Running. I've been running most of my life. Running away. Running to save. Running to protect. Now I was running out of my office and to my room, to pack a bag to be by my brother's side.
Erwin is now in the infirmary at Scouts HQ and he was missing an arm. At least that's what Commander Pixis said over the phone. As I ran, I mind linked Jay to tell him what happened to our dumbass of a brother. He created a portal to his room and began packing. Neither of us cared how our bags looked or how neatly they were packed. We just focused on getting to Erwin as fast as possible.
Sebastian stood in the closet next to me folding my clothes at rapid speed, while I threw them at him.
Mya: "What if he's dying and I don't get there in time? What if he's bleeding out and the infirmary is not equipped to handle it and they don't have his blood type or something?," I babbled on, frantically as I threw mix-matched clothes, shoes and other items to wear at the helpless butler who was folding as fast as he could. The last thing I threw into the bag of unruly items was the grayish blue blanket Erwin got me to calm me down. Today I'd need it more than ever.
Less than 30 minutes had gone by since the call about Erwin and I was still panicking. I never specifically told Sebastian what had happened to the blonde prince but I think he understood well enough. Sebastian placed his hands on my shoulders as I frantically changed clothes. He unbuttoned my messy shirt and tucked it into my suit pants, then grabbed my red bottomed heels to put on my feet. He helped me into my blazer and then topped my head with a wide brimmed black felt hat.
Sebastian: "The prince will be just fine, your highness. His majesty is a strong one, he'll be ok," he reassured as I hyperventilated while he calmly put my glittering silver fringe earrings on. He moved his skillful hands and fixed my makeup before whispering again, "He'll be ok. It was as though he was reassuring me as well as himself. He'd lost us once before and I don't think he's forgiven himself for failing his duties.
Mya: "I don't know how long I'll be gone but I have a computer on Paradis so send the documents through there and I'll continue my duties while I tend to the idiot armless commander," I told Sebastian as I reached out a shaky hand to grab the large black suitcase of strewn clothes. "If you have time... can you pack a bag of clothes for Erwin and leave it at the penthouse?," I asked softly as I took a deep breath, let it out and walked as fast as I could to Jay. Sebastian nodded and followed behind me as my heels clicked against the black and white marble floors. "Ready?," I asked my twin who looked just as frantic as me.
Jay: "Yeah, I just didn't think we'd be going back there," he whispered as he picked up his bags. I understood where he was coming from. That island held some good times for us but most of it was pain and heartache. Now we'd be going back for more pain.
We said goodbye to Sebastian and left him our request for more clothes, my documents and to let the kingdom know we'd be gone for a while. He received his orders and a hug from the both of us. Letting out my claws, I pushed my power out to the tips and opened a portal into our old penthouse before closing it behind us.
Over the last 4 years the elders as well as our Commanders, finally taught us how to open portals. I took almost a year to learn the skill but after the next 3 years it got easier. Pushing the power to the tips of our obsidian black claws, hurt at first but now it was second nature just like flying.
The portal let us out to the turfed roof top of our apartment building. We rushed to the golden elevator and down to the lobby where we gave the ladies at the desk a small hello before making it to the car garage.
Taking the clinking keys off the rack, I clicked open the trunk to my baby. My 1970's black dodge charger. The glossy black car popped its trunk for me and we threw our suitcases in the back. Already knowing the way, we blasted our music and drove to the Scouts HQ. While driving I called the unknown number and told Pixis to meet us outside the building.
Pixis' POV:
A glossy black car pulled up outside of Headquarters, pumping loud music, and I knew it was the two we'd been waiting for.
Pixis: "That's them," I said to Zackary. His small eyes squinted behind his glasses as the sun shone into his eyes. Covering his eyes with his hand he saw the two get out of the glossy car.
Two people popped out, one man and one woman. The man was tall like Erwin, about 6'5- 6'7, whereas the girl stood in heels about 5'5 to 5'9. She shook her hand and introduced herself as Mya Pacheco, Erwin's sister and the tall one as her twin brother. They looked nothing like Erwin but they did look exactly alike.
