Chapter 1- daisy, daisy do..

She waited for her brother to scold her from visiting him again when she shouldn't. But instead, her brother looked at her, the same eyes sparkling with hidden grief. "What's wrong?" Petra said softly and reached out to touch her brother's cheek, roughened by overgrown facial hair. He always shaved them because it made him look older.

"Petra... " he called her name and threw himself to her. Her brother looked bigger. She closed her eyes and hugged him back. He was already a man. He had more meat in his bones and hardened muscles. She heard some movement over a distance. They were talking as the door closed so she looked over her brother's shoulder to find a man, staring intently at them. Beside him was a woman with red hair and glasses. She was grinning too broadly.

"Trainee Rall." The man spoke and her brother stiffened and pulled back to stand beside her. He saluted.

"Commander Smith!"

Petra looked up to her brother who suddenly appeared so different. A soldier, already. She turned to the intruders.

Survey Corps. She realised and it felt like something gripped her heart so tightly.

She realised that the Commander was looking at her, gently smiling but there was something Petra doesn't quite trust from his eyes. It's the way they appear to sparkle in mischief. And the red-haired woman was grinning like a cheshire cat.. Petra blushed furiously at the attention and fought the instinct to hide behind her brother's tall figure. But she stopped herself and curtsied. She's now a grown woman.

" Captain Shadis is just talking with another trainee. He will be coming here at any moment."

Petra curtsied again to the group, grateful from the warning and turned to her brother who also turned to face her. She pushed the lunchbox to him. He caught it with his right while he reached out and held her cheek. His hand was warm, big, calloused and strong. Then he hunched closer and whispered: "There are three government corps..." He stopped and told her with his eyes. Petra closed her eyes for a moment. This was not the time.. She can't stop him...

So, she kept the moment in her mind before she gave him a peck on his cheek. A little embarrassed , she curtsied at the group and left.

" Pretty little thing, Ral. When's the wedding?" Hanji said.

Daniel straightened. "She's my sister, Captain Hanji."

Hanji's mouth formed an 'O', then shrugged. Beside her, Erwin Smith bowed to Daniel. "We were just passing by. We shall see you at the choosing ceremony, Daniel."

"Yes, Commander!" He saluted. When they walked past him, he realised there was someone else behind the two. Their eyes met; scowling dark slit eyes against his bright blue ones. He wondered who was the man but threw the question away from his mind as he looked lovingly to his sister's daisy covered lunchbox. He shivered and put the box closer to his heart.

"Petra, dear. " He sat down at the nearest bench and ate.

Levi bit at his cheek to contain his anger. It's like the son of a bitch and the creepy four eyes were doing it on purpose, making fun of him.

"Hmm.. By the way, there are only two ways out and in aren't they? Both are guarded. So, if visitors aren't allowed, where the hell did the girl came from? " Four eyes said in that jolly annoying voice while looking around."Aha!"

Levi turned to the direction where Four eyes was looking at. It was the girl from a while ago with her back on them, she was sprinting away from them. Her long hair was golden and sparkled under the sun. She belongs with the sun. Her shoulders were bare and her dress, looking a little worn fitted her rather nicely. Too nicely for a little girl. Is the girl an idiot? The training grounds is in the middle of nowhere. She had to pass the forest before she reached the town. Does her brother not warn her about the 'wolves' in the woods?

She reached the shaded part of the grounds where the trees loomed and shadowed. She climbed the tree so gracefully, easily hoisting herself up and disappeared.

"Petra Ral, 18. She shows some incredible stealth and flexibility. She has been visiting her brother countless of times, never reported to the authorities. They never caught her or even know about her. "

"Maybe you should." Levi said and then realised the Captain's intentions. "You're not thinking that, are you? "

Erwin gave a small smile that reminded him of a sly fox hiding beneath a sheep's fur. But then the face vanished to a rueful smile. "Her brother is a very valuable cadet and shows a lot more promise. I think we have taken more than enough from the girl." He saddled his horse and sauntered to the tree to check the girl's hidden passage. Up, Up the tree, there were still electric barbed wires but then, if you look further, there's a spot where the parallel wires created a gap big enough for someone like Levi's height to pass through. A piece of cloth was left hanging from the barbed wires.

Levi swifty used his maneuver gear and picked up the fragile piece of soft green cloth.

The girl's dress got ripped in her hurry to get out.

Four eyes tried to climb the tree. It took her a little longer to do it manually. She was bigger than the girl, anyway. Before she stood beside him, Levi, with his gear went back to his horse.

"I think she jumped and used that branch to shorten her fall... Or maybe she jumped to that branch and then climbed down that tree! Anyway! That's awesome!"

They ignored her.

"I just like looking at people who shows some hidden potential, Levi. Hanji! Let's go! " Erwin said to him and turned away.

Four eyes heard and for a moment, her expression softened then returned to their usual exultant face. "Yeees! Commando!"

Levi was left on his horse, looking over the dark forest and caressing the soft cloth absentmindedly. "Tch. You better not get raped, girl." He said to no one and rode away. He kept the dirty piece of cloth, not risking her being caught by the authorities.

Petra arrived at their house safe and unharmed after picking up the most woods she could gather. She had successfully avoided anyone in the woods. She was aware of the danger; her brother has always shouted her for it until his yelling turned to soft scolding with a mix of his bright blue puppy hurt eyes. But she was always on guard, always looking and sensing her surroundings.

She tied her long hair and the rolled up her sleeves after setting down her load. She picked up two rather large logs on her way along with some other less thicker ones. She took her father's axe and started the work.

Afterwards, she sat down on her brother's bed which was in the same room as her. She took out their photograph as she laid down on his bed which has been empty for a long time. The boy on the photo was not the man she saw a while ago who begged her silently to accept his decision and to forgive him. Petra clutched the photo to her pained chest.

She cried for him. For the choice she knew he had made. He always wanted to see the world beyond the walls. To draw it and preserve it. Petra smiled as the tears continued to fall. She cried for his bravery, for her own uselessness, for their sad father and for this cruel world they live in.

His scent has faded so long ago. But her heart continues to twist and pain her. She doubt it will ever stop.

Back at the training grounds, Daniel Ral was sat on his bunk bed crying silently at the drawing he made of his lovely sister crying on the empty bed he left five years ago.

-A/N-

Angst! Angst! I love Angst!