A/N: Hello, hello, helloooo, guys, how are you? Another one-shot is here for you, this time featuring Sasha and Mikasa...seriously, I think these two make a very good team :) Hope you'll like it and, as always, I am open to any story requests and suggestions you have :)

This story is dedicated to my good friend and fellow-Attack on Titan fan telis, who requested this story :)

This fic contains SPOILERS about the last chapters of the Return in Shiganshina arc, where most revelations about the mystery behind the Titans take place. Also, there's a slight change where Reiner doesn't escape during the battle, but stays with the Scouts.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Attack on Titan universe and characters

"As you know, we are in a very serious position now." Commander Hanji starts tonight's meeting, carefully eyeing the remaining members of the Survey Corps. "We basically came to the brink of ruin in the Battle of Shiganshina and, at the same time, we finally found some answers to the questions troubling us. I know that right now all of you doubt our mission, more or less," she adds quietly, ignoring the ironic scoff Levi leaves beside her. "But you all fought bravely and must be proud of what we have achieved."

Her kind comment is met by an awkward nod by Floch, who, as the newest member of the Scouts, is still in shock and confusion due to everything he has witnessed; at the same time, Eren wraps his arms around Mikasa and Armin, overwhelmed by his gratitude that the three of them have come out of this intact and after almost losing Armin; and Jean can't help but smile at the sight of Sasha and Connie jumping on their feet and giving each other an audible high-five.

"Yes, we're heroes!"

"It took you that long to realize?"

"Blouse, Springer, sit down!" Levi bellows, making the two cheerful soldiers quit their celebrations at once and look at him as if they've committed some terrible crime. "Save your idiotic cheering for your free time!"

"Yes, sir, sorry, sir!" they apologize simultaneously and Connie helps Sasha take a seat again, since his best friend is still slightly weak because of the severe injuries she got during the battle. Despite Levi's order, though, they keep their huge smiles, reflecting their relief that they survived and came one step closer to the mystery behind the existence of the Titans.

During this exchange, though, and despite smiling at the younger soldiers' good mood, Hanji's eyes stay focused on one specific person, who's standing at a corner and avoids everybody's gaze. Reiner Braun, the Armored Titan, who has once more joined them after being pardoned by Queen Historia under the condition that he would stay loyal to them and use his experience with the warriors to help the Scouts figure out what their next step should be. And although Historia has become known for her just and peaceful reign, the harsh tone with which she made her decision couldn't be clearer: only one more betrayal by Reiner, the slightest one, and he will be executed for treason with no chance at a trial.

Hanji and Levi, being the experienced and strategic Scouts they are, agreed with her decision instantly, seeing Reiner as an asset they can use while giving him the chance to prove that he has set his priorities right. His former comrades, though, the ones who had needed a very long time to get over his true identity, aren't so generous and they prove this every day by ignoring him completely.

"What do you suggest we do, Commander?" Mikasa's question brings Hanji back to the situation at hand; the black-haired Ackerman girl, serious and composed as ever, doesn't care about the previous successes and only concentrates on what they have to do from now on.

"As you understand, we need to see where our alliances stand and how people see us now that nothing is certain! This means we have to leave the Headquarters and head towards various destinations, including the base of the new Cadet Corps, Wall Sina, a visit to Commander Pixis and so on.

"Captain Levi and I have discussed about how we will divide you into teams and where each of you will go," the woman continues, all Scouts having their attention on her. "However, there is one mission that has more risks than the others and will require one team to travel outside the walls and investigate the situation there. I daresay that we'll be able to reach the ocean in one year from now, but we must be prepared for any…unexpected surprises."

The last words sound dark and ominous and no one needs her to elaborate. Everything they've read in Grisha Jaeger's diaries weighs heavily in their minds and even Sasha and Connie abandon their previous optimism, their faces now masks of concern and fear for what's to come. The mention of the land across the ocean, a land that manipulates its children to work for the enemies and that possesses most known Titan powers…the odds aren't in their favor right now.

But then again, when were they exactly?

Years and years of investigating and fighting while the Military Police whistled carelessly behind Wall Sina's protection, years of being discriminated and considered useless tax-wasters and it's basically the first time they've approached the root of all things.

"I'll go." Mikasa volunteers immediately and her comrades leave a sigh, not exactly surprised by the girl's spontaneous reply. "And I don't need anyone to babysit me or risk their life for me, I'm going alone!"

