*Lilly POV*

She put her hands in her pockets.

The echo of footsteps filled the chilly air as she, Levi, Hange and Armin passed cell after cell until they finally stood before the cells which kept Eren and Mikasa. When Lilly's gaze met with Eren, he'd been leaning against the cell wall, muttering to himself. He seemingly wasn't aware of their presence, not even tossing them a side glance as he continued to hold his wrist against his chest, talking to himself with an intense expression on his lightly tanned face.

Lilly cocked her head to the side as she tried to make out what he had been saying. Surely he had not lost his mind while being kept here. It had not been that long.

"... the Attack Titan..." Eren had audibly mumbled as emerald eyes fixated on the ceiling as if he was trying to mull this over in his mind.

Hange stepped forward, intrigue worn heavily upon her face. But it was not the typical excitable intrigue that Hange was known for. It was quiet. It was careful. It was calm as if a sudden movement could frighten away any answer that Eren may have to the question that formed against her pursed lips. Her face was so close to the cell bars, that Lilly was sure she'd hear a clink when they made contact with the metal.

"What are you doing?" Hange's voice was quiet, though it startled Eren nonetheless.

Eren's lips parted in surprise as his eyes met with Hange's. He'd been so deep in thought, that he truly had no idea that they'd been standing there watching him. Though Eren was motionless, it was plain to see that his mind was still going- calculating.

"The Attack Titan." Hange adjusted her glasses over her bandaged eye socket as she stared at Eren with an unflinching gaze. "That's what you said, right?"

"No.." Eren murmured as the cold metallic clinking of Levi opening the cell lock filled the hall.

Lilly's eyes shot back up at Eren, an incredulous expression on her face.

A lie.

"What? Yes it is." Hange looked to the rest of them. "You three heard that, right?"

"Yes... well... he was.." Armin started to say quietly as his back was pressed against a stone wall.

"See. That's what you were saying." Hange said as she returned her attention to Eren.

"No... er.." Eren started to murmur in defense.

"It's the name of the Titan you inherited from your father, right? Why were you talking to yourself even though no one else was around?" Hange questioned with concern in her tone.

"Lay off, Hange." Levi's voice came out dryly as he swung the door open. "He's fifteen. Everyone has a phase like this."

"Huh? What do you mean by that? A phase? I never had a phase where I muttered to myself all alone while glaring at the sky." Hange stared at Levi as he stood by the cell door.

"What are you here for?!" Eren snapped.

"Get out." Levi ordered in a low tone.

Lilly stood beside Armin silently, her gaze shifting to Mikasa who was in the next cell over. She almost didn't recognize her, as she'd appeared to have lost weight. She looked pale on top of that.

"Hm?... But I still have about ten days left of my punishment…" Eren said as he stared at Levi, tears swelling in his eyes.

"You're done. You just got all ten days' worth from Hange." Levi said as his face remained as stone-like as ever.

"Huh? What can I have said that was that bad to hear?" Hange's voice rang behind Levi.

"Making an example of people through discipline, even if it's for show, is important to any organization. Even a ten-person organization. Still, that doesn't mean we can ignore what's going on around us." Levi said as his icy gaze remained steady on Eren as he exited the cell.

Armin begun to unlock Mikasa's cell as well.

"Don't worry, we've talked to General Zackly. We asked what message we were sending by putting the hero who took down the Armored and Colossus Titans in jail." Hange said as she walked behind Eren.

Levi then closed the cell and then tossed Lilly a glance before they followed Hange.

"Plus, the officers you disobeyed were the idiots who let the Armored and Beast Titans get away." Hange added.

Eren turned around with a surprised expression. "No, that's not.."

"Meaning the Corps can't afford to punish you two right now." Levi cut Eren short in a curt tone.

"Yeah... you know… If I ever found myself at a loss, now would be the time." Hange said in a sullen tone.

Lilly frowned at Hange and gently put her hand on the back of her shoulder. Hange offered Lilly a weak smile in return. Lilly then shifted her attention to Mikasa who'd just exited her cell in complete silence, deep bags on her pale and expressionless face.

"... You have lost weight?… You had plenty to eat…" Eren stared blankly at Mikasa.

Mikasa looked Eren over before rubbing the back of her neck. "You... seem well..."

"Eh... I guess..." Eren murmured.

"Let's go. Hurry up and get dressed." Levi said as he passed them.

"What are we going to do?" Eren asked as he followed.

Lilly continued to follow as well, keeping her hands in her pockets. She knew that they were going straight to the meeting with Zackly to discuss in detail that battle of Shiganshina District, and the findings of what had been in that basement. It was going to be a difficult meeting for all of them, having to remember the horror of that day.

The blood.

The fire.

The screams.

The explosions.

The hatred.

The loss.

The difficult decisions that were made.

Yes. This meeting would bring it all back. And she'd been dreading it all week. She could tell Levi had been as well, though he was seemingly more collected on the outside than she. He'd always been that way though. Far more focused. They complimented each other well that way.

"We have an audience." Levi replied without looking at Eren.