Zachary and I walked them into HQ, scanning their every move to make sure they weren't a threat. Her hands shook and her brother took them in his squeezing softly to get her to calm down. Even though her hands shook, her face stood stone-cold, not showing an ounce of worry or panic.
Mya: "Tahw fi eh sah sebut ni mih ekil dad i tnod kniht I dluoc ees taht niage (What if he has tubes in him like dad I don't think I could do that again)," she said. Another language? Strange. Everyone left in these walls speaks the same tongue. I turned to Zackary who noticed just as I did. Now that raises suspicion for us. Nonetheless it was another language, what hard could it do. I noted it down and moved on.
Jay: "od uoy tnaw em ot kool ni tsrif dna neht llet uoy? (Do you want me to look in first and tell you)," he responded. I still didn't know what they said but I knew he'd asked a question to his sister, just by the intonation of his deep voice. She shook her head before responding.
Mya: "taht dow esiar erom noicipsus naht su gniklat ni msinoeph (No that would raise more suspicion than us talking in pheonism.)," She assured him. He nodded and we stopped at the room. She took a deep breath, looked down at the floor and then raised her head. I opened the door and slipped inside along with Zachary, looking at the Commander who had turned to me from looking outside the window.
Erwin: "Hello Commander Pixis and Supreme Commander Zackary," he smiled at me and Zackary as we entered. We both answered his hello with a smile and a curt nod. We took our seats next to the Commander's left side and his family walked in to see him. His eyes went wide and he looked back at us, nervous and curious. "Who told you two?", he asked.
Pixis: "I did," I said to him. "I opened your phone in your office and the last number you'd called was her's so I told her to come see you. We didn't think you'd make it," I told him. His stern face faded; he looked like a child that was going to get scolded.
End of POV
My worry faded as I looked at his body. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only pristine white bandages on his right arm. A white sheet covered his legs and he looked huge in the twin sized bed. I looked around the wooden room. Half of the wall was wooden planks and the other half was that calming grayish blue I loved. Sunlight illuminated the room, making Erwin's crystal blue orbs shine bright and his hair glow like starlight.
Once worried, now I was angry. Angry at him for not staying safe. Angry that he didn't call me first. Angry that I wasn't there to protect him. I was fuming. I walked over to the right of his bedside, clicking my red bottomed heels, and smacked him across the face, leaving a red hand print.
Mya: "I told you if you were going to do this that you had to promise to stay safe. And look at you. You lost a fucking arm!," I yelled at him. The two older men as well as my twin were shocked at my actions. I guess they thought I'd baby him and hug him with tears in my eyes, but no. I'm a hardass and he knows it.
Erwin: "I know. I'm sorry", he said looking down at his left hand as it grasped the sheets. I squished his cheeks in my hand and pulled his face to look at me.
Mya: "Don't you ever do that again," I told him. "You made me panic so much I scared the shit outta Sebastian and you know how he is," I told him and he responded with a laugh. A FUCKING LAUGH. Jay started laughing too and I wanted to kill them both. I held back and knew I'd kick their asses later. I sat down in the chair behind me and pinched the brim of my nose and closed my eyes, shaking my head at their laughter.
Erwin: "I love you", he whispered between laughs. I looked up at his face fuming before noticing his light hearted smile and his eyes filled with joy. I know now that he did this for the good of the people in the walls.
Jay: "Erwin Smith, always the righteous one," he giggled as he sat next to me. "How've you been man? It's been 3 years," Jay said, still smiling as he sat next to me, hands in his pockets.
Erwin: "I've been good. I guess you could say I'm all left," they bursted out laughing. The two older men laughed alongside them and I leaned back in my wooden chair, crossing both arms and legs and shook my head.
Mya: "Now I know you're doing this to vex me," I whispered. They all laughed harder, till tears streamed out of their eyes and down onto their cheeks.
When the laughing died down, I scanned over his body. His pale skin, once flawless, was now covered in dark scars almost the color of my skin. His ribs were bruised and he had a fractured collar bone along with a missing arm but otherwise he seemed fine. Knowing I could heal him, I stopped worrying altogether.
The five of us spoke for a while about their adventures and overall just catching up. The older gentlemen had to leave after an hour to get back to their duties, but we stayed.
