Being a member of the Survey Corps was never an easy task nor would it ever become any easier, and whoever suggested such a naive notion was a liar. Nothing more than a cowardly child who couldn't admit it to themselves out of fear for the security of their sanity. And then there were those who had accepted the madness and welcomed it with open arms, those who had lived long enough to succumb to the soul-crushing influence of death himself. That is, if you considered it living rather than just merely surviving.
Having death as an almost near constant companion took it's toll on a young soldier's mind; Petra knew this all too well. Although she had yet to be with the Survey Corps long enough to be considered a veteran, she had experienced more than most simply because fate enjoyed toying with her. That's the mantra she would almost obsessively repeat in her head when she could feel the facade slipping. This is all a cruel joke. Yes, it's simply fate toying with me to see what it takes to break me. This is all a joke. A sick, twisted joke. This isn't real, just a joke. Just a joke. There were times when the facade slipped away entirely, the curtain falling shut on what had seemed to be her sanity's final act. After every expedition the curtain would gradually close, sanity disappearing like smoke evaporating into the air.
Blood. That was all she could see on everything and everyone. Her surroundings were stained red with the blood of fallen comrades as it rained down from the sorrowful clouds above. Her mind had once again fallen through the cracks, but no matter how hard she struggled it did no good. She screamed and she cried -at least she tried to- but no sound would come out. Everyone was dead. Piled in a heap in front of her, eyes glazed over and unseeing. She fell to her knees and clutched her head, continually whispering, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. It's my fault you're all dead. I couldn't save you. I tried but I just couldn't run fast enough. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Petra!" A voice frantically yelled. It sounded familiar, put she couldn't place it. I must be hearing things. Everyone's dead, there's no way a voice could be calling me.
"Petra, snap out of it!" Two more somewhat familiar voices called. This is impossible..
Everything froze. She knew who these voices belonged to, but how? Her eyes snapped open, but instead of seeing blood and a heap of bodies, she saw the faces of her teammates. She sighed, the action resembling both her relief and her frustration. "I'm sorry guys. I guess I just kind of lost it."
"Are you alright now?" Asked Eld, his worried expression matching that of Auruo's and Gunther's. "You seem pretty shaken up."
She nodded. "I'll be fine." Petra stood up giving herself a once over just to assure herself of her own safety. "Thank you all...for bringing me back. I doubt I could have done it on my own." She said to all of them.
"Hey, what are teammates for? We've all had a time where we needed someone to bring us back to reality." Said Gunther, a reassuring smile on his face.
She offered a small smile in return, turning and walking away.
She was certain that without the support of those three she would have gone off the deep end long ago. They were all there for each other no matter what, for they had all experienced one another's pain at some point in time. They all bore the same heavy burden on their hearts and their souls, one that could only be lifted by complete and utter trust in each other. That was how the Survey Corps remained so strong despite the hardships. A bond that could not be broken, not even by divine intervention. For faith and loyalty are the key to success. One cannot move forward alone, one must lean on the support of others in order to achieve their goal.