...…

Before they could go to the meeting, they stopped to speak with Historia. They stood silently outside the door to the room she was in as one of her guards notified her of their presence as he cracked the double doors open, one handgun in-hand.

"They are here. Come in."

When Lilly entered, her eyes were immediately drawn to Historia. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back in a neat and elegant fashion, and she wore a shawl over her shoulders. Under the shawl, she wore a military jacket with the wall emblem on its pocket. Lilly could see that Historia had been crying. She'd lifted a dainty hand to wipe a tear from her pink eyes, followed by a small sniffle. The four of them bowed to her, excluding Levi, as he stood to the side with his hands in his pockets.

"S-Stop it. It's not even official yet." Historia said as she put up her hands in response. She stopped and looked at each of them for a brief moment, studying each of their expressions. "You have... been through so much..." Her eyes fell solemnly to the floorboards. "And I was just watching the south sky from inside the walls…"

Armin gave her a small smile. "You have an important job too. Surviving."

"That's right." Lilly said reassuringly. There was enough of them feeling guilt and sorrow over that day. While she appreciated Historia's empathy and kindness, her job was indeed so very crucial.

"You four are practically the same. I'm so glad." Historia smiled warmly.

To these words, Lilly frowned slightly and looked to her shoes. She wished she could say she agreed with that statement. She wished she could say she was the same. But as time passed, she slowly began to feel a hard shell grow around her heart. Not to say, that at its core, the essence of who she was had changed. She'd just had learned to harden her heart to a cutting edge. To put her emotions that made her human aside just to survive. To keep going everyday, even if she had seen the very people she'd love get taken away in the most horrid of manners. And though she knew she was not the only one to experience this adaptation, so she tried not to dwell or mourn for who she once had been.

"Why don't we get going." Hange broke the silence after noting each of their saddened expressions.

Levi nodded in agreement.

…

Lilly sat beside Levi and Hange at one of the three tables in the middle of the large meeting room. Behind them were two more tables where Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Connie, Jean and Floch were seated. Sasha was still in the infirmary recovering from critical injuries. To their left and right were rows of the other military branches that faced them, watching them with skepticism. To the front of them sat a large desk where Zackly and Historia were seated. Behind them were the four large banners of the military branches draped high up on the wall. The warm glow of candles hanging on the walls lit the room. Lilly tried to focus on these candles, for their glow was gentle and calming to her.

"The individuals in this room are currently the only ones who know about the existence of these three books. "The early life of Grisha Jaeger", "The Extent of Our Knowledge of the Titans and Their History", and "Information About the World Beyond the Walls." Zackly began as he gazed down at the three books that they had brought back from the Jaeger's basement. "We owe their retrieval to the ten soldiers who are here today and the 199 who are not. Their heroics deserve to be praised for millennia to come. A place to do just that, as well as to bury the fallen, will be set aside at a later date. But today, I would like to share information here in the presence of the Queen… And develop a joint strategy for the future. Survey Corps commander Hange Zoe. What do you make of the situation?"

Hange straightened on the other side of Levi, her expression serious and focused. "In exchange for the loss of many heroes, including Erwin Smith, we, the Survey Corps… were able to successfully retake Wall Maria, defeat the Colossus Titan, and take its power. However… We humans living inside the walls… continue to be in an extremely dangerous situation." Hange glanced down at the notes before her, taking a deep breath. "We would count ourselves lucky if the Titans were our only enemies. Sadly… the true enemy we have been fighting all along… is humanity. The world." Hange then stood up beside Levi. "According to these notes, we are the "Subjects of Ymir", a special race from the nation known as Eldia who are capable of becoming Titans. These subjects of Ymir once ruled the world, and could possibly rule again. That is why the world… attempts to eradicate us, the subjects of Ymir."

This captivated every person in the room, and some began to murmur amongst themselves. Lilly remained still, her back pressed to her chair. Hange then proceeded to recap on Grisha Jaeger's background and how he inherited the founding Titan in the first place. Everyone sat in silence as they digested her explanation.

"So... Mr. Jaeger completed his mission. He took the founding Titan from the king of the walls, and entrusted it to his son, Eren. But..while Mr. Jaeger didn't know what the vow renouncing war meant, we now know what it is. The true power of the Founding Titan can only be used if it resides inside someone from the royal bloodline. However, if the Founding Titan does reside inside anyone of the royal blood, they will be consumed by the will of the 145th King, leaving them with no choice but to take their own life. I dare say that this is what the vow renouncing war does." Hange said.

"I would say… that the only possible way to resist such a powerful enemy… would be to use the true power of the Founding Titan to activate the wall Titans. But… You're saying that it would be impossible so long as we have this vow renouncing war…" Zackly says as he folds his hands.

"No...In the past, Eren has controlled Pure Titans in order to escape perilous situations. We still don't know why he was able to use that power. But there is a possibility that even Eren, who is not from the royal bloodline, is able to use the Founding Titan." Hange explained.

Suddenly the loud abrupt sound of a chair skidding across the floor behind Lilly caused her to jump in her seat.