"Don't be an idiot, you're not going anywhere alone, I'm coming with you!" Eren states, his voice holding the usual determined and angry tone it has in these kind of situations.

"You're the one who's not going anywhere, Jaeger! We have another purpose for you and Armin!" Levi snaps and if looks could kill, Eren would be a pile of ash right now.

"But, Captain—!"

"I said you're not going anywhere!"

"I can go with Mikasa outside the walls," Reiner's voice interferes and stops the disagreement that was about to ensue between Eren and Levi as nine pairs of eyes travel towards the blond, who's suddenly taken a particular interest on the wall across from him, unable to look anyone in the eyes. "I mean, I know the area and all, I can help with scouting and looking out for dangers."

"Yeah, don't remind us how you know the area outside the walls, Braun." Floch speaks for the first time since the meeting started and his eyes are staring daggers at Reiner; new to the Scouts he might be, but he has learnt everything about the Armored Titan's previous actions.

"If you don't mind, I was talking to Commander Hanji and Captain Levi and Mikasa is the one who should decide! Besides, the past is between me and my-"

Mikasa rushing towards him and slamming him against the wall prevents Reiner from continuing; it's obvious to everyone that, with this comment, Reiner has once more turned into his soldier personality, the one who supports everyone and not the one who used to declare that humanity needs to be eliminated. As Sasha is staring at him now, she secretly wonders if these comments, this guilt she can detect on him, are really the result of his messed up past or if he truly wishes to redeem himself for everything he has done.

Apparently, though, Mikasa doesn't share her cautiousness.

"I wouldn't go anywhere with you, Armored Titan, not even if my life depended on it," she hisses, a hand grabbing his collar, her black eyes burning like coal due to her anger and her voice sounding so lethal that Reiner doesn't dare to move.

"Hey, what are you looking at, stop her, calm her down!" Sasha turns towards the boys, fearing that things are about to escalate; she's not only saying it for Reiner, but also for Mikasa, who reacts unpredictably when she allows her rage to overwhelm her.

They've all witnessed so much, Sasha can't stand seeing the other girl act with her hatred as a motivation.

"Sasha, shut up and let us enjoy the show," Eren snickers, his gaze not leaving the sight in front of him and his expression full of pride for the girl he grew up with.

"Yeah, what he said, I've been telling everyone for weeks that we'd see that!" Connie agrees, his sly smirk almost reaching his ears as Jean nods in agreement.

"You're impossible!" Sasha hisses and shakes her head at her friends' immaturity before approaching Mikasa and trying to pull her arm. "Mikasa, that's enough, stop it!"

"Mikasa, stand down!" Levi's order echoes in the room but not even a superior's command can make her release the tight grip she has on the one who used to work for the enemies.

"Back off, Sasha, don't get involved in this," she only whispers towards the Potato Girl and now her hands are shaking; it's almost as if she's barely suppressing herself in order not to physically harm her comrade.

"Oh, yes, I will get involved because it's me who'll follow you on your mission." Sasha reveals casually, as if she said that she'll go on a morning stroll.

"No, you won't, I don't need anyone else, I'll do it on my own!"

"Oh, no, you won't, because Sasha's idea isn't so bad at all!" Hanji intervenes with a wide smile that can't hide her amusement. "Thank you for your offer, Sasha, you shall go with Mikasa to investigate whether the road to the ocean is open. You're leaving the day after tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Hey, are you absolutely sure that Eren's the only suicidal maniac here?" Connie hisses at Jean, a part of him still processing the fact that his best friend just volunteered to go on a mission with the irritable girl. Before Jean can answer, though, Levi steps in, ready to continue announcing their assignments.

"Alright, alright, brats, let's go on. Since the ladies will travel outside the walls, Jean and Connie will accompany me to Wall Sina where I will attend a meeting with the Queen. While we're there you will talk with our contacts in the Military Police and see how they stand towards us after the recent events."

"Yes, sir!" the two boys reply at the same time, although it is clear in the way they roll their eyes that they still don't hold the Military Police in very high regard with a few exceptions.

"Braun, Floch, you two will go and speak with Commander Pixis and the commandant of the newest military recruits and conclude how willing they are to assist us in our future expeditions."

