Hey guys,

Sorry for the wait. To atone for my sins I've written a nice, fat chapter for you, and I've got Part 2 in oven. Be on the lookout for more frequent chapter posts and updates. As always, thanks for the support!

Happy reading,

twosongs

When Historia woke up, she was falling from the sky. Her body melted right through the clouds. Wind gusted into her lungs and she couldn't do a thing. Not even scream. Finally, she saw something… something grand, and blue. In the midst of a rural forest.

A lake. And she was plummeting right at it. It was a good thing her mind was mush, because all she could think about was how cold the air was. She was almost there, but Historia refused to shut her eyes. And just before the placid lake could flatten her -

Lightning. It soared down like God's wrath. Struck her with fury, just as her fingers touched the water and -

Black... Again. Silence filled the void… Her thoughts wandered like lost souls.

"Historia."

What? Who was that?

"Historia."

Ymir? Her eyes blinked open. Blistering white light seared like wildfire.

"Historia, rise."

Finally, she could make the semblance of a face. It wasn't Ymir. This girl before her… her hair was too light. Skin too pale. Too short. She… she looked like her.

"Frieda?"

The girl laughed. "No, my child." She couldn't have been older than Historia but her voice rumbled with an ancient echo. And yet, it was kind. Feminine.

"My name is Ymir Fritz. I have a task for you." She leaned forward, and they touched foreheads.

Lightning fell from the heavens once again.

Historia spazzed to life, drool dripping down her chin. Eren kneeled before her. Behind him stood the rest of Squad Levi. They were terrified. Shellshocked.

"Wha…" She felt the grass beneath her. Glanced back, where the lake pulsed calmly. It was only then that Historia noticed she was soaking wet. She studied her friends.

"Where… am I?"

No one could answer. They were ogling at something. Even the Captain seemed petrified. Historia looked at her hand…

Where a golden apple glistened like the radiant sun above.

"DAMMIT!"

Jean chucked his bow at a tree.

Sasha gasped. "It took me five hours to make that!"

"Yeah, well it wasn't long enough. They suck!"

"You suck!"

THUD! Jean and Sasha jumped away by instinct. An arrow quivered at their feet… right through the body of a chunky hare.

Mikasa walked to her kill and slugged it over her shoulder. Shot them a stoic glare. "We need at least two more to eat tonight."

Jean and Sasha ogled at her back as she vanished.

Eren stared at the crackling tear of hare meat plugged to the edge of his stick. The fire roasted it without mercy. The flame danced closer to his fingers… closer and closer… until it almost...

"Eren." Mikasa touched his hand.

He snapped back to reality. Mikasa, Armin, Historia, and Connie sat in a circle around the fire. Each with sticks of their own. All unified by the same scared look. Nobody could wipe that look off their face for a month. Eren didn't think it would ever go away.

Historia sat across from him. "You burned your meat."

He did. "Shit… Sorry." Eren slumped further into the grass.

Armin started to tear his off. "You can have mine - "

"No." Eren rubbed his eyes. "I'm not that hungry."

"Eren." Mikasa was as stern as ever.

"I'm fine."

"Not if you don't eat - "

"Mikasa, I'm fine. Seriously."

The forest was dark and silent. Stars littered the night sky. Eren tried to count them. Whatever could get his mind off how bored he was. How useless he felt.

"Hey, Armin." Connie examined his meat. "Could I have some of yours, then? I think I burned mine."

"It's not burned, Connie." Historia pointed at it.

"It's black."

"That's the stick."

It took him a few seconds "Ooh…"

"Dammit!" Eren sat upright. "When are we gonna get this fucking signal?"

Armin took a tiny bite out of his dinner. "When we least expect it, probably."

"What's the point in that - "

"GUYS!" Jean emerged from the thicket, panting. Sasha tripped over a twig and face-planted right at Connie's feet.

Jean's eyes were deep with fear. "They're back."

