I Shall Be Happy

(Nightfall, at one of the Reiss' estate)

On a farm, the figures of three little individuals could be seen walking toward a small house.

Inside that small house, a little girl was standing by a window, daydreaming while looking at the beautiful night sky. Then suddenly she noticed 3 figures approaching her house. Wondering what was happening, she opened the door to greet them, as if she wasn't afraid at all. She had a look of curiosity on her face since, in her life, she had met very few people.

Life was monotonous and boring for her. The only world that she can truly enjoy in was reading books about families. Ironically, she doesn't even have a mom and a dad. She never knew what her dad looks like. And her own mother... had abandoned her a few years ago after her first and last word to her own daughter.

'If only I had the courage... to kill the girl...'

And now she's living with her grandfather and grandmother, who were teaching her how to take care of the horses within the farm. She wanted to make friends but her last attempt didn't end well. It earned her a barrage of rocks thrown at maliciously at her. Yet she never resented them, for she doesn't know what hatred is.

A poor girl, who in the original timeline, was supposed to have a great destiny. Yet, because of a twist of fate, she was now caged inside an isolated world... She was Historia.

Knock* Knock*

"Hello!~ Who are you guys?"

The girl cheerfully asked.

In order to have the visitors to have the best impression of her, she put on a farce on her face. It was a mask that she had developed, after being told by someone that she should act more 'lady-like'. She doesn't know who it was, though, because every time she thinks of that person, her mind starts to get fuzzy, and nothing comes to her mind.

Decided to put this thought in the back of her head for later, she focused her mind once again to the guests in front of her.

"Can we come in?"

Stunned by the appearance of the people in front of her, a tint of fear sprouted within her heart. She remembered reading something about evil beings within the world. The term 'devils' came into her mind. Although she knew it was just folklore, if a 'devil' was to take a form, it would be something similar in front of her.

The three figures, seeing that the girl in front of them was stricken with fear. lowered down their oppressive aura.

" Can you let us in?"

This time, a softer voice came out from the figure in the front, but she could tell that it wasn't coming from a woman. It has a slight roughness to it, but the voice was very pleasant to the ear. He was the one that gave her the most fear out of the three, but weirdly, she doesn't feel any hostile intention coming. In fact, it was one of the figures in the back that gave her an uncomfortable feeling, which was currently staring at her with an intense gaze, as if they were both lifelong enemies.

That didn't last long as after the one in front noticed his comrade's action and gave it a slight cough, everything returned to normal.

"I have something to discuss with you, Historia."

"Do you know me?"

"Yes... I'm actually here to offer you something."

Historia, hearing that, was temporarily put into a daze. If one thing she learned from reading books about devil, it's that you don't make a deal with them. Or there would be consequences.

"Don't worry... I'm not going to put up a condition or anything. You can refuse it if you want. But I'm here... to help make your dream come true."

Historia, who was still in her lady-like persona, was fl.u.s.tered by his words.

"That... Uhm, I don't have anything I want... I just want... to do work uhm, on the field."

"Is that what you really wanted?"

Then the voice spoke very seriously, as if it was telling her that there will be more chances if she refused.

"I..."

Then her the fake mask that she has been wearing vanished, and her true personality came out.

It was a face that if one word could describe it, then her face was... empty.

But this doesn't necessarily mean she hasn't got a wish of her own.

If there was one thing that she wanted the most, then it was...

"...A family."

She muttered quietly under her breath as if she never spoke a word at all.

But the extraordinary hearing from all of the three individuals didn't miss that.

"Alright, then I will come back here after 3 days. Please be prepared to make your decision then. Goodbye."

Then Historia woke up from her stupor, and there was no one was present in the living room except for her. It was as if the whole event was just simply a dream. But... for some reason, she wanted to believe that it wasn't.

---------------------------------

"Why did you want to save her?"

"Uhm..."

The two girls, Annie and Mikasa, finally asked Athanatos after they finally left the residence.

"Well... You could say that it was partly just to satisfy my own d.e.s.i.r.e. But... I also truly wanted to save that girl. She... was a pitiful child. In the future that I have seen long ago, she was one of the most vital people in this nation.

Then he took a deep breath and release out a long sigh.

"That though, wouldn't be enough for me to help her. It was her story. I just wanted to verify if she really had such a terrible family. It was... true once I looked into her memories. I witnessed her mother, no... she wasn't a mother. It was more like a disgusting monster in disguise. Did you know what was the first word she said to Historia?"

Seeing the heavy face that Athanatos was putting on, the two girls looked at him solemnly. Athanatos was never a man of many words, unless it is something important to tell

"If only I had the courage... to kill the girl..." Sigh*

"How can someone do such a thing... How can a mother say such a word... to her own daughter? But, I would be a hypocrite if I say that I wanted to save every child in the world from such tragedy... Still, such a thing should never happen to a child. So I... can't help but want to give them a second chance. I... I just wanted to do what I feel right... even if it was wrong."

Then Mikasa slowly walked up to him. She wrapped Athanatos' head with her small arm and gently embrace it into her own c.h.e.s.t.

"You're not wrong... Thana-kun. We don't need to do the right things... Just let us do what we always believe is to be right. Even if the whole world thinks it is wrong, I will always be on your side."

Annie, who isn't very well-versed at comforting others, just silently nodded, implying that she had the same thought as Mikasa. A faint feeling of fluttering began to expand inside her own heart, making it beat slightly faster. It was similar to the feeling that she had when she's enjoying time with the family, but this time... it was a bit different.

"You're right, Mikasa. We just need to act accordingly to our own belief, and not by anyone. There's no need to think any further."

"Well then, let's go home."