AN: This took way too long! Sorry guys! I got focused on the drabble series and work!

Pairing: Hint of Kagome/Levi

Dedicated To: Uchiha B (This is long over due for you my friend, and I hope it even lives up to your expectations in the slightest! Thank you so much for reading anything of mine. PS: I love everything you write)

Shrouded in Mystery

The first time he saw her, he was positive she was no more than an illusion.

It wouldn't have been the first time his eyes had played tricks on him on the battlefield after all. But having spent most of his life dwelling in the Underground city and fighting for survival, he had developed outstanding observational skills. Most of the time he took whatever he saw at face value. Now in the year 845, you pretty much had to take whatever life throws at you.

Although nowadays it seemed that everything life doled out was nothing but shit. The entire titan epidemic was nothing but a bunch of stupid nobleman fighting over land and its citizens. Soon all that will be left is a world full of titans. But for now, that wasn't his problem. For as long as he was alive, he would do his best to work in the favor of humanity.

But even in all of his time outside of the walls, his eyes had never betrayed him this much. After all, there was no way in hell that there could be a woman (a beautiful one too) that could be bathing in a hot spring in the middle of the woods. Who in their right mind has time to think about bathing in the middle of titan territory?

So when it happened a second time, Levi almost fell off his horse in shock.

He had traveled ahead of the pack to survey the forest. He had confidence in his own abilities, but he didn't want to throw any of the new scouts into a titan minefield. It would be pointless to get rid of all the new recruits, what few of them there were this early into their career. Especially since the Survey Corps were slowly losing their favor with the people and the royal family. Strangely enough, there were no titans in the immediate area.

Dismounting his horse, he slowly approached the edge of the hot spring. The girl wasn't ugly, he'd give her that much. Her eyes were closed and breathing steady, like she were truly relaxed. Dark hair fell across her shoulders, the ends floating in the water. Pale skin appeared to be blemish free but his eyes couldn't help but stray to the tops of her breasts that breached the water's surface.

Suddenly, she spoke. He had no idea what the hell she said or what language it was said in. She hadn't even opened her eyes to acknowledge him. Was she even speaking to him? He furrowed his brow in agitation. "What?" He gruffly asked.

"I said," she started slowly in slightly accented English, "You're a pervert."

"I'm not the one bathing in an open space. If anything you're an idiot." How did this brat even get out from behind Wall Maria? Had she managed to sneak out when they left through Shiganshina District? But then there was no way she could have gotten this far ahead of the Survey Corps unless she had three dimensional maneuvering gear. He didn't see any gear… just a disgustingly tattered yellow backpack.

"Why are you here?" She interrupted his thoughts. Bringing his gaze back to her, his eyes clashed with striking blues the color of lapis lazuli. She was glaring at him for the insult he had thrown her way, but didn't acknowledge it.

"Tch. I should be asking you that question." He crossed his arms in annoyance, and didn't break his eye contact with her.

"I thought it was pretty obvious I was taking a bath," she quirked a brow in annoyance.

"That's not what I mean and you know it," Levi all but growled out. She was quickly getting on his nerves.

She let out a sigh and broke her eye contact with him. Sliding further into the water she added, "I assure you I don't. I was bathing, quite peacefully might I add, before you came in and started gawking at me. Hence, the me calling you a pervert."

"Gawking?" He echoed. "Don't flatter yourself. If anything I'm just amazed your idiocy hasn't gotten you killed yet."

She let out a low growl. "I'm quite capable of handling my own thanks. What's going to kill me? The giant humans? Don't make me laugh."

"Giant… humans…?" Was she referring to the titans? There's no way this woman had no idea about these creatures plaguing humanity. Had she been living in a box? Now Levi might admit to gawking at her. She was mental. "If a titan got a hold of you, you'd be made its lunch."

"So they are called titans, hm?" She seemed delighted to learn this little piece of information. Turning her back to him she quickly stood up from the water and grabbed a towel that was resting near the hot spring's edge and wrapped it around her small form.

Levi turned away from her, purely out of habit and respect for her privacy. He could hear shuffling as she dug inside her disgusting yellow backpack. It wasn't but a minute later that she poked her head back into his line of vision. "Can you tell me more about these titans?" She asked, her eyes dancing with excitement. "The village I ran into quite a few miles back seem to worship them, is that what people worship here?"

Village full of worshipers? Outside of the walls? Each time this girl opened her mouth it brought about more and more questions in his head. But the main one continued to be, how the hell did she not know a damn thing about the titans at all? Clearly she was in her early twenties, there was no way she could have lived this long without an ounce of knowledge pertaining to titans.

Before he got the chance to respond at all, her attention immediately snapped back toward the direction he had come from. Silence was all that met the soldier's ears. But this woman knew something he did not. Hurriedly, she gathered the rest of her belongings and shouldered her backpack.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He demanded. There were pending questions of his own that needed to be answered.