Erwin: "I can assure you I'm fine Mya. Both of you go home," he insisted.
Jay: "Not a chance. We told you to be safe and now you're in the hospital with no arm. We're joining the ranks and gonna be with you 24/7 little dude," I nodded along to Jay's words. Of course blondie tried to protest but we made it known we were staying. In the middle of our argument the door creaked open.
Erwin: "Ah Levi. It's good to see your leg is healed. Come sit", the man walked in and we locked eyes. That's when I felt it. Pang! Like an arrow had pierced my heart. His eyes were that same grayish blue that calmed me. The same color of Peter's walls and Erwins blanket. My heart stopped and started again. Life flowed through me and that's when I knew. It was HIM. The man I'd waited my entire 24 years for...was him. He was my eternal love.
Scenes flashed before my eyes. A Soldier and his wife. A merchant and his lover. A doe and a stag. A musician and his muse. An artist and his work of art. A Queen and King. All our lives came flooding back to us in that one single moment. It felt like an eternity looking into his grayish blue eyes. The eyes I knew would calm me. The eyes I knew would set me free from my pain and torment. The eyes colored like stormy rain. Those eyes. Oh, those eyes. Even now, never before meeting him, I knew, just knew they'd calm my heart, mind, body, and soul. He was mine. All mine.
Levi's POV:
Following Erwin's offer, I walked into the room, fully ready to sit next to him and update him on what has been going on the past few days while he was our cold. However, I noticed two other people in the room. The first on was a man with dark brownish red hair and the same-colored eyes. His skin was tan like caramel and he was in a raven suit with a white button down and dress shows. He wasn't the one that captured my attention.
Next to him was a woman in all black. Black heels, black suit, black hat, black everything. Se looked at me, scanning me before our eyes locked. Her eyes were brown with flecks of red. Her hair was done up in perfect curls the same color as her eyes. But when I looked into her eyes a pang hit my heart and I saw images. Images of what I still don't know, but I assumed it was lives. The life of black cat. The life of two love birds. Lives of men and women in different clothes, which indicated the decades. Some in Victorian clothes and some in tunics and loin clothes.
The first "life" I saw was a woman with fiery red hair and eyes, with wings looming over her back. Her tanned skin glistening in the sunlight and her hands on the sides of my face. "Your name is Michaelis and you will help me create a world fit for kings and queens," she said. She was Beautiful, so I followed her but then some how I was unfaithful. How could anyone leave her for someone else? That life ended with me and a blonde woman dying in our beds.
The last "life" I saw before I snapped back to reality was the life of a Viking. I had red curly hair with braids framing my face, a beard thicker than the hair on my head and eyes the color of the sea. I was fighting in some sort of battle. My axe came down like the fist of judgment. A woman and eye locked eyes and with a small smile she whispered in a thick accent, "Till the ends of the earth, my love. Should we die here and now I'll find you in the next life." We fought for hours side by side until she met her demise. An arrow through the heart. I carried her lifeless body back to what I assume was our house. Laying her on the bed I drank a vile of green liquid and laid beside her. "Till the ends of the earth, my love," I whispered to her as I wrapped my thick bloodied fingers in her fiery red curls. The last thing I saw was her peaceful face as I died. Then I woke up crying, while a woman held me. "It's ok Levi. I've got you", she said. It was my mother.
That's as far as I got before she snapped her eyes away from me. She looked down at her lap and never raised her eyes to look at me. I didn't hear her voice until she told Erwin she was going to go catch Zackary to get her and the other man into the rank.
Levi: "I'll be right back. I forgot the file I was supposed to bring you," I lied before running after her. "Wait! You felt it too!," I yelled to her as her heels clicked down the wooden hallway. She stopped, not facing me, and never looking back at me. "You know what that was...Tell me," I asked begged her; wanting, no needing, to know who she was, what that was and why it that strange thing happened. I need to know why my heart now beats for her.
END OF POV
His deep voice called to me as I walked down the hall. I stopped in the center of the hallway, not know what to do. Should I tell him? Should I not? I just met him. I don't know him at all and yet I want him to be mine. Like a child with a crush, I blushed thinking of what would come should I tell him or if I should not.
