Author Notes: Hi everyone! I'm Takenokohime, and this is my first fanfic (nervously tugs at collar). I wanted to write about Annie since she's one of my favorite characters from Attack on Titan and write about her backstory and her experiences during the main action in the series. I can't say how long this'll end up being, but I plan on covering the story from the 104th Trainees Arc through the Female Titan Arc. This will mostly be from Annie's perspective, but I may change it up a little later. Please review and follow/favorite if you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or any associated characters.

Chapter 1: Duty

The Leonhart family has been around for centuries and descends from a line of powerful warriors. We seek to protect the world and to defend what is right. -Annie's journal

The light of dawn had only just begun creeping in through the windows of the cabin, but Annie Leonhart had been awake for hours. It was another sleepless night for the young woman. She sat up on her cot and looked around the room. She was sharing it with her two close friends, Reiner Braun and Bertholt Hoover. The three had been given a single room to share at an inn, since the three were still children when they arrived in Trost two years ago. Reiner was sleeping like a rock, snoring softly. Bertholt, on the other hand, was a light sleeper who had to sleep on his back silently.

Annie shook her head, got off of the cot, and walked over to her belongings. She dug through them until she found a small journal, then walked back over to her cot. She opened the small leather-bound book and began flipping through the pages, smiling sadly. Inside were writings, pictures, drawings, and various other little trinkets. A picture of two young people, a dark-haired man and a blonde woman, on their wedding day. Another of the couple's three children: two blonde smiling daughters and a disinterested son with dark hair. The dark-haired man with his youngest daughter, both grinning wildly. The blonde woman cradling the youngest daughter when she was a newborn baby. A goofy love-note the dark-haired man sent to the blonde woman when they were teenagers. An epitaph next to a bundle of pressed flowers.

Annie wiped away tears as she looked at the last few pages of the journal. The family was once happy but things are so different now. No, Annie thought, you can't let your emotions cloud your thinking, especially on a day like today. Annie was not one to let people see her be emotional, and she herself often got angry with herself when she got emotional.

Unaware of how much time had passed while she was looking through her journal, she was surprised to find that Bertholt and Reiner were now awake. Awake and arguing, to be exact.

"Reiner, you know how much I hate it when you hit me with a pillow!" Bertholt scolded. The taller of the two, Bertholt could be quite intimidating when angry simply because of his size. However, Bertholt was quite a push-over when it came to actual fights.

Reiner, on the other hand, was very stocky and muscular, but was less intimidating due to his good-natured personality. "Sorry Bertl, I thought you said you wanted a wake up call! Well, you had your wake up call!" Reiner said, laughing.

Bertholt scowled. "I wanted a wake up call but I didn't want a pillow to the face!"

Annie rolled her eyes at the two. "You two are so immature sometimes. Can't you just behave for once?"

"Oh, lighten up Annie! We're just having some fun!" Reiner said.

"I wasn't-" Bertholt began before Reiner smacked him in the face with a pillow again.

Annie walked over to her belongings and gathered up her clothes. "Today's the day that the military is recruiting, remember? Now hurry up and gather your stuff. We need to be ready to leave soon."

Reiner stared at her. "Can't we just...not? We already caused so much damage and cost so many people their lives. I can't deal with having any more blood on my hands."

"We know the coordinate is out there though. We have to find it and retrieve it," Bertholt said softly.

Annie stared at them. "You two can leave if you want, but for me it's not that simple."

Bertholt and Reiner glanced at each other then began to gather up their clothes and other belongings. Annie grabbed her white sweatshirt and brown pants, then went under the sheets of her cot to change. She could hear the rustling of Bertholt and Reiner changing into their day clothes, and once she stopped hearing noise she pulled the sheets off of her. To finish packing Annie grabbed her leather and canvas sack that she brought from her old home and placing her clothes in one by one. Once all the clothes were in the sack, Annie flipped to the picture of the dark-haired man with his young daughter in her journal one last time before putting it in her sack as well.

"Our mission's starting, Dad. I'll see you again soon," Annie said quietly, touching the picture.