The sea of stars above them had Iris at awe. She stood at the top of the barrack's roof with her father, close to the stars. She sat down on the roof and laid down. Her eyes fixed on the beautiful sight.
"So, how many stars are there?" Levi asked as he sat down beside her.
"It's too many to count." Iris said.
"Then you better start counting."
Iris chuckled and counted the stars in her mind.
Levi watched as his daughter mumbled the numbers of the stars she counted. He remembered the first time the girl saw the stars, it was when Isabel dragged him and Maria to the spot where they set the bird free. Iris was only about five years old then, and he could never forget her smile, and how she clung to Isabel.
"Done counting?" Levi asked.
"I lost count." Iris chuckled. "Any reason why you brought me here?"
"So, I wouldn't find you climbing HQ walls like a fucking thief..."
"Oh..." Iris chuckled.
"How are you, Iris?"
Iris turned to her father, confused.
"Fine..."
"The First King still talking in your head?" He knocked his knuckles on her head.
"Yeah... don't worry, it's nothing that I can't handle..."
"I can't really stop worrying... it's part of the job description of being a parent."
Iris chuckled.
"That's good to hear... but, it's a small price to pay for humanity... we all need to sacrifice something, right?"
We all must make our sacrifices.
"Be honest... if you had a choice to give that power to someone, would you?" Levi asked.
"You know I can't, I'm the only one who has the ability to take the Founding Titan without being influenced by the First King's ideology –"
"Don't think about that... if you could, would you?"
"I guess... it would be nice to have your head for yourself again, you know..." Iris shrugged. "I mean, before, I liked the idea of silence since I get to think... now, I don't really enjoy the silence, I like it when people talk around me so I wouldn't be able to hear the King."
"I see..."
Iris noticed her father's fists, they were shaking. She sat up to look at him, but he kept his gaze at the horizon. She placed her hand on his fist, catching his attention.
"When I was captured by Randal Reed, I had a dream..." Iris began.
"What is it?"
"That we live in a nice house at Wall Rose, just by the Kirschs. Isabel and Farlan were there... Mom's there too. Ever since then, I've been wondering if we could ever be that... sure Isabel and Farlan are... but... do you think we could be like that with Mom?"
"I promised you, didn't I? We'll find your Mother..."
"But... even if that happens, I doubt that we could get that peace."
Levi suddenly felt Iris' hands tremble, he turned to her and saw something he haven't seen in his daughter's eyes. Fear.
She's not Mom anymore... Iris thought.
"If you had a chance to go back to how things were... would you?" Iris asked.
Levi sighed.
"Someone told me to never regret the decisions I made, because if I did then it would affect my future decisions... I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but Iris, I don't regret anything... we might have lost so many people, the people we love, we have changed... but I don't regret taking that job on killing Erwin, and I don't regret not killing him... the only thing is, I will forever carry the pain of losing two of my best friends, and the pain of knowing that you and your mother suffered in that rat-hole because I wasn't there... and the pain of not being able to do anything now that you're suffering... that you are pressured to do something that you don't want." He muttered the last part.
Iris was confused to what he meant at the last part.
"But I'm trying to fix things, Iris, I really am." Levi said.
"Dad... I want to tell you something..." Iris said. "I'm scared."
"About what?"
"I'm scared about the mission in two days. I'm scared that we'll fail – that I'll fail. I'm scared that they'll die, I'm scared of losing them, I'm scared of losing you... I don't want to fail, I don't want to be the cause of many deaths... but I can't help but feel that I won't be able to do anything to prevent that..." Iris' breath was shaky.
"You won't fail." Levi said. "You and Eren have been working hard –"
"But I don't have Eren's armor –"
"It doesn't matter, what does is that you will fight with everything you got... you've been showing progress for the past few experiments, use that. Use what you learned and adapt. Keep fighting. You've been fighting since the very beginning, why stop now?" He held her by her shoulders. "Has becoming a princess made you soft?" Levi teased. "From what I remember, my daughter is the strongest person I know... she's a warrior."
Iris smiled.
"Thanks Dad."
Levi pulled her to his body and lets her head rest on his shoulder.
"I want to tell you something... people are always drunk on something... may it be their vices, their dreams, their children, family, power, it's what keeps them going in this life..." Levi said. "If you have dreams, hold on to them, and just keep living. And if you finally got that dream, find another one. Just keep living. Fight to live, Iris."
"Who told you that?"
"Kenny Ackerman."
"Wait... Kenny Ackerman?" Iris turned to her.
Levi nodded.
"As it turns out, Kenny was my mother's brother..."
"You never really told me anything about your Mother or Kenny..." Iris said. "All I know is the crazy side of my family..."
Levi smiled.
"My mother – your grandmother's name is Kuchel Ackerman. She was a prostitute in the Underground City... I never knew my father, so I guess he's just one of those who..." he frowned at the memory of his mother working in the brothel, their lives then. "She was a caring woman, loving... she would put up with the assholes who would use her just to feed us... she never showed her scars or her tears to me... but I always saw... one day, she got sick... that eventually, she died... Kenny Ackerman suddenly came to our home, he didn't tell me who he was or who he was my Mom, all he said was that his name was 'Kenny'... he raised me, taught me how to fight, how to socialize, how to survive... we never talked that much, that's why I never knew who he was... one day, he suddenly left, abandoning me... I only found out that he was my mother's brother was when he told me before he died."
"Did he tell you why he left?"
"Said that he wasn't ready to be some kid's dad... let alone be a grandfather." Levi let out a breathy chuckle.
Iris smiled.
"It's nice to know that I have a grandparent that's not crazy..." Iris sighed.
