I've been a very busy boy lately, but here you all go. Thank you MM995 for looking over the first two scenes.


A woman was sitting down in a comfortable-looking armchair, reading a storybook to her two children. Her brown hair was long and lush, and her emerald eyes vibrant with life. She was heavily pregnant, if her swollen belly was any indication. The mother looked very happy as she read the book aloud by the lamplight, a brunette boy, and girl on her lap listening with great interest.

"And so, with a final blow from his blade, Edward slashed deeply into the Jaw Titan's nape, ending the monster that terrorized the townspeople." The mother smiled and turned the storybook page, showing the children a picture of the hero and a crying woman hugging near a cave in a forest. Nearby was a dead Jaw Titan, the vicious monster now limbless and lifeless upon the earth. It was brutally slain without a hint of mercy, its eyes slashed apart and unseeing in death.

"He then freed the captive woman and took the head of the slain titan shifter as proof of his great victory. They then returned to the town, where he was celebrated as a hero for his bravery. He started a new life there and was loved by the woman he had saved. They were married soon after and had many children together. The man was forever remembered as Edward the Titan Slayer, the Hero of Springfall Town. The end."

With a content sigh, the mother closed the book and placed it aside on a table.

"That's so romantic," the girl gushed in delight, hugging her stuffed bear dolly with a smile.

"I don't understand, mom. Why did he fight a Titan just to save some girl?" the boy asked in confusion. The mother laughed and patted him on the head fondly.

"You'll understand when you're older, Milo," she assured him teasingly. The boy frowned thoughtfully in reply, thinking hard about what his mother meant. His musing was interrupted by faint thumps from his mother's stomach.

"That was the baby kicking," the mother announced, a proud smile on her face as she rubbed her womb lovingly. "It won't be long before they come into the world."

"It better be a boy," Milo demanded. "I need a brother to play soldier with."

"No way, it's gonna be a girl! I can feel it," the girl declared. She stared at her mother's womb in mystery, a sense of wonder filling her mind. "Hey, mom? How did the baby get in there?" She felt her mother's stomach, as if trying to find the answer.

"You're a little young to hear that story, but you should know your father had a hand in it, Klara." The adult gave a knowing smile.

"He did? Is that hard to do?" Klara innocently asked.

The mother laughed. "Oh no! Your father and I are very good at it, trust me," she replied, knowing they wouldn't understand the meaning behind her words. "It just took a while for me to get pregnant, that's all."

"Mom, where will the baby come out from?" Milo asked. He poked his mother's stomach in curiosity.

"When the time is right, it will come out from here." She pointed between her legs.

"Does that hurt?" The childish question left Klara's lips as soon as it came to mind. Child Klara knew what her own private part looked like, and the thought of a baby coming out from down there sounded awful.

"Yes, it does hurt, sweetie," the mother admitted. "But for a mother to bond with her child, she must experience that pain." She gave them both a pure and loving smile, one that only a mother could give to her children. "It hurt so much when you both were born into this world, but I don't regret it, because you two are my treasure. And I will gladly go through that again, for my darling babies."

"Mom, we're not babies anymore," Milo whined. The woman just laughed and pinched his cheek playfully.

"It doesn't matter how old you get, Milo. You'll always be my handsome baby boy," she cooed. Milo scowled at her words but didn't refute his mother.

Klara remained silent for a moment, thinking hard about her mother's words. She stared at her mother's swollen midsection, the wonder and inspiration within giving birth to a strong desire. She now knew what she wanted her future to be like.

"Okay, I've decided! One day, I'm gonna be a mommy like you!" The little girl looked up at her mother with pure admiration in her amber eyes. Her mother looked surprised at her declaration, but then her lips became a thrilled smile.

"That's wonderful, sweetheart! I'd love to have some cute grandchildren one day." She rubbed noses with her daughter, who giggled at the action. "But, don't worry about that right now. You still have plenty of time until you grow up. Just be my darling baby girl for right now."

