Memories

Dear readers,

This chapter is a very special one ♥ I highly recommend if you could read this chapter while listening to the song "Elysium", from Amadea Music Production (available on YouTube and Spotify). Your experience will be much better!

Also, I made a special Audiobook just for this chapter, which is available on this Fanfiction's Instagram fan page (@lara_aot.oc)

I really hope you enjoy it! Thank you ♥

♦♦♦

"BOOM!!!"

Levi heard a deafening rumble, followed by an intense flash. He could see the top of the mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rising from the other side of the Wall, inside Shiganshina District.

He was on top of a roof and felt the whole ground shake under his feet.

In his mind, the image of two women appeared: Hange and Lara.

In his mind's eye, he saw them being thrown to the skies.

In his mind's eye, he saw them, their bodies destroyed, lying on the ground.

In his mind's eye, he saw them, lifeless.

Then, a voice began to speak to him, "They're dead."

Levi felt his stomach churns. He wanted to vomit.

"It's over. You have nothing now."

He felt his hands tingle.

"Stop it..."

"What was the use of you loving that little girl? She's dead now."

Levi now felt his entire body tingle.

"Stop it..."

"What was the use of you loving Hange? Now, she'll never be yours."

Levi felt a great weakness in his legs.

"Please... Stop it..."

"You have no one else left... You're completely alone now."

Levi's vision began to dim.

"There's no one protecting you."

He couldn't feel and see anything else. He was now in complete darkness.

"Daddy?"

Levi opened his eyes. He was lying under the tree where he ate oranges with Lara every day. The sky was incredibly blue and countless white clouds hovered above.

"Dad?" she called, poking him. "Are you awake?"

Confused, Levi looked around and saw Lara lying on the grass beside him.

But, she was smaller. He narrowed his eyes, trying to remember…

Yeah, now he was remembering that day...

They were both lying under the tree, just a few days after that Festival, looking at the clouds. Lara was still very small.

"Daddy," she said, sitting up. Then, she gave a little push on his chest. "Wake up!"

Levi blinked several times. He looked at her, who was watching him from above, confused.

"Baby..." he whispered. Then, he placed his hand on the girl's face. "You're alive..."

"Of course I'm alive," laughed Lara, lying on his chest and hugging him. "You're funny..."

Levi frowned, his mouth slightly open. Even confused, he instinctively hugged Lara tight.

"W-What's going on?" he asked, looking at the top of his daughter's head.

"Aw, dad... We're taking our break, as usual. We've just eaten oranges and now we're looking at the clouds."

"Yes... Yes... You're right..." agreed Levi, slowly, remembering.

Lara laughed.

"I'll tell mommy that you've been a little forgetful… I think she must have some good medicine for you."

"Your... Mother?" he looked to the skies. "Hange...? Where's she?"

On his chest, Lara turned her head to look at Levi.

"In the lab, as always," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Daddy... Are you really okay? Could it be that the orange you ate was spoiled?"

Levi stared at her for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"No... No..." he replied, almost in a whisper. "I'm fine..."

Something in his memory told him they were talking about something important.

"What were you talking about, baby?" he asked. Lara then moved her head, until she was lying on her father's shoulder, while Levi hugged her.

"I was just saying how beautiful He is," said Lara, spreading her arms to the skies.

"He…? asked Levi, confused.

"You do know who I'm talking about, dad," Lara made a face, then looked up at the skies again.

Levi now was also looking at the skies and clouds. A gentle breeze passed them, rustling the leaves on the trees.

"Take a good look, daddy..." Lara's eyes gleamed. "See how He is clothed with splendor and majesty."

Levi felt the breeze pass over their faces.

"See... How He wraps Himself in light as with a garment... See how He stretches out the heavens like a tent."

Levi looked at his daughter, who had a beautiful smile on her face.

"See..." Lara waved her tiny hands in the air, slowly, "How He makes the clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind."

It was happening again. Levi felt his heart burn at hearing those words.

"Can you see it?" Lara turned to him, her big blue eyes shining.

Levi then realized that his vision was blurry, from the tears that wanted to come out of his eyes. He blinked several times and gave a little smile.

Yes... He could see it all...

He stroked Lara's hair and gave her a tender kiss on her forehead.

She snuggled into his neck and heaved a big sigh.

"Daddy?" called Lara, after a long pause, still cradled on his neck.

"Yes?" he replied, still looking at the skies.

"You need to be prepared, and to be strong..."

Levi didn't understand what she meant, so he tried to look at her, but he could only see the top of her brown hair.

"But..." continued Lara, almost in a whisper. "Do not fear... Just like He's with me, He's also with you."

Levi felt his chest swell for a moment and, before he could say anything, he noticed a presence beside him.

"Oh! So here you are!"

Levi looked up and his eyes widened.

It was Hange.

"I came to say 'hello' to you..." she said, walking around to sit next to Lara. Hange was still a little shy from what she had said to Levi at the Festival.

"Mommy," said Lara, looking at her out of the corner of her eyes, "lie down here with us, the day's so pleasant today..."

Hange gave Levi a timid smile, who was still staring at her in amazement.

"Hange..." his voice barely came out. She was there, right beside him. Alive.

She laid on the ground, with Lara still lying on her father's chest, between them.

Lara let out a big sigh of contentment.

"That's what I call a good day!"

Hange laughed and looked shyly at Levi. Then, she realized that he had tears in his eyes, staring deeply at her.

"Levi?" she asked, leaning on her elbow. "Are you okay? Looks like you just saw a ghost."

He looked deeply into Hange's eyes and felt his chin tremble.

"Daddy's weird today, mom..." said Lara, looking from one to the other. "It must have been the oranges..."

"I-I'm sorry..." stammered Levi, shaking his head. "I'm just a little tired…"

Hange gave him a comforting smile and laid down on the grass again.

The three of them stood there, looking at the skies for a while.

Then, silently, Lara lifted her little arms up high, as if she wanted to reach the clouds, moving them slowly.

In the same way, Hange also lifted her arms, until she touched her daughter's hands, and held them tenderly.

Without meaning to, Levi also did the same thing, until he held the little girl's hand.

Then, Lara took the hands of each of her parents and joined them together.

Hange and Levi were startled to see that their hands were now practically intertwined. They heard Lara giggle.

"Yeah... That's how I like it."

Hange and Levi blushed a lot and slowly, Hange began to laugh.

Her laughter infected Lara and then the girls looked at Levi, with big smiles on their faces.

Levi looked deeply from one to the other, wishing he could stop time at that moment, forever.

But suddenly, his vision started to blur and he felt his body tingle. When Levi least expected it, he was in the dark again.

When he opened his eyes, he was back on that roof in Shiganshina, with the smoke from the Colossal Titan's transformation still rising from behind the Wall.

But something was different. He no longer felt his body tingle or weaken. He felt a strange strength rising within his heart.

"There's no point in pretending, Levi," that voice spoke in his mind again. "I've already told you: There's no one protecting you."

Lara's words then echoed in his mind, replacing that other horrible voice: "You need to be prepared, and to be strong... But do not fear... Just like He's with me, He's also with you."

Levi closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"No..." he said, in a low tone. "You're wrong..."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because..." Levi then opened his eyes, determined, "Because that's not what my daughter taught me!"