Hange's Executioner from hell, which had been working tirelessly to eliminate titans since its creation, fell still soon after the first snowfall of the season.
When titan sightings remained at zero once winter melted into spring, the Scouts decided it was time for their final expedition outside the walls; which meant it was finally time to see the sea.
With the formal announcement that Wall Maria was free from titans circulating the walls, original refugees from Maria left Wall Rose to begin revitalising their homes. Roads were re-paved, farmland toiled and houses in the early stages of recovery.
Six years after the titans invaded Wall Maria, and one year since the battle for Trost, the remaining Scout Regiment led by Commander Hange Zöe resumed their exploration of outside the walls.
It was clear, as they traversed the rolling hills with ease, that all the titans outside the walls had gone inside Wall Maria six years ago, meaning there was a high chance their expedition would be titan free.
Leah hadn't felt this free in a long time. The exhilaration of cantering on horseback in the soothing spring sun, a fresh breeze tickling her skin, without the fear of titans and the promise of a vast 'sea' ahead, made Leah feel as if she was on cloud nine.
She stood in her stirrups, closed her eyes and raised her arms in the air and let out a long and genuine cheer. When she fell back down onto her saddle a giddy laugh bubbled from her as her eyes crinkled in joy.
Birds soared over head, chirping and screeching at the sight of these brave soldiers. A significant chunk into their journey, a flare finally shot into the air up ahead, painting the sky a vibrant crimson.
"A titan!" Jean gasped from beside Leah.
"So one actually showed up?" Connie's voice conveyed his utter surprise. Leah furrowed her brow. "Seems so. Let's go check it out."
The titan was something to be pitied. With a body far too big for its tiny limbs, it seemed to have crawled this far on its belly. The trail of distrupted land behind it showed its progress to be slow; with parts of the soil with signs of life growing again in the form of saplings sprouting from the ground.
"Poor bastard." Leah sighed, patting a hand to its bony ribcage. "Who knows how long he's been dragging himself along."
With a now obvious trail to follow, the Scouts pushed on, dying to discover where these titans were originating from. When plains became mountains, which eventually became desert, they knew they were close.
In the distance, blurred by a mirage, stood a man-made stone wall. It was nowhere near as grand at the walls the Scouts were used to, but still tall enough to leave you safely out of reach of your average 15 meter class titan.
The Corps rode along the perimeter, looking for an obvious way past or a top. Once they'd reached the opposite end of the wall, a path became clear. A sandy slope which rose to the height of the wall offered a manageable route past.
As the horses slowly pushed forward up the hill, the Scouts emerged from the shadows of the wall and on to a sunlit peak. From the grass covered cliff they looked out upon an endless expanse of water which rippled and swelled like no lake Leah had ever seen.
"The sea." She breathed, completely starstruck. "Wow."
The water danced between a deep indigo and a clear cobalt, with parts even tinged a colour similar to Leah's irises. It was breath-taking. The Captain could imagine herself looking out on this view everyday for the rest of her life and never getting sick of it.
In the back of her mind she could hear Erwin's voice. You did it. You found the sea. You found the secret behind the titans. Thank you, Leah.
Saline tears, swam in her eyes as the sight became too beautiful to handle. The immense pride, accomplishment and delight drowned Leah's worries and led to her tugging on her horse's reins and steering down the side of the cliff.
Excitement brimmed within her as her boots sunk into a thin strip of sand separating the cliff wall and the sea. She worked in a craze to undo the laces of her boots, pull off her socks and roll up the legs of her trousers. Lastly her cape floated down to the sand as she unclipped it and pushed up her sleeves.
Scouts copied her, feeding off their Captain's jubilation and fearlessness. Without a doubt in her mind, Leah charged towards the water, Hange prancing next to her.
When her feet met the foaming edge of the sea, a chill ran through her body and Leah let out an elated titter. She continued forward, letting the waves of water lap at her legs and splash up around her with ever step.
"Woohoohooooo! Wow- is this actually full of salt water?" Hange screamed out, taking a handful of the water and throwing it into the air to allow it to rain down on them. Leah's face scrunched as a droplet of the water seeped between her lips and the brine-y taste filled her mouth.
"Bleugh- yes, definitely."
Hange and Leah looked at each other seriously for a second before bursting into a fit of laughter and throwing their arms around each other to dance in the water.
"Hey, idiots. Be careful. You don't know what could be swimming in there." Levi droned from dry land. Hange glanced back at him, still dancing carelessly with Leah.
"Oh, Levi. Don't be such a bore! Have some fun for once."
"Yeah, come on, Levi!" Leah called out, stopping her lunatic movements to give him an encouraging wave.
Levi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest, clicking his tongue dismissively. The Captain and Commander shared a look for a second before charging out the water and towards the ravenette.
"No, no, no, no- don't even think about it." He started backing away, noticing the insane look in the pair's eyes. He held out his arms to try and deter them but in a joint effort, Leah and Hange hauled him into their arms and started sprinting back toward the ocean.
He writhed in their grasp, kicking and thrashing his arms. "Don't you- dare! Put me down-"
Their laughter drowned his begs and on reaching the water the three of them plunged in, soaking themselves from head to toe.
When Leah re-emerged from beneath the surface of the sea, her shirt clung to her body and she coughed up a mouthful of water, her splutters quickly transforming into gasping laughs.
She smoothed back her sodden hair one hand before throwing both her arms around her friends' shoulders and hugging them close on either side of her. Levi let out a half-supressed laugh, wiping the water from his face his hand.
"Idiots." He chuckled, shaking his head as he gazed at Hange and Leah.
(1182 words)
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A/N: hiiiii sorry I know this is a really short chapter, but I didn't want to drag on season 3 any longer lol. Now its time get to the fun stuff. S4 is gonna be intense - tho I'm not 100% sure what direction I'm going to take yet. Anyway, drop your socks and grab your crocs cos this is gonna be a bumpy ride. Idk... that doesn't make sense. I'm tired. Night favs <3