Well hello there!
I am MeridianPine, a fanfiction writer looking to expand his repertoire. I've been a fan of AOT for a long time, and wanted to create something that I could actually enjoy reading. You barely see any fanfics with the Curse of Ymir or any of the other rules and discoveries about the titans.
I intend to change that.
The Sunken Spring does not involve any of the characters from Isayama's manga.
It does, however, feature his creations, the Titans.
Without any further ado, here is the first chapter of The Sunken Spring.
The Sunken Spring: Chapter One
Chapter One: Chance
A dusty, unpaved road lead a young man in his early twenties to the University. Despite it being unpaved, it was completely smooth, with no irregularities. Lined by forest and swampland, the dust came only from the road, as it degraded.
The workers would be out later that night to smooth it over, and the process would be repeated the next day.
He was too poor to afford a car to get there, but the government had recognized his talent, and granted him a scholarship.
There were reasons he had received the scholarship aside from his academic prowess and the paper he'd written.
He was slightly above average height, and relatively attractive.
Mark's nose was a little too large for his liking, but his dark brown hair was combed back nicely.
He might have been a commoner, but he didn't have to look completely like one.
Mark Eldridge, as that was his full name, was forced to walk two hours each day to reach his university.
It had all of the modern amenities. Phones, hot and running water, and even new microwave technology, which his mother said would fry him if he got too close.
But Mark knew better. He had a brilliant mind on his shoulders. The government had discovered him and his brilliance when his hypothesis on the "Birth rate and size of Eldian infants when compared to other nationalities" went public.
They had recruited him on the spot, and sent him to public housing near the world's top university.
It was a modest, gated community of a few hundred. Mostly government employees and road workers. But aside from them, there were a few more people like Mark. Commoners allowed scholarships with the contractual promise to work for the government as their career upon their graduation from the University.
The University of Inkwell. Sponsored by the royalty of the Eldians, the Inkwell family, it was the premier place in the entire world to study.
Black and white marble formed its exterior structure, with pillars and vast walls surrounding its perimeter.
As Mark made his way across the flawless lawn of the University, he was sneered at. The women turned away, chuckling. The men pointed and laughed outright at his pauper's clothes.
"Damn. I know I'm poor, but it's not like I'm that bad." he thought as he signed in, "at least I'm clean."
He pulled the map of the university out of his pocket; this only being his second day, he hadn't had some of his courses yet. Past the mess hall was a cluster of lecture halls. He was heading for 12B, in the history wing.
"So today's class is History Pertaining to Titans. What gibberish. We haven't had a pure titan appear for thousands of years, so what is this going to teach us?"
aaaaaTSSaaaaa
"Now, as some of you may already know, there are nine "titan shifters" spread across the world. Usually, they are held by the royalty and passed down whenever the offspring reaches a certain age. Those who use the 'power of the titans' must inflict some form of self-harm upon themselves to transform. Whether its by tooth or blade, the transformation itself reportedly requires the drawing of blood."
After that, Mark started to tune the professor, Mr. Glaive, out. There was no point in listening unless he was teaching them something new, like what the 'titan shifters' were.
Looking around at the people nearest to him, was a conglomerate of the elite and middle class.
And then there was another one.
Someone wearing unrecognizable clothes. A young woman, wearing an odd garment.
She was blonde, and short.
Her body appeared to be rather thin. Aside from one older man, no one sat near her aside from Mark; he didn't think anything of it when she looked back at him.
Thinking back to the lecture, Mark thought about the nine 'titan shifters'.
"They're such a fucking secret. We don't even know what they look like," Mark thought, internally embittered. And then the professor said something that snapped all of the students out of their reveries.
"...And the textbook has an article, though brief, explaining one of the 'titan shifters'. Please read pages 209 through 210 tonight, and answer questions 2-7. At the end of this course, you will all be writing a paper on the military importance of this specific titan, and how timing its transformation is so critical. Class is dismissed."
Mark had already looked at the pages before being told to pack up, and his eyes had widened.
"This article is sponsored by the Mao-Zheng, as an insight to their military might."
The article's title was:
"The Colossus Titan."
There was a picture next to the article, of a giant, partially skinless titan, standing on a battlefield. The photograph appeared to have been taken from a aeroplane.
The way the Colossus loomed over everything made Mark shiver in fear.
In the picture, it leered back over its shoulder, with a chilling glare towards the camera.
Behind it was a massive crater, which was still crawling with bolts of lightning.
'A true god of destruction,' the article said.
"Indeed," was all that Mark could think.
aaaaaTSSaaaaa
As he went back north on the access road to his home away from home, a strange car passed him. It was sleek, and dare he say it, new?
The new Torcaza. He'd seen it in one of his father's car magazines.
As it passed him, he made eye contact with the person in the passenger seat.
A young blonde woman.
Lightning flashed behind his eyes, blinding him.
The blood in his veins churned and moved in unnatural ways, forcing him into a stance not dissimilar to the kowtow.
As he got up and dusted himself off, the car slowed to a stop a few hundred feet away.
And the passenger door opened.
aaaaaTSSaaaaa
She was upon him within two minutes, her slow approach unsettling. It was almost as though she had all of the time in the world.
"Hello. I'm sorry for what happened when I passed you. I thought I had it under control, but from what happened to you, it appears that my control is incomplete." She reached her hand out, smiling sheepishly.
"Maura. And you would be?"
He shook her hand.
"I'm Mark Eldridge. Nice to meet you. Do you go to Inkwell? You look pretty familiar." He said, scrutinizing her face for any sign of someone he knew. And then he realized who she was, with widening eyes. She was the one from his Titan History course.
She frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"Yes. I think we share the Titan History course, as boring as it is. Didn't you write the one article comparing the size and birth rate of Eldian children over time," she asked, pushing some hair out of her face, and tapping her foot oddly.
"You think that course is boring? Titans are the most interesting thing I have ever had a chance to study. And yes," he said, blushing, "that was my breakthrough work that got me recognized by the Inkwell's. It's all anyone will talk about when I introduce myself."
"Ahhh…" she acknowledged, "I did rather enjoy reading your work...But I have to go. I'll see you on Thursday, I suppose?" she asked, almost seeming hopeful, even while awkwardly excusing herself.
"Yes. I'm certain you will see me, considering that I'm too poor to afford missing a class and getting my scholarship canceled."
There was an odd look in her eyes then, as she turned away.
"See you then."
Author's Note: Please review! I need feedback really badly.
Signing off;
Alexander, aka MeridianPine.