"Yes, sir!" Reiner sighs with relief, thinking that Levi's plan is smart, sending him on an assignment with the newest member of the Recon Corps and therefore with someone who isn't as willing to attack him because of his past like his former friends do.

"Eren, Armin, you two will stay here with me so we can start examining your newfound powers!" Hanji squeals with delight, her inventive mind already thinking about various experiments she can do in order to find out more about how Armin's Colossal Titan form will act.

"But how will I be useful here, Commander?" Eren impatiently wants to know, believing that he will be more useful somewhere else.

"You will help Hanji with her experiments. Besides, the stables need a good cleaning, Jaeger, and since you're the one who made a mess yesterday, you will do it!" Levi says as if he's explaining something obvious to a child.

"Ha, take that, have fun cleaning, Jaeger!" Jean leaves a triumphant yell, receiving a punch on the arm by the Titan Shifter.

"Shut the hell up, horseface!"

"You'll do only what I tell you to do!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You won't sneak around looking for food without telling me first!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You won't eat everything from the first day!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You won't talk to me unless it's something concerning our mission or the Scouts in general!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Mikasa stares at her for a few minutes, as if wondering whether Sasha truly agrees with her or if she's joking, but decides not to pressure the matter for the moment. Instead she rolls her eyes, like she still can't believe how she got stuck with the cheerful and hopeful girl, and turns her back to her to prepare her horse for the long journey. Sasha breathes out in relief, thinking that simply agreeing with Mikasa's conditions for the moment was the best way to assure that they'll start the mission without issues.

We'll have all the time in the world to help you calm down and open up to us, she thinks and a devious smirk appears on her face.

"I'm surprised you're smirking instead of begging Captain Levi to send someone else on that mission." Connie snickers as he approaches her and she shakes her head playfully.

"Why would I do that, it was me who volunteered, after all, to save Reiner from her wrath," she makes clear and points towards said blond, who's currently speaking with Floch, his anxious expression the complete opposite to the latter's bored one. "No need to worry, I'll survive," she adds and the two best friends share a laugh because, no matter the years that have passed, Mikasa's skills and combative character still scare them.

"Oh, I know that, it was Jean who told me to tell you never to insult Eren in front of her if you wanna survive."

Something tells me that Mikasa's anger will be the least of our problems out there, Sasha sighs, but doesn't express her thoughts loudly. It's true, though, and they both know it after the terrifying revelations: an unknown and yet dangerous country across the ocean that has tried to eliminate them more than once already.

"Anyway, here's a little something for the road." Connie changes the subject and tosses her an apple, which she catches and bites into in an instant. "You two will need all your strength."

"Sasha, where the hell are you? Come on, we're leaving, we shouldn't delay!" Mikasa calls out to her and is immediately engulfed in a tight group hug by Eren and Armin.

"Coming!" Sasha replies before following her example and giving Connie a farewell hug as well. "Good luck in Wall Sina, take care of yourselves…and, if you see Hitch, give her greetings from me, okay?"

"Sure thing! Just make sure you girls come back safe and sound, got it?"

The first two weeks of their journey pass by rather quickly and uneventfully, with the two girls wanting to cover as much ground as possible as fast as they can. After agreeing that once they leave the walls behind them they'll travel more carefully and cautiously, they rode all day with very small breaks and collapsing from exhaustion at nights or keeping watch. Sasha was glad to see that crossing Shiganshina didn't have some emotional impact on Mikasa; her comrade remained stoic and emotionless as always, with no pain or nostalgia flashing in her dark eyes. Maybe the sight of the district being populated again was what helped her; in any case, Mikasa didn't lose her composure when Sasha mentioned it and simply told her to be silent and continue riding.

Once they exit the Outer Gate, though, with nothing but meadows and forests before them, Sasha leaves a loud laughter that doesn't cease even when Mikasa throws her a death glare. Hating the sight of the walls ever since she joined the military and being used in running free in her village, the scenery is like a true promise of freedom for the young archer. Of course she knows that nothing is over and that they're still not truly free—free from Titans, maybe, but not from other foes that seek their demise—but she can't help it: the sun shining down on the green fields and the muddy paths only causes her positive feelings.