"Okay, mommy!" Klara chirped up, clearly pleased with having her mother's approval. Milo just rolled his eyes at the interaction, clearly indifferent to it.

"So, how many babies were you thinking of, dear?" The mother asked with a teasing smile.

"Ah..." Klara trailed off, taking a moment to think about it. Quickly making up her mind, she held up one hand to announce her important decision. "Five! All girls." Milo didn't share her sentiment and scoffed in reply.

"You can't only have girl babies, dummy. You need to have boys, too." Klara did not appreciate that remark and made her displeasure known with an elbow to her brother's head.

"Ow!" Milo rubbed his abused head, glaring daggers at the sister who hit him.

"Don't call me a dummy!" Klara hotly replied. "Boys are stupid, girls are the best!"

"Y-You jerk!" Milo swore. He raised a hand to hit Klara back, but their mother acted first. She quickly pinched their ears and pulled their heads back, eliciting cries of surprise and pain from her children. She gave a stern scowl at both her charges, who cowered at the displeased look on her face. They knew that look in her green eyes, it meant they were in trouble with mama bear.

"I've already told you both countless times not to hurt each other, didn't I? Do I need to tell your father that you both are being bad again?" She threatened.

"No, mommy! We'll be good! We promise!" they both hastily assured, doing their absolute best to look innocent in every way possible. Their father never physically abused them, but he was very strict in the punishments and discipline he handed out. The last thing they wanted was to scrub the kitchen floor with a toothbrush. Again.

"Good. You better behave now, or you'll both be doing extra chores for the week." The mother released her hold on the children. The two siblings rubbed their stinging earlobes, glaring at each other in a silent blame game. "Now, apologize to each other right now."

"What? But that's not fair, she started it!" Milo complained.

"No, he did, mommy! He called me names," Klara protested with a whine.

"Do I need to bring your father into this? I can go call him right now." Her hand gestured to the nearby table, on which was a wired telephone. That was enough to silence their complaints. Who knew what creative punishments their father had prepared already?

"Augh! Fine! I'm sorry for hitting you, Milo," Klara spat, no sincerity at all in her bitter voice.

"I'm sorry for insulting you, Klara." Milo scowled, crossing his arms and looking away.

"See? You both can get along just fine, can't you?" the mother teased. Seeing as how both of them were behaving, she quickly changed the subject. "You know, I've already decided on a name for the baby. Would you like to hear it?"

"Sure, I guess," Milo said in an offhanded manner, though there was a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Will it be a girl or a boy?" Klara asked, her mind gripped by suspense.

"Well dear, my mommy instincts are telling me it's a little girl. I'm sure of it," the parent declared. Milo gave a disappointed groan at that revelation, while Klara smiled and clapped her hands eagerly.

"What's her name gonna be?" Klara asked in renewed excitement. She loved the idea of having a little sister and wanted to know who her new friend would be. She already had countless plans on what games they could play together, and all the fun they could have. Her mother adopted a content smile, words forming on her lips.

"If it's a girl, her name will be Teresa."


Klara's consciousness slowly regained awareness, a familiar weight on her chest and the soft sound of breathing entering her mind soon afterward. Looking down, the young adult breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her baby sister, still asleep.

Whatever safety the roof over their heads, and advantage their Titan forms might provide, nothing was certain out here, and the mere thought of Teresa being snatched away from her was unbearable to consider. Life simply had no meaning otherwise. Teresa would live; longer than her, at least. Nothing else mattered.

The dream from last night came to mind, and a sense of nostalgia and longing came with it. Even when she was a child, she knew what she wanted more than anything in her future; to be a mother. To bring life to the world and nurture it with loving care. If she was being honest with herself, taking care of Teresa was probably an outlet for that desire.

That dream was also a reminder of her family, of what was lost. Her brother Milo and their mother Sophia. And, of course, Issac, her father, whose name she could finally put on the face of the armored Titan from her first dream.

It felt like an eternity ago, but she could faintly remember the last time she had seen them; the day her former life was ruined.