Mya: "I can't explain it... At least not without you thinking I'm insane," I said softly as I turned my head to the side, looking over my shoulder but not showing him my full face.
Levi: "I just saw probably 100 lifetimes...I think? If your explanation is crazier than that I don't know what I'm gonna do," he scoffed, walking towards me slowly. He walked in front of me and tilted my chin to look at him. My nervousness faded away as I looked into those eyes. I've known this man for less than five minutes, and yet he's already calming my nerves. "Tell me what the fuck that was," he demanded as he looked sternly into my eyes.
Mya: "How about this? You're a Captain right? So how about I meet you in your office after I finish what I need to do with the Supreme Commander Zackary?," I said as I pulled back from his hand and examined his face trying to read his thoughts.
His eyes told me a story of pain but on the surface, confusion from what he'd just seen and felt. His face older than he was. He looked about 30ish but reading his mind told me he was 25. Just a year older than me. I never went deep enough to see what had happened in his life, that I wanted him to tell me when and if he trusted me enough. In the front of his mind, I could see that he was doing the same thing I was doing to him. He was scanning my features trying to assume about my life. He thought I just had a rough up bringing but no it was deeper than that.
Mya: "Um hello," I whispered as he zoned out.
Levi: "Oh um...yeah sure," he said with a straight face. His face was stern, just like mine but I could tell whatever he'd seen was cracking his resolve.
Mya: "How's 8'o clock?," suggested seeing as it I knew Erwin was usually done with his papers at 6ish, since that's when he'd call.
Levi: "That's fine," he said and began walking down the hall towards what I assumed was his office. "One more thing...," he said turning around as he continued to walk backwards down the hallway, "What's your name?"
Mya: "What do you think it is?," I asked now teasing him as I followed down the hall.
Levi: "I heard the names Astella, Lisa, Erin, Isabella, Diya, Yuri, and Zuri, just to name a few... But I can almost guarantee none of those are yours", he smirked with a sort of teasing demeaner.
Mya: "It's Mya," I said giving him a genuine smile and leaving him to walk to my car. That was the first smile I've given anyone since before dad died. I have no idea why but I told him my real name. Normally on Paradis, I'd say Ezra but with him, I didn't want to immediately lie.
---
JAY'S POV
4 hours later Mya came back into the room to find Erwin and I sitting on the hospital bed with a bottle of whiskey.
Mya: "Great! What are we gonna tell them now? His fucking arm grew back," she yelled at us as we laughed.
Erwin: "I got tired of going to the bathroom and using my left hand so I undid the stitches and grew it back. *hiccup* Perks of being a Pheonix," he smiled as he opened and closed his hand to show it was fully working.
Mya: "What the fuck am I gonna do with you two?," she said as she sat next to us taking the bottle and chugging the rest. "There now you can't get drunk anymore," she said as we yelled at her to not chug the rest.
Jay: "NooooOOooo! That was the good stuff!," I whined as Erwin groaned into the pillow.
Mya: "Sober the fuck up! Both of you! Because of your lazy ass, now we have to come up with a plan to fake them out about your fucking arm," she sighed. I listened to her, too afraid of her getting mad, and rose my body temperature to burn off the alcohol. Erwin did the same, changing from his usually flirty drunken state to his normal, commanding one.
Erwin: "Ok, yeah bad discission about the arm cause, I usually have a plan about faking people out and I really don't... At least not right now", he grumbled.
Jay: "Tell what happened when you went to see Zachary," I encouraged as I felt my body temperature return to its normal temp of 150 degrees.
Mya: "I told him that we were the Leon's and he called me a lying asshole, then he laughed. So, I showed him. I showed him everything, cause I got a little mad that he laughed and called me a lying asshole," she said covering her face and groaning.
Jay: "So, he knows what we are and what our whole story is?", I confirmed with him as I sat there in shock.
Erwin: "What the fuck else do you think 'telling him everything' means idiot," he said matter-of-factly as he smacked the back of my head.
END OF POV
Mya: "I know. I know. I shouldn't have but... he just made me so fucking pissed off that I-I snapped", I sighed as I leaned forward putting my arms on my legs and hunching over, with my hands covering my face.
