𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄 , eren jaeger

xiv. the final expedition

   "I don't want to die. But everybody I've known was all the same. Drinking... women... worshipping God... family... the King... dreams... children... power. Everybody had to be drunk on somethin' to keep pushing on. Everyone was a slave to somethin'," Kenny wheezed a little, finding it more and more difficult to speak. "I didn't get it. Not until I met Rosaline Boudreaux. So, I married her. I married her, and then we had two kids. One of 'em died, and one of 'em is right here. I suppose I found my purpose... that's why I'm content with dying. I didn't want to die without a purpose. A meaningless, sad, life. That's all I thought I was destined for."

A purpose. Just as Margot had said to Eren all those months ago when they were still civil with one another, she was happy - in a way. That after all this time, she still had family left. Her only hope now was that after all this was over, she would still have those people she held so dear to her left. She felt that she needed to assist in that - to aid her own purpose. Keeping people alive.

She had always struggled to come to that conclusion. When she had become a scout, she believed her purpose was to protect everyone and everything. When she found out she was a witch, that become conflicted. She realised she was not loved by the people she was trying to protect - the Eldians. Nor was she loved by the Marleyans or the rest of the world, for both her Lyrian and Eldian heritage. But Margot now just wanted to protect those close to her, as selfish as it sounded. She wanted to keep them alive or comfort them in their final moments. Just as she had done for countless others.

   "I have found my purpose," Margot finally spoke.

The commotion from just outside the room was the only thing that stopped the argument from going any further. Sparing Acantha one last glance, Margot hurried out to see what was going on.

They couldn't have looked more suspicious, huddled together talking in hushed whispers right outside her door. Gabi, Annie and Falco. They only noticed Margot was there once she cleared her throat.

   "What're you doing?" Margot asked, arms folded. Falco's mouth opened and closed as he tried to answer but failed to find the right words with the older girl's grey eyes staring at him. She eased up, realising that she could be intimidating at times.

   "Well," Falco finally spoke, looking over at Annie and Gabi. "We..."

   "We want to help the others!" Gabi says, interrupting Falco. "We can't just sit here, we want to help!"

Trust Gabi to just get on and say it, Margot thought with a bit of amusement. Nodding slowly, she then turned to Annie, who had yet to say anything.

   "And you, Annie?" Annie seemed to turn sheepish, probably not comfortable talking to Margot after their last conversation. Margot had basically confessed to hating her. But the situation at hand was more important than how they felt about each other.

   "I want to help," Annie said, nodding to affirm her words.

Margot's hands joined behind her back, fidgeting, the bottle of blood still in her hand. Acantha, who was stood behind Margot, could see this and knew the girl's mind was working overtime. Acantha knew there was little more convincing she could do - Margot would not abandon the Scouts.

   "Let me say bye to the twins," Margot said after a few moments of silence, turning to the bedroom she had just come out of. Acantha stood in her way, a desperate look in her eyes.

   "Margot-"

   "I can't just sit by while everyone else fights, ok? I can't do it." Margot moved past Acantha. "I will return, after having done my duty."

Moving past Acantha, Margot approached the twins who sat on the bed, climbing over each other and babbling. Hesitating by the door, she wrung her wrist with her free hand, unable to take her eyes off the two babies. Toddlers, more like. She still found it difficult to process that the twins were her own, given it wasn't the path she ever thought she would go down. She also couldn't get rid of the nagging voice in her head telling her that she wasn't really fit to be a mother. Even as she picked up the twins after placing the bottle of blood securely in her shirt, that feeling didn't go away.