It was a day like any other, the weather warm and welcoming. They were all eating breakfast together, laughing and talking without a care in the world, though the details of the conversation escaped her mind. She finished eating with her family, dutifully helped her mother clean the dishes and table, then said goodbye before walking off to her daily work.

How could she, or anyone else have known that, very soon, hell would be knocking on their door?

Not even a few hours later, she was captured and dragged off by men in uniforms, her family suffering the same wicked treatment. Remembering what happened after that would do nothing but risk nightmares making a visit to her dreams the next time she went to sleep.

While Klara was glad Teresa was still by her side, the fate of the rest of their family was a mystery. Or, at least, that was what she told herself. The brunette could only cling to the faint hope that they were still out there, waiting to be reunited with her. She wanted to see them again but didn't know where to go, or what to do. For now, she and her sister were stuck in this unknown land behind the wall.

Until she found out where she was, and her tumultuous circumstances found firmer footing, there was no way she would risk Teresa's health to go out and look for them, especially when she didn't even know where they were. Rescuing them were but thoughts for the future at this moment.

Reality came crashing back down when a momentarily unfamiliar sensation, a slight feeling of pressure, made itself known in her lower abdomen. Then her mind clicked.

She had to pee, and a blond little girl was in the way.

"Wake up, Teresa." Klara gently shook her sibling who laid on her stomach. A groan was her response, the girl snuggling deeper into the woman's bosom.

"Shut up." Teresa clung harder to Klara for warmth, putting more pressure on her aching bladder. Not having any of that, the older female firmly pushed her aside, then yanked off her blanket with a sharp tug. The blond girl hissed in displeasure, sending what was at most a kitty glare her way.

"Time to get up, sis. We're in no position to be lazying about," Klara reminded. Her stern tone of voice made it clear that she wouldn't accept no for an answer.

"Fine." Teresa groaned and sat upright, shaking her tangled hair loose.

Klara carefully lit a nearby oil lamp, giving light to the basement again. With no windows here, it was hard to tell what time it was, but her internal clock said it was after sunrise. With active sunlight, the Titans above would be on the move again. Remaining in their human forms for too long wasn't a safe option.

"I had a dream about mom," Teresa announced suddenly, giving her sister pause.

"You remembered her? What happened?" Klara intently demanded, urging her to share. Every little memory of their past life was of dear importance, both emotionally and practically. She couldn't put the puzzle back together if she didn't have all the pieces.

"She was teaching me how to cook. It was nice." The girl wistfully smiled. "She was great, I wish I remembered more about her."

"I do, too." The elder sibling thought of her dream, the emotions still raw. "You remember Milo, right? Our brother?"

"Oh yeah, that pest. He kept ruining my hair." Teresa scowled, causing Klara to chuckle. "But, I wish I could see him again. Mom and Dad, too." She sighed. "Do you think they're still alive?"

"Probably. They weren't with us when we came here," Klara assured. She didn't want to crush Teresa's hopes by cynically saying that they were dead more likely than not. Things were hard enough as they were, and adding more emotional baggage on an already damaged preteen was the farthest thing from productive.

Besides, however much Klara was certain that the worst had befallen them, she didn't want to give up the hope that they were still somewhere out there, alive and breathing and waiting for them. "We can look for them later; we should take care of ourselves first."

And should the worst turn out to be true, at least they'd get closure.

"I'd like that." Teresa's face brightened up at that appealing idea. "Do you think the wall people can help us?" That innocent question made the brunette feel sick to her stomach. The idea of meeting strangers after her torture was terrifying to consider, one that made her paranoid streak flare like a light in the dark.

Still, beggars couldn't be choosers. Their Titan powers gave them the strength to defend themselves against other Titans and humans, but if they were ever to settle into a stable life, let alone be able to look for their parents for what was very possibly an extended period of time, they needed resources, ones which their unique abilities didn't provide.