They lay in a line along the cusp of a hillock. Several hundred meters in front of them stood a cave, sealed by a massive rock. A broad meadow of short flowers lined the way.

"Are you sure it's in there, Captain?" Armin was unnerved.

"We're sure," Levi said.

Hange pointed to the rim of the boulder. A scaffold-pulley mechanism wrapped around its bottom. "They use some kind of pulley to roll it out. We caught a glimpse of it. We're not sure what it is they do, but they do it quick."

"None of them seem to be here after dark. But of course, it'd be stupid to assume that."

"So it's a trap?" Connie asked.

Hange grinned. "Precisely."

The kids almost fell off the hill.

"Actually, we should assume they're watching us right now."

"Then why are we walking into it?" Eren whispered violently. "It's stupid - " Jean and Eren said simultaneously. They glared at each other.

Armin started his tactical monologue. "Even though we have the disadvantage in information, they must not believe we have the ability to move the boulder. They probably also have a reason to keep their distance from us. Maybe they feel the same disadvantage toward us."

"YES!" Hange yapped. "Armin is right. It's our best bet to take what's precious from them with a swift blow. They won't be expecting Eren to transform into a 15m titan capable of moving that boulder. After all, they could've just used one of those fancy metal doors they have in the city. Whatever precautions they are taking, their first concern seems to be avoiding detection. We'll pinpoint that weakness."

Mikasa scanned the rural boondocks around them. "If we're ambushed, how do we know we'll be able to get away?"

Levi stood. "Because we're not running this time." He fastened the buckle of his 3DMG. "There seems to be only a limited patrol here. Which means these guys aren't putting all their eggs in one basket."

"There's more... of those things?" Armin figured out.

Hange's smile drooped. "Probably, yes."

Levi wiped his hands. "All right, brats. Here's the plan."

Mikasa hated taking orders from that bastard shorty. What she hated more was that he was usually right.

She and Jean hid in the canopy overlooking the west side of the meadow. The trees would provide cover for their ambush.

Mikasa noticed his hands were shaking. "Jean."

He calmed down. "Sorry."

"They wear masks. Besides, we don't even know if they're real."

"Yeah… I know... I have to."

They waited for the signal. Mikasa felt Jean's eyes all over her. She always thought pretending to be clueless would turn him off. But it didn't. Mikasa always knew how he felt. She wasn't a blockhead like Eren...

… Or was doing the same thing?

No. Now wasn't the time or place. "Focus, Jean," she said.

He gulped. "Right." Jean steadied himself on the branch. "It's just - "

A red signal flare burst in the sky. Mikasa dipped off the branch. "There it is!"

"Yeah!" Jean unsheathed his blades and flew after.

Something was off. Eren had seen it in the captain's eyes. This was more than a gamble. Were they already losing hope? In him? He didn't know what to think anymore. This world made less sense than his own, and that was really saying something.

He burst through the air, trying to get as high above the boulder as possible. He saw the captain wading in the nearby trees; the first line of defense. Historia flew with Hange behind him so they could enter the cave quickly. Sasha and Connie, the agilest, were scouting. Eren smashed his trigger, soaring for the moon, and began to spin. He saw Jean and Mikasa careening in from the left; they were the deadliest after the Captain, so they had to be close. Mikasa had that look in her eye again. She was always good at keeping her cool. Unless, of course, it involved him.

For once, let this work... Let him win a battle on his own. That scar on her face was an unending reminder of his powerlessness. Sometimes he thought she'd be better off if they'd never met at all. If he had left after saving her that day. If he'd never given her that scarf.

Did she know the dreams he had about them?

Eren chomped on his thumb, the moon at his back. Searing light and thunder engulfed his world. He felt flesh gather onto his hand, burying into his face and igniting an ancient fire inside him. No matter what, no matter when, becoming a Titan felt both incredible and awful in most intense way. It was like flying into the sun, feeling your soul scorch itself to ashes as you got closer to the light.

It was a curse.

Eren landed on his feet, and bolted for the seal.