Chapter 1:Prologue
Year 845
The night was quiet, the wind whispering softly through the trees, the sky a black curtain over humanity's fortress. The Survey Corps headquarters was silent, save for the occasional murmur of fear in the new recruits' barracks, a manifestation of the uncertainty for survival, the uncertainty of simply living for the next week. It was something that was omnipresent; it was part and parcel of the Survey Corps, a constant reminder of the bloody nature of their jobs.
Hushed zephyrs, slipping between two silhouettes shrouded under the veil of the night.
The silence between humanity's strongest pair was thick with unspoken messages.
A soft hand over his, its warmth a comforting blanket in the cool night. Their breaths were soft and shallow.
Two pairs of steel blue orbs, staring straight ahead, wary of tomorrow yet desperate to leave today.
They had left him alone. Again.
Every single one of them. Every single one, except her.
He had watched, helpless, as they left him, one by one, slipping down the throats of the heartless man-eaters, gnashed in their jaws, his name ripped out of their throats in tortured screams.
"It's not your fault," her voice was calm, collected, temporarily soothing his morbid mind.
No.
His hand trembled under hers, his breaths coming short. He had failed to save them, his comrades; the soldiers who had devoted their lives to become humanity's wings of freedom. They had willingly placed all their hope in him, their trusted heichou, humanity's strongest soldier.
He had failed all of them.
Her grip tightened, as if it was holding on to his sanity, keeping him from slipping over the edge.
"Levi-"
"They believed in me, all of them, and I couldn't do a single thing." His face was devoid of emotion, the effect of years spent as humanity's strongest soldier.
She knew it. The strained undertone in his voice, the way his grip had tightened to match hers.
He's breaking.
"That's right Levi, no matter what you did, you couldn't have saved them." Her normally light voice hardened slightly with conviction.
He remained silent as she continued.
"Their soldiers, Levi, they knew they were going to die, they were ready to die. In this Legion, we all are. You were ready to sacrifice your life to save them and they were ready to do the same for you. So do them a favor and get over it, let their determination and spirit spur you on, be the captain that they placed all their hope in."
She took a deep breath, allowing them to lapse into their state of non-verbal communication once more, her bangs casting an ominous shadow over her eyes.
The wind picked up once more; her onyx tresses ghosted past her shoulders, tickling her back slightly above her waist. Normally, Levi would be nagging her to tie it up, but no one was in the mood for such mundane mannerisms today.
I will obliterate those bloody titans.
She didn't need to hear it to sense his change in spirit. His clenched fist trembled with his anger and his whole body tensed. She turned as she felt him shift to face her, steel blue gaze boring holes in her profile.
As blue steel met blue steel, his silent message was clear.
Don't die. Don't leave me alone.
Year 845—After the breach of Wall Maria
The aftermath of the breach of the wall was pure chaos.
The entire Shiganshina District was in ruins, debris from the damaged 50 meter wall lay haphazardly across the town, the steaming carcasses of titans and humans alike littering the roads. The survivors were emotional wrecks, crammed onto the boats, their faces reflecting a myriad of emotions. Relief from finding a relative alive and in one piece, uncertainty from what the future holds, anguish from losing a loved one. The list went on.
The casualties were heavy, to say the least. The list of missing individuals was long enough to graze the ankles of the average soldier, or, in the case of a certain (vertically challenged) corporal, the floor. No one really knew what had happened to the listed individuals; it was rather difficult to identify the many half-eaten bodies, let alone the regurgitated remains. However, given the circumstances, it was almost certain that they were dead. Needless to say, with the matters at hand almost every soldier present was kept on their toes by the recovery efforts.
A certain ebony-haired corporal adjusted his cravat as he studied the list of missing personnel. The list was quite strange, really, apart from the usual civilians and cadets, it included a high-ranking Colonel(a close subordinate of Keith Shadis) from the Survey Corps, 2 Staff Sergeants from the Stationary Guard and Military Police respectively, a fellow corporal from the Survey Corps-
No.
The ensuing chaos around him ceased to exist as sharp blue eyes zeroed in on one name amongst the static words, a single line in the linear chain of text.
Nadeshiko Ruri Age: 21 Division: Scouting Legion
The shouts of his fellow soldiers were reduced to muffled cries as their faces became blurred, the contours distorted. He re-read the name, double read it, triple read it, holding on to some stubbrn hope that it was his mind playing tricks on him. It couldn't be her…. could it?
Her name was on the list of missing people, in static, unrelenting print. Levi's face was its usual, unfeeling mask, but his hands shook uncontrollably as they crumpled the edges of the damned paper. He refused to believe it; he wouldn't believe it. She was the other half of humanity's strongest pair, she was one of the best, she wouldn't go down that easily, she was probably still out rounding up stragglers, they had made a mistake, they-
"Levi."
He didn't need the awkward pat on the shoulder for it to sink in; the look Erwin gave him said it all. He felt his throat constrict from something other than his cravat as sorrow permeated every pore on his being. She was the last person he thought would leave him, yet she already had. Why hadn't he seen it coming? It was so natural, so inevitable; for everyone he ever cared for to leave his side. His heart clenched in his chest and he almost doubled-over as memories of that recent night hit him like a 15 meter titan.
…
Her fiery blue orbs returned his gaze in a silent vow.
"I won't."
A/N:
Disclaimer- I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin(In my dreams or in reality), Isayama Hajime does.
Whew…so that was the first chapter. Hopefully, it didn't disappoint. This story will be following the actual plot for the most part, except for the addition of my OC and a slight crossover with DGM(hint hint). I considered labeling it as a crossover, but I don't think the degree of crossing over warrants that kind of label. I'll probably be updating every 2 weeks or so, so hopefully no one gets too bored while waiting. Also, don't forget to review and favourite! I'm also open to any suggestions regarding the storyline so feel free to PM me:).
Also, the italics are for flashbacks and the characters' thoughts, the big chunks of italics are the flashbacks and the 1-3 liners are generally the thoughts.