And that meant seeking out other people, an option that Klara was adamantly reluctant to yet deem imperative. It just wasn't something she'd like to have on her agenda anytime soon. She was brave enough to face the truth, though, quickly conceding the necessity of that course of action.

Not to mention, Teresa needed friends, if she was to have the slightest semblance of a normal life.

"We'll see what happens..." Klara trailed off in thought. "Get ready to leave, I'll be back down soon." Looking up the stairs in grim determination, she climbed back up to the cruel world above. As she went to answer nature's call, memories of her mother and brother crossed her thoughts, images her mind immediately latched on to as a coping mechanism, instilling her with a hope that helped her will and mind from being crushed under the weight of her dark predicament.

I'll come back for you all one day. Please, just be alive and wait for me a little longer.


Klara sat down in front of the farm house, amber eyes unblinking as they watched the surrounding forest for mindless Titans. She slowly sipped water from a glass cup and munched on an apple, patiently waiting for Teresa to arrive outside. It was another chilly spring morning, and yet her body temperature was far too warm for it to bother her. It must have been another side effect of being a Titan, she mused. Just another reminder that she was a monster, and of Ymir's curse upon the Eldians.

As she thought of all the possible outcomes of today, Klara couldn't help but worry. Even if there were any humans left on this island, they could very well be hostile rather then the friendly allies she hoped to find. What if they hated the Meadow siblings for being Titans? What if they tried to kill them out of misguided revenge? What if they captured and tortured them to death? Countless other dark scenarios played out in her mind, the paranoia gnawing at her soul.

But in the end, her love for Teresa was greater then her fears. This was the best option to improve Teresa's life, and so Klara would take it. And should the worst happen, she had a Titan's strength on her side. She could only hope that things went smoothly for them, and that the worst was behind them. But deep down, she knew that was just wishful thinking.

The door opening from behind interrupted Klara's thoughts. With huffs of breath Teresa brought the last of their supplies upstairs, gracelessly tossing it on the ground near the walkway.

"Why do I have to carry everything?" Teresa whined out another complaint. Klara stifled an amused chuckle, turning her head to talk.

"I can give you three good reasons," Klara calmly replied. She closed her eyes, deliberately taking a slow drink from her glass to annoy her younger sister.

"Well? What are they?" Teresa demanded. She gave her best glare at Klara, but it was more cute then threatening. Klara simply smirked and tossed her apple core into the grass, holding up three fingers for emphasis.

"First off, I need my hands free to fight. My Titan is stronger and I'm the better fighter, so I will be protecting both of us." A finger went down. "Second, your Titan is smaller and faster then mine. It makes more sense to trust our valuables with you, since you can get away from danger faster." Another finger fell.

"I guess that's fair," Teresa conceded. A brief silence followed, as Klara gave a toothy smile that got on her nerves. "What's the third reason?" Teresa demanded with an impatient stomp of her foot. No matter how hard Teresa tried to be intimidating, she was far too adorable for Klara to see her as a threat.

"The final, and most important reason; bossing around my little sister is fun," Klara grinned with mirth. "You make an excellent servant, flat chest." She playfully poked Teresa in her breasts. The blond girl turned an impressive shade of red, a look of anger quickly overtaking her face.

"Oh, shut up!" Teresa shoved Klara as hard as she could, which the older sister laughed off.

"You can't hurt anything with those skinny arms," Klara teased. As if to prove her wrong, Teresa's nails started to viciously dig into her arm skin. While Klara would quickly heal from injuries, the pain from Teresa's sharp nails was still irritating. So Klara grabbed Teresa's arms to gently restrain her for a moment. As much as Teresa struggled, she couldn't break free of the elder Meadow sister's strength.

"Let go of me, you big jerk!" Teresa growled, which was more akin to a puppy barking to Klara.

"I'm sorry, Teresa. You're just so adorable when you're mad," Klara cooed sweetly. "I need to amuse myself somehow, you know?"

"And you're still a stupid older sister," Teresa scoffed. "Your boobs are bigger then your tiny brain."

"Mhm. Well, I'm not complaining about my good luck. You still jealous of me?" Klara teased.