"I don't really like being outnumbered," she merely stated a tad bit cryptically. She started to walk out of the clearing before turning to him one last time and saying, "I don't know if you live behind those big walls a few miles away, but I believe you all might be in a bit of danger." Without another word she jogged off leaving him alone by the hotspring.

Levi let out a growl once she was out of sight with the sound of hooves advancing toward him. "What the fuck does that mean!?"

"What does what mean, Captain Levi?" Petra and the rest of the Survey Corps Special Operations Squad stepped into the clearing on their horses. She held the reigns to Levi's horse and offered them to him.

She had known they were coming? She had fucking known they were coming!

"Nothing," he snapped before taking the reigns to his horse back. He ignored the curious looks he received from the rest of his team. This expedition had quickly turned to shit and he was done with it. Once again, they'd lost too many soldiers, and for what? Absolutely nothing. They hadn't reclaimed a damn thing for humanity and the more he ventured outside the walls, the more his youthful and naive hopes were diminished. "Let's move out. We want to make it back to Shiganshina before sundown don't we?"

"Yes!" The troops all cried out, happily and exhausted.

That day, Shiganshina district's front gate was breached by the Colossal Titan, followed by Wall Maria thanks to the Armored Titan. Over 250,000 were killed that day resulting in a loss of twenty percent of the population This forced the entirety of those remaining in the human race to live behind Wall Rose.

The next five years weren't much better.

Humanity hadn't advanced much at all. The damned Colossal Titan appeared again breaching yet another hole in the wall, forcing them to lose Trost district. They gained a few great soldiers from the 104th training squad, including a brat that could turn into a titan by the name of Eren Jaeger. Then this Female Titan, appears being a major pain in the ass. The 57th expedition outside the walls only resulted in the loss of most of his Special Operations Squad including Petra and Oluo thanks to the oversized bitch.

Half a decade gone and things had only gotten worse.

Levi scoffed as he stood next to Erwin in Stohess district. Armin and the other brats we busy taking on the Female Titan after figuring out that it was Annie Leonhardt of the Military Police, while the rest of the Military brigade looked on with their stupid stunned faces. Looking down at his left leg and mentally cursed. Because he had managed to get hurt during the 57th expedition, Erwin insisted he sit this operation out.

The distressed cry of Eren's Titan form pierced through the air, drawing all attention towards Wall Sina. Levi looked toward Erwin for his approval to join in the action, even if it was to simply watch it and not participate. Not that he had any of his gear with him anyway. Once he got the nod he was looking for from his higher up, Levi took off running towards Wall Sina.

"Damn bitch…" he muttered to himself as he ran as fast as his injured leg would take him. He couldn't wait to question her and learn whatever other conniving plans her and her cohorts were a part of. And he especially couldn't wait to learn who the Colossal and Armored Titan were, even if it met torture. A wicked grin took over his face. Especially if it meant torture…

Suddenly, a flash of yellow distracted him.

What the hell?

His eyes were fixated on a figure that managed to run past him with ease, a tattered yellow satchel slung over their shoulders, crooked looking arrows sticking out of from the top, their long dark hair swaying as they jogged. Slender hands gripped what looked like a handmade bow in their hands as they ran. Could it be the girl from the hot spring? He didn't know of anyone else that had an accessory quite as ugly. But it had been what…? Five year?

Mustering up all the strength he could he ran as fast as his leg would allow for him to, allowing him to close the distance between them. Reaching out he grabbed the figure by the arm and pushed them up against the closest building. His dark grey eyes once again met with stunning blue ones who blinked up at him in recognition.

"Oh! Pervert-san! How good to see you again!" She smiled up at him as if she were actually genuinely happy to see him again, her previous serious attitude from the first time they met tossed aside.

"Cut the cute bullshit," he snapped which left her unfazed in the slightest. "I have questions for you that need to be answered."

A scream from the Female Titan caused both of them to immediately turn their attention to Wall Sina, where the the titan shifter was attempting to scale the wall. Mikasa was hot on her heels though, quick to slice through the monster's fingers that were gripping the wall.

"I can help you with this," the woman said, looking at him confidently. "Trust me. I lived outside of your little cage here for a few years before sneaking my way inside."

There was no reason to trust her. But there was also no reason not to trust her either. If she had managed to actually live outside the walls for a few years without losing life or limb, she must have some sort of fighting abilities. In fact, she looked exactly the same as she did five years ago. It didn't even look like she had aged a day either.

Levi scowled before letting go of her arm. She nodded her head in thanks and instantly took off towards Wall Sina. The two swiftly dodged in and out of people who continued to watch the scene unfurl before them. Annie was on the ground in titan form as other Survey Corp member attempted to hack the girl out of her enhanced body. Just as Eren's titan form reached out to simply pull the blonde human out, her eyes widened and a small explosion forced everyone to back off a little bit.

