and Armin went up to the porch, meeting the realtor, who was already waiting for them there to get the house key. Standing by the still-open front door, Lara and Armin gazed into the kitchen in the distance, a place where they had spent a lot of time together and had fun. They also looked at the living room, right at the spot where Armin had proposed to Lara in marriage. They felt great heaviness in their hearts. Together they took the doorknob and closed it. Lara locked it and, with a tightness in her chest, handed the keys to the realtor, who thanked her.

With their fingers entwined, Armin and Lara went down the stairs and got into the carriage. They began to go, with the coachman guiding the horses' reins. There was a small window at the back of the carriage, which Hange, Levi, Lara, and Armin joined their heads, so they could catch one last glimpse of the place that brought them so much happiness and wonderful moments together.

Just as it was in the old, original brochure, which Levi still kept, the sun slowly began to rise behind the house, leaving it with that wonderful, cozy feeling of the countryside. They all sighed and couldn't hold back a tear from falling down their eyes.

Goodbye, Paradis.

♦♦♦

It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon when they arrived at the port, already feeling quite exhausted from the journey they had made there. You could see some places a little devastated by the waves of the small tsunami here and there. Lara helped her mother out of the carriage, while Armin carried Levi to the wheelchair. They started to walk up the ramp that led to the ship.

Immediately, they found Sasha, Niccolo, Connie, and Jean with their families, already on deck. They hugged each other, happy that everything had worked out so far. Soon, Onyankopon popped up through one of the deck doors, welcoming everyone and saying that the ship would set sail soon. Lara and Armin could hardly believe it when they spotted, in a corner of the deck, none other than Dr. Wilson with his wife. They hugged warmly, with Wilson claiming that he could finally take the retirement he so longed for.

Lara and Armin directed Hange and Levi to the cabin where the four of them would sleep during the travel days, and they immediately laid them on the beds, telling them to rest, as it would be a long and very tiring trip.

Armin and Lara went back to the deck and formed a circle with Sasha, Niccolo, Connie, and Jean. In the distance, four children were playing tag, who were Sasha's adopted siblings.

They chatted with excitement, making assumptions about what Italy would be like, in terms of environment, food, entertainment, buildings, etc. At one point, when Niccolo was pondering with Sasha and Connie whether Italy was a good place to open a restaurant, Jean pulled Lara and Armin aside, looking quite anxious.

"Where's Mikasa?!" he asked, almost in a whisper, anguished. "Did you guys manage to talk to her?"

Armin and Lara looked nervously at each other.

"Yes, we did..." confirmed Lara, rubbing her hands together and looking around, "Mikasa told us she would think about it."

Jean ran his hands over his face, very distressed.

"Wh-What if she doesn't come?!" he exclaimed, his eyes red.

Armin felt a heaviness in his heart, but he squeezed his friend's shoulder.

"Stay calm," he said, trying himself to stay calm, "Th-There's still a few minutes left before we set sail."

As if to confirm what he said, one of the sailors shouted:

"WE'RE LEAVING IN FIVE MINUTES!"

Jean, Armin, and Lara looked at each other feeling tense.

"E-Excuse me, sir!" Lara called the sailor, "Please, can't we wait a few more minutes? I-It's just that we have a friend, whom I believe must be arriving and--"

"Sorry, miss," he replied, while holding a clipboard, "But we gotta pick up passengers in other ports as well. We can't be late for even a minute."

Feeling awkward, Lara thanked him. Jean rubbed his hands together in nervousness. The three of them headed to the ship's railing, looking out to the port, inspecting every corner, to see if they could find a lost Mikasa somewhere.

"LAST MINUTE TO GET ON BOARD!"

They turned their heads in alarm.

"Already?!" asked Armin with wide eyes.

They watched a few more people board the ship, each heading towards their cabin. Then, to their complete desperation, some sailors from the port began to remove the ramp that gave access to the ship.

"No!" exclaimed Jean, waving at them, his voice in extreme agony, "Please! Just wait for a little long--"

Before he could finish his words, they heard a voice behind the sailors shout:

"WAIT! I HAVEN'T GOT ON BOARD YET!"

Lara and Armin opened their mouths, completely stunned. Jean almost passed out.

That voice belonged to Mikasa.

She was running towards the ship, holding a single suitcase.

A little grumpy from the extra work, the sailors put the ramp back so the young lady could go up. At that same instant, Jean practically jumped off the ship, running towards her.

They stopped in the middle of the ramp, facing each other.

"Mikasa..." he said, panting, almost whispering, "Y-You came..."

She gave him a shy smile and Jean gazed at her for a few seconds.

"Hey, mister and miss!" said one of the sailors, "We need to set sail, we're in the nick of time! Please, get on board soon."

As if he had just come out of a trance, Jean shook his head and smiled, replying they would go up immediately. He kindly offered to take Mikasa's suitcase, who, a bit reluctantly, gave in.

When they both reached the deck, Lara and Armin practically jumped on her neck, celebrating that she had really come. Sasha, Niccolo, and Connie went to see what all that fuss was about, but got delighted to see that Mikasa was the reason for such joy. Jean seemed to be in heaven.

"I cannot believe you came!" exclaimed Lara, hugging her friend, "I'm so happy!"

Mikasa returned the hug fondly. As they drew apart, Lara looked at her friend and felt something strange. It looked like there was something missing. When Lara took a good look, she noticed that Mikasa wasn't wearing the scarf.

"Huh?" asked Lara, confused, "Where's your--"

"Scarf?" completed Mikasa, rubbing her own neck, with a somewhat contemplative face. "It's not coming to Italy with us."

Everyone's eyes widened, pretty surprised. Mikasa blushed a little, noticing all eyes on her. She then took Lara's hands, squeezing them affectionately. Giving a little smile, she said:

"The 'old Mikasa' was left behind."