That first night outside the walls is also the night they discover their first clue about what's going on in these lands. It's a quiet night like all the previous ones, with birds flying around being the only source of noise as Sasha and Mikasa sit down around a small fire they have made and grab a bite while their horses stand nearby. Suddenly there's a loud crash sounding from the distance, followed by a mild explosion that makes the ground shake; the horses start neighing startled and Sasha quickly runs to them and tries to calm them down.

"What in the name of the walls was that?" Mikasa hisses, putting out the fire with precise movements, ready to wear her 3D Maneuver Gear and unsheathe her blades. She turns to discuss it with Sasha, but her eyes widen when she sees her kneeling down, eyes closed and an ear pressed on the ground. "Okay, do I even wanna ask what the hell you're doing or are you simply your crazy self?"

"Shhhh, shut up, Mikasa, I'm trying to listen here," Sasha hisses back and Mikasa is so surprised at the way she was told to shut up that she complies immediately. "Vehicles moving…Hmmm, probably that's why this path is so flat, as if someone has stepped on it very often…And that's…shots….gunshots? And they're about…a mile away from what I can calculate," she jolts her head up and her eyes meet Mikasa's. "Let's pack up and get away from here, I'll explain later, but they mustn't see us!"

Concerned due to Sasha's sharp tone and simultaneously impressed by her ability to notice all these things thanks to her hunter instinct, Mikasa decides that questions can wait and that leaving is priority. They hastily pack their few belongings and go away as sneakily as possible, leading the horses from the reigns since their galloping would surely alert whoever is near. After finding shelter in an abandoned and half-ruined storage room, far away from their previous camp, Sasha explains her conclusions.

"I bet all our food that there's a fortress. All these military noises, it was just like back in the training barracks…and let me tell you, these guys probably have some pretty advanced equipment."

"Marley!" Mikasa exclaims and now her wrath is stronger than her curiosity…everything started because of them, the whole mess, these hardships and how everyone matured beyond their age. Not to mention that the thoughts of why her family isn't affected by the memory loss the First King imposed on Eldian people and her exact relation to Levi still can't leave her alone, although this isn't something she's willing to share with Sasha or anyone else except Eren and Armin.

"I don't think it's Marley." Sasha softly disagrees and absentmindedly throws a look outside the window, to the dark field that's surrounding them, with no stars or moon to illuminate the threatening black. "Think about it. Marley has the military strength, technology, numbers, Titan powers and warriors it needs to attack…Paradis whenever they freaking want," she elaborates, a part of her still finding difficulty in uttering their home's true name. "Why build a fortress in the middle of nowhere?"

"To have some base on the island from which they can operate easier, without crossing an entire ocean? And therefore to be able to attack us in no time?"

"But that's not the way Marley generally acts. With the Titan powers they possess and all these children they brainwash, they can infiltrate the walls and destroy humanity from the inside. Wall Maria fell when we were ten years old and Wall Rose when we were fifteen; Marley has the patience to wait for years if it means their operation going well. Besides, a fortress is called a fortress for a reason; it's not meant for directly attacking the enemy, but for protection and spying."

"Long story short?" Mikasa asks, her attention now fully towards Sasha, whose senses seem to have proven her right, something that makes the black-haired girl feel almost guilty for the way she used to underestimate her. "You think that it was a regiment from the walls who built this fortress?"

"I don't think so; the Marley story hasn't become known yet and we'd know if Historia had given such an order. Not to mention that a fortress like that, with the equipment I suspect it has, would take a long period of time to be finished. So long story short…if I'm right…"

"We are not Marley's only enemies." Mikasa completes Sasha's sentence and the two of them spend some moments in silence, trying to process this information. "Someone else is also resisting against them…and someone who's been after them for what could be years." She takes a deep breath and, spontaneously, ruffles Sasha's hair, messing up her ponytail. "Good job, Sasha, perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to take you with me."

And this, coming from this person, almost sounds like a compliment in Sasha's ears.

"Why do you find it so difficult to trust other people?" Sasha wants to know a few days later as they sit atop a hill. The ground beneath their feet is crunchier now, rougher, like sand, and they take it as a sign that the ocean is near, which means that returning to their friends is a matter of time.

"Where did that come from?" Mikasa snaps at her, but her voice doesn't have the ironic and tensed tone it would otherwise have; Sasha takes that as a positive sign that maybe they can open up to each other and from comrades become friends.