By the time the smoke subsided, the Female Titan's body had disintegrated revealing Annie Leonhardt completely encased in a crystallized substance. They all stared incredulously at the new development as Armin and Mikasa worked on pulling Jaeger from his own titan body that was already starting to disintegrate.

One of the older Survey Corp members by the name of Keiji continuously stabbed at the crystal with his sword, not even producing a scratch on the stuff but instead slowly chipped away the blade itself. "You damn coward!" He shouted between swings. By this time, only the hilt of his sword remained. "Come out of here! Repay your damn debts!"

"Keiji," Levi calmly said as he walked up to the crystalline mass. "Stop your useless shouting. It's obvious the bitch can't hear you."

He felt a tug on the back of his jacket. Turning around, the woman was gripping the hem of his outer jacket looking at him excitedly. "I can get her out!" She announced suddenly a wide grin on her face.

The rest of the Survey Corp members stared at her, no doubt for her audacity to even touch their clean freak of a captain. But he didn't send her away, merely quirked a brow at her. "And what can you do? Hit it with one of those arrows sticking out of your bag?"

She was delighted by his answer, as if he guessed it correctly. "Yes! But I'd like to make a deal with you."

She was negotiating with him? On what authority did she think she could negotiate anything with anyone? He didn't even know who the hell she was for shit's sake. Instead of bothering to answer one way or another, he simply waited for her to call out her terms.

"I'll get her out of that crystal and answer all of your questions, if you let me join your little club."

"My club?" His eye twitched in annoyance. "The Survey Corps are a specialized group of soldiers that spent years training to take down titans as well as mastering their three dimensional maneuvering gear." She continued to look at him excitedly, waiting for an official answer one way or the other. Looks like she couldn't be intimidated out of it either. "Fine," he snapped facing the rest of the group.

The other soldiers jumped down from the imprisoned Annie and cleared a path for the strange woman as she skipped over to the gem. Clumsily, she climbed to the top of the mass and fetched an arrow from her satchel while the exhausted soldiers watched on.

"She can't seriously be trying to stab it with an arrow can she?" Armin asked logically, looking toward his friends. Mikasa merely shrugged bored with the situation, while keeping her attention on Eren who appeared to be struggling to even stay awake let alone stand.

Hange landed next to Levi gracefully, amused by what was taking place. "I'm surprised you're even entertaining this, captain," the mad scientist commented. "Seems very un-Levi-esque."

Levi's scowl only deepened. Shitty-specs was right. Normally he wouldn't indulge something or someone so stupid. But Hange hadn't seen this woman outside of the walls five years ago, living peacefully as though she had never even stepped foot inside Wall Maria. Now, here she was alive and well without a fucking care in the world. And it pissed him off.

Then, it felt like the air around them shifted. Similar to how the air felt dryer and more electric whenever a titan shifted. However, now it felt refreshed and invigorating. Almost like it was completely cleansed.

She held the arrow firmly over her head. Levi squinted at the arrow head. He couldn't be certain, but it looked like the tip was glowing. But in the blink of an eye, she brought the arrow down as hard as possible, the entire arrowhead penetrating the crystal. He stepped forward to get a closer look at what was happening, so that he was right next to the mass.

It was barely noticeable, but the tip was in fact glowing and it looked like the glow was growing slowly making it appear as if an expanding bubble was surrounding the arrowhead. Was it melting from the inside out? "How in the hell…"

Without notice the crystal structure completely disintegrated with a poof, surprising the woman that was resting on top of it. Acting quickly, Levi reached out and caught the mysterious girl as soon as she lost her temporary seat. Annie was left to let gravity take a hold of her unconscious form, and left her lying on the ground covered in glittered ash.

A hush fell over the plaza as the Survey Corps looked at the female resting in their captain's arms, including the captain himself. All of them contemplating the same thing: What in the hell just happened?

"What are you shit heads waiting for? Tie the shifter up!" Levi suddenly barked out, snapping the soldier back to reality and leaving them scrambling to follow orders. He turned his attention to the blue-eyed girl he currently held in his grasp. "Who are you?"

She sent him a childish grin and held up two fingers: the sign for victory. "My name is Kagome Higurashi! And now I get to be on your little team!" He immediately let go of her, forcing her to fall butt first to the ground. "Hey! That hurt you jerk!"

"Feh, you'll be fine," Levi said, offering her his hand to help her up. She placed her small hand in his and he quickly hoisted her up to her feet bringing her just a few inches away from his face.

"Welcome to the Survey Corps."

AN: I hope you enjoyed this little bit. There just might be a part two to this down the road. If you guys are interested!