"I can't really say that Kenny isn't –"
"I'm talking about my grandmother... I would've wanted to meet her."
"She would've wanted to meet you too." Levi placed his hand on her head. "And I'm sure she would have been proud of you..."
As the father and daughter stayed in their comforting silence, Levi couldn't help but remember Erwin's words. You know that Iris is important to humanity – her bloodline is important. She is the only one immune the Founding Titan's memory alteration and holds humanity's history. It is important that she has a successor. He knew what the man meant, he knew how important Iris was to humanity, but a part of him, as a father, he just can't put that burden on her, on his daughter.
"Iris, tell me..." Levi spoke. "If you were told to do something you don't want for the sake of the Eldians, would you do it?"
"If it's for the survival of our people, then yes." Iris said.
"Without hesitation?"
"It's not like I have a choice, right?" Iris said, frowning.
Levi brought his daughter to an embrace, confusing Iris by his actions. He buried his face on her shoulder, he caressed hair.
"I love you, alright?" Levi said. "No matter what happens, always know that I love you."
Iris wrapped her arms around her father.
"I love you, Papa."
~*~
In the deep forest, a Titan sat leaning on one of the biggest trees. The other Titans heeded no interest in it as it was night. Not long, steam came out of the Titan's nape, and came out a man. With his ODM Gear, he climbed the trees, up to the very top, to keep himself away from Titan reach. He wiped away the sweat he had on his forehead and panted.
He looked up at the night sky.
I barely escaped that one... he thought. No, I barely escaped when that bitch destroyed the church... where are you, Maria? You owe me a life...
His mind went back to the time when Maria was injected with Titan Serum.
It wasn't supposed to end like that...
His mind replayed what happened to their sister, Teresa, Maria's predecessor, the supposed Queen of their revolution. How Teresa ran to their sister, sacrificing herself to give their sister a chance to see her family – her child and lover. How Maria ate her without a care, and not once did Maria shed a tear when she found out about it.
The Scouts will come by this way on their mission to Shinganshina... I'll kill them then. Levi and Iris.
~*~
Just before sunset, the Scouts have started the lifts carrying the horses and supplies to the other side of Trosts. Before they left, Erwin and the other Section Commanders, and Lance Corporal were called by Zachary to be seen off and wish good luck for their mission.
Iris waited for her turn at the lift, just as she got her horse, herself, as well as Leon, Jean and their own horses on the lift, a sudden call caught her attention.
"IRIS! LEON!"
"Sofia?" the two said.
Running towards the was Sofia, she tackled the two of them to a hug.
"Good luck!" Sofia said.
"Don't worry, Sofia, we will." Leon said.
"We will." Iris said. "And when we get back, Wall Maria is ours again."
Sofia nodded. After their hug, Sofia placed a kiss on Sofia's cheek, but when it came to Leon, she grabbed Leon by his collar and pulled him down to her height and kissed him at the lips.
Iris and Jean watched in full shock, and were blushing at how awkward it was to be there as Leon was kissed by Sofia, while Leon was blushing madly and had eyes wide open out of shock as Sofia kissed him. Sofia broke the kiss just as the lift sudden to move.
"Sofia?" Leon said.
Sofia smiled.
"YOU BETTER COME BACK!" Sofia yelled. "I LOVE YOU GUYS!"
"WAIT... SOFIA..." Leon stuttered.
"I LOVE YOU, LEON!" Sofia yelled.
"At least someone got a kiss from a beautiful girl." Jean muttered. "Too bad stable-boy isn't here to give you one, huh." He teased Iris.
Iris rolled her eyes.
"IRIS, GOODLUCK!"
The child's voice rang from the crowd. Iris looked down and saw Firo carrying Mina in his arms, he and Mina, and as well as Milo and Vino had smiles on their faces. When she met Firo's eyes, the young man simply smiled, he raised his hand and waved at her. Iris smiled and waved back.
They finally reached the top of the Wall, and not long, every one of the Scouts were at the top, and their horses at the other side. Cheers and words of encouragement and thanks came from the people of Trost. Iris smiled at the sound of their voices.
"Hey, I think Leon's broken." Sasha spoke.
Iris turned and saw Leon still blushing and stuttering. She elbowed him at the stomach.
"Knock it off." Iris said.
"She... she... she..."
"I'm not surprised, really." Iris said. "This is the first time I heard the Scouts being send off like this."
Jean, Connie, Sasha and Leon grinned.
"YEAH, YOU CAN COUNT ON US!" They yelled.
The sudden roar of Erwin made Iris jump, she turned to the man and saw him grinning as he roared with his fist in the air. The people at the ground copied his movement, giving more support to the Scouts. He suddenly got out his sword and pointed it at Wall Maria.
"THE OPERATION TO RECLAIM WALL MARIA HAS BEGUN!"
"Someone's pumped." Iris muttered.
Once they were all at the other side of Trost, Erwin took his place at the very front. While Levi a few horses behind him, and beside Levi was Iris, and his other side was Eren.
"SCOUTS, MOVE OUT!"
~*~
Standing at the inner Walls of Shinganshina, Reiner and Bertholdt waited for their enemies. Unknowing to them, hiding in the shadows, a hooded figure watched them. This could be her chance... just as she were to bite her hand, a headache came.
They never should have existed in the first place. I will accept the responsibility of righting this wrong. Only... until the day that this retribution comes, I want to live inside the Walls... I want to enjoy this brief paradise, this world without conflict... this is what I will pass on to you, my child...
She clutched her head, knowing that she couldn't do anything about it.
This is the retribution... I'm sorry, Levi...