"Could it be?!" Eren exclaimed loudly as he stood.

Everyone in the room stared at him.

"You startled me. What's the matter all of the sudden?" Hange asked Eren.

"Ah... um..." Eren looked at Historia who looked concerned. "I just.."

"Continue, our Titan." Zackly spoke.

"It's nothing.. sorry for causing a disturbance..." Eren awkwardly returned to his seat.

Lilly looked at Levi and he shook his head.

"I apologize for interrupting the meeting." Eren said as he bowed his head.

"Oh.. alright. I see..." Hange returns her attention to the officials in front of her. "It seems he's going through a phase. Where he strikes a pose or mouths off for no reason." Hange explains.

"Ah... I see... that's unfortunate to hear. He must be getting to that age." Zackly said as his gaze remained fixed in Eren.

…

Lilly began to become restless as the meeting continued on. She lightly tapped her fingers against the top of her thigh. Her gaze wandered to her left, and she locked eyes with Nile Dok. She gave him a dismissive look before returning her attention forward as the discussion continued.

"But... the walls will continue to fall into chaos if we make this public!" One officer from the military police said from his seat.

"That's right. Even we aren't able to fully access the scale of what's going on here." Another said from beside him.

"So should we deceive the people again?" Pixis stood from his seat. "You're suggesting that we keep the people ignorant and domesticated, just as King Reiss did?"

No one answered, and Lilly continued to tap her fingers against her thigh as she hit the inside of her lip. She then startled when she felt Levi's cool and sturdy hand flatten hers against her leg. She lifted her eyes to meet his. His expression was calm, unbothered. Though his grey eyes stared into her own, and they spoke to her with just that look.

Easy.

Relax.

We are almost out of here.

Those would be the words he'd speak to her if he'd opened those lips to her. She felt the muscles in her arm become less tense. She watched as his eyes dipped down to her lips he returned his attention forward, now the sharp angle of the side of his jaw facing her. Though his stoic expression was facing the officials, he discreetly kept his hand over hers.

"If that's the case, then what cause were we fighting for when we snatched the crown from his head?" Pixis looked around the room.

"We will be returning the memories King Reiss took from the people a century ago... back to the people a century later. That is all. We are the people of the walls. We have a shared fate. We must unite as one and work together." Historia spoke evenly.

…

It was dusk by the time Lilly and Levi exited the meeting. Levi held the door open for Lilly as she stepped outside.

"Thank you." She murmured as she slid her hands into her pockets. He came out behind her and looked up at the sky.

"That dragged out much longer than I had expected. And I was already expecting it to be pretty fucking long." Levi said as he glanced over at her. "So... tomorrow will be the day. They're printing it all out in the newspapers. Just as Historia ordered. Everyone in the walls will know the truth."

She swallowed as she looked up at him, listening quietly. She anticipated there'd be many different reactions from the citizens within the walls. Much angst, anger, relief and frustration. She wouldn't be surprised to hear of violent outbursts within the next week.

Levi reached his fingers over to touch the tips of hers. She shifted her gaze back down to the sidewalk and frowned.

"I thought you were going to drill a hole into your thigh earlier." Levi broke the silence as he began to lead her down the street of the Capital.

"It's not easy hearing that the entire world is our potential enemy for what we are." Lilly speaks, keeping her eyes forward. "Can we face the world alone? Just us, the ones within the walls? Is this a battle we can win? Has this all been for nothing?"

Levi remains quiet for a moment as he walks beside her to where their horses were being stored. He opens the stable door for her and then once inside, he pulls her to him, taking her chin in his calloused fingers. His eyes looked between hers, his brows slightly furrowed and his lips tugging in a small frown. "You're losing faith, Lilly."

"I've lost everything else. It's bound to happen, isn't it?" She retorts quietly, her gaze unflinching as she stared up into his eyes.

"You have not lost everything. Look around." He said in a low tone.

Lilly looked to the side. She knew he had meant that all that was around her. Everything and everyone in the walls.

"When you haven't lost everything, that means you still have things left to fight for." He said as he continued to hold her chin.

"And what if the day comes when everything we have left is gone? A day where the world turns on us. When all the buildings are on fire. The walls torn down, the rivers dry and everyone around us is dying? What if then, I don't have anything to fight for. What if then, I don't have any fight left in me?" Lilly searches his eyes as she continues to stare up into his calm expression.

"Then I'll fight for you." Levi said, his voice serious laced with promise.

"And what if the battle is already lost, and all we have is ourselves. You me and Seth. What then, when you're too tired?" She asks.

"If I still have you two, then that's still something left for me to preserve. I wouldn't stop. Even if my every bone was broken. I'd take you two and we'd escape." He said in a low voice, a muscle feathering in his jaw. She could tell he disliked thinking if a situation like that, let alone discussing it openly.

Because now it was a possibility.

"Where could we possibly go, in a situation like that?" Lilly asked softly.

Levi leaned in and gently pressed his lips onto hers. She softened against the kiss, savoring the smooth warmth of them. His lips withdrew, and his eyes were gentle.

"I guess...wherever the wind carried us."