Erwin: "Fuck! You know you just jeopardized my position? I've always protected you and stood by your side and you just...," he huffed and paced the room.
Mya: "He fucking laughed in my face and told me I was a lying asshole. So, I showed him who I really was. Who we all really are and his high and mighty ass sat in his chair sobbing like a fucking baby. And when he composed himself, do you know what he said? He said 'No wonder Erwin's the best commander the Scouts has ever had.' He fucking praised you for being the best commander and then said as long as you have a plan to use us and our powers to protect these walls, he trusts you," I blurted out as my eyes turned red from anger and then slowly returned to brownish red. Erwin and Jay sat there dumbfounded and stared at me, shocked at what I'd just said. "So, someone tell me what our next move is cause my head hurts too much to think," I groaned and laid back on the bed conjuring a bottle of alcohol and sipping from it, before passing it to Jay, who had his hand open for it.
Erwin: "You both will join the ranks as cadets and serve the Scouts just like everyone else. I'll give you both an office to share but you have to blend in and pretend to be cadets, normal cadets," he emphasized the last two words.
Mya: "I knew you'd have an idea," I smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll follow your orders commander," I playfully saluted him. Jay stood up and followed before Erwin started laughing.
Erwin: "It's weird seeing you both like this. Usually, I'm the one saluting you or following orders from the both of you. But now you're following me. I hope you know I'm gonna take advantage of this?," he laughed.
Jay: "Hey, we trust you and we'll follow you to the ends of the earth, little dude," Jay joked as he ruffed Erwin's hair playfully.
Mya: "Yeah. You've always had the best plans and strategies and both of us are willing to comply with your 'orders'," I smiled. "Just remember... Queen out ranks Commander," we laughed as he all sat back on the bed.
Jay: "So~ what'd the captain have to say after he ran outta the room looking for you?," Jay playfully nudged me. I covered my face with my hands as I flopped back on the bed, smiling like a fool.
Mya: "He's it," I said sighing and staring up at the ceiling.
Erwin & Jay: "NO FUCKING WAY!," they screeched and shook me as I laid on the bed.
Mya: "And I have a sort of date with him in about 30 minutes," I laughed nervously. "Well not really a date more like he wants and explanation for what he saw," I clarified.
Erwin: "What'd you see?," he asked as he smiled at me like a fucking weirdo.
Mya: "We both, saw all the lifetimes we've lived together. From Astella and Michaelis to a Viking and his wife. I think their names, or rather our names, were Einar and Erin," I told them as I blushed while looking outside the window of the Scouts hospital room, looking down and seeing two children playing on the street.
Erwin: "She's blushing," he teased and I covered my face in embarrassment.
Jay: "Our little girl is all grown up," he teased as he wiped fake tears from his eyes and began fake crying.
Mya: "I hate both of you," I laughed as I turned back to them smiling as I looked down at the floor.
Erwin: "I think that's the first time you've smiled since dad passed," he said as he pushed some hair out of my face as I smiled up at him. "I'm glad your eternal is Levi...he's a good man," Erwin said pulling me into a hug as he kissed the top of my head. I wrapped my arms around him before Jay threw himself at us and joined our hug.
Jay: "I'm really happy for you...you deserve to be happy...it's been a while," he smiled as he kissed my forehead and squeezed me tight, almost suffocating me.
Mya: "Thanks," I smiled and relaxed into their embrace, breathing in their calming scents. Both used similar colognes and therefore smelled like smokey, lavender, sage with a hint of mint. I loved it because it calmed when they weren't there with me. I used to spray their cologne on my sweaters when I needed a hug. "Ok, I've gotta go", I laughed and pulled back from their buff arms.
They gave me one last hug before letting me go and meet Levi in his office. Erwin told me exactly where Levi's office was before I left so I had no problem finding his wooden door. Erwin even said that if I got lost I should follow the scent of black tea since he always had a pot steeping.
I found the office and just like Erwin said I smelled black tea. I knocked twice and crossed my fingers hoping that this meeting would go as well as possible and that I wouldn't make a complete fool of myself.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* KNOCK*