"Well, I've wanted to ask you that question for years, to be honest, I just didn't have the courage. It's just that…seeing you so cold and distant with everyone, so focused on the battles without leaving some room open for the rest of us…you sometimes shut out even Armin and Eren from everything that bothered you." Sasha tells her and recalls something that Historia had said when they all considered Eren dead before finding out about his Titan abilities: that Mikasa gave the impression of not caring about anything even when she was crying inside.

"I never saw what sense it has to talk to others about your problems. When the others don't know who you really are and simply want to know everything about you, it's either out of pity or because they want to find out your weaknesses. And I don't want either of those."

"Okay, it's normal to think like that when you face strangers…but that's not the case with your friends…your comrades…everyone you fought with for the same purpose."

"Talking equals with being close to the other. And being close to the other equals with trust. And too much trust can kill you as easily as a blade. And I'm not just talking about what Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie did to us. But when you lived horrors from your nine years already, then you have to accept from very early that the world is a cruel place." Mikasa says bitterly, feeling cornered from the other girl's kind voice that doesn't have any irony or pity or anything she detests.

"Don't think that my childhood was easy, you know. I can't imagine what horrors you lived even before the fall of Shiganshina and I don't want you to pressure yourself by talking to me about it," the fifteen-year-old brunette makes clear. After all, right now they're not having some competition about whose childhood was harsher; what matters is that they can't allow it to chase them—not now, with so many possible outcomes from this whole mess. "And if there's something I've learnt is that the past haunts you for as long as you allow it to."

"Yeah, well, can you teach me how to stop the past from haunting me?" now Mikasa is looking at Sasha as if she's seriously doubting her mental stability. "You don't know anything, so don't talk as if I can forget from one day to the other!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said anything about forgetting? Of course you won't forget…and I'm not suggesting you gather us all in a circle and talk about your traumas, of course not. I'm simply suggesting you stop closing doors to people who can help you relax and not be so scared anymore."

"You're saying it as if it's something easy," Mikasa whispers, once more averting her gaze from the other one. "And maybe it's easy for you to laugh and make jokes and be all hopeful even in the darkest times, but that's not who I am."

"And I'm not telling you to become someone you're not; especially since it's the past horrors that have shaped you into who you are now." Sasha smiles warmly. "But that doesn't mean you have to face everything alone, you know. Because you're not alone, there are people who genuinely care about you and who're willing to listen to you if you feel overwhelmed by everything. And after all that…all that we lived…loneliness is basically the worst thing that can happen to you…we all need each other, whether we want it or not."

As if trying to mark her words, she reaches out and gives Mikasa a very tight hug, comfortingly rubbing her back to pass her the message that there's no need to feel alone in a team of teenagers with whom she shares the same dream of freedom. Mikasa gasps, clearly not expecting that, but she relaxes almost immediately. It's like Sasha has some calming power or something like that, Mikasa's noticed it before: one joke, one witty comment from the brunette can inspire even the most hopeless Scout to continue the fighting.

The smile that adorns Sasha's face at the feeling of Mikasa awkwardly hugging her back almost reaches her ears.

"So, it seems you did manage to survive, Potato Girl." Floch comments three weeks later, the night when all Scouts return from their respective missions and share their experiences over dinner, Eren still brooding and grumpy due to his staying here. Armin, Jean and Connie snicker at the comment—from some implies Sasha has heard, these three were betting on whether she'd trigger Mikasa's wrath or not—but their laughter quickly ceases with one of Levi's famous death glares.

"Yes, I'm so glad to see that you two managed to work together!" Hanji agrees and rubs her hands triumphantly. After all, the girls' news are quite encouraging: more Marley enemies, different directions to follow to stay hidden from the fortress and the path to the ocean ready for them to explore it.

"I have to admit, Sasha did surprisingly well and we were a better team than I had anticipated." Mikasa comments, patting her shoulder as she passes by to fill her cup.

"Hey, what does 'surprisingly' mean, Ackerman?" Sasha shouts, pretending to sound insulted, although the piece of bread she jokingly throws at her convinces everyone that she's not.

The way Mikasa bursts into loud laughter instead of offending or yelling at her is a clear enough sign that, indeed, Sasha is capable to do miracles.

A/N: Okayyy, everyone, that was it for now, hope you enjoyed it :) Stay tuned, for the next one-shot will be posted ASAP.