"Well, at least I'm smarter then you are!" Teresa hotly replied.

"Sure you are. Whatever helps you sleep at night," Klara smiled brightly. Teresa scowled in frustration, having run out of comebacks. While teasing her younger sister was fun, Klara knew when she had to stop. "You know I don't mean those things, Teresa. It's just fun to rile you up," Klara commented.

"Doesn't matter. You're still the worst sister ever," Teresa huffed. A hurt look appeared on Klara's face at that statement, but it vanished soon after. She had brought this situation upon herself, so it was her own fault that Teresa was upset.

"I'll make it up to you later," Klara offered. "Sister Debt." She held her hand out expectantly, waiting for Teresa to shake it. It was a phrase Klara remembered from their youth, meaning that she would freely give Teresa a favor later. Not that she wouldn't have done so anyway, but it was a fun little game they used to play.

"...Fine. But you owe me big time!" The blond girl declared, gripping her older sister's hand as hard as she could.

"Within reason, yes," the older sister agreed. They fell into a comftorable silence for a moment, idly watching the sunrise appear on the sky.

"We're going to look for the humans now, right?" Teresa broke the silence. Klara flinched and felt sudden fear, but quickly masked it.

"Are you sure you want to do that? It's not to late to turn back now," Klara stressed. While paranoia still lingered in her mind, and she knew what Teresa's answer would be, she had to be sure.

"Yes, Klara. I told you already, I'm tired of it just being us," Teresa stated with conviction. Klara inwardly sighed, knowing there was no convincing Teresa otherwise now. Her mind was made up.

"Then so be it," Klara halfheartedly agreed. Her arm snaked around her younger sister, pulling her close for an hug. Teresa didn't resist, allowing Klara to breath in the soothing scent of her beloved sibling. This was her purpose in life now, and no one would take it away from her.

"I don't know what we'll find there. But what ever happens, we'll face it together," Klara promised. "We'll stay together forever, okay?"

"Forever? Yeah, that sounds nice," Teresa agreed. They said nothing for a while after that, remaining silent as they watched the sun paint the sky with all its colors.


With a screech of dominance, Titan Klara pummeled yet another mindless Titan with her hardened fist, satisfied to see it's face cave in. She followed through by grabbing it's deformed arm, and with an impressive display of strength, she lifted the other giant up and slammed it into a massive tree. Not a hint a mercy was in her eyes as the giant groaned in agony, the mutant humanoid still futility trying to eat her. Her claws reached down and gripped the monster's neck like a vice, ripping out it's nape and ending yet another abomination. She stomped it's neck with her foot for good measure, ensuring that it never rose again.

Klara didn't remember where she learned to fight like this, only that it felt natural. She let her instincts take over her brawls with the Titans, and they had yet to let her down. She wouldn't lie, taking out these horrid monsters could be fun at times. They couldn't match her raw power or her skills in fighting, and her armor made it nearly impossible for them to hurt her. Her sharp claws suited her well as a weapon, allowing her to easily cleave through flesh and bone alike. Her Titan was like an unstoppable force of nature, ready to be unleashed upon her enemies. While she still had mixed feeling regarding this strange existence, she couldn't deny the power her Titan provided.

Teresa followed closely behind her older sister, crawling on all fours in her nimble Titan form. Her claws tore up the earth with ease, and made it very easy for her to move over obstacles and climb up trees if needed. While Teresa's Titan was much smaller and weaker compared to most Titans, her speed and agility more then made up for it. Her claws and dagger-like teeth also gave her an effective means of defense, so she was not a fragile flower by any means. Still, Klara was far too protective to allow the other Titans to come closer to her beloved sibling.

Klara had tied their possessions to Teresa's Titan with a generous of rope, leaving her looking much like a pack mule. She carried their spoils from the countless abandoned houses they had searched the other day, the only means they had to sustain their human bodies. While they were forced to leave some of it behind at the farmhouse, this was more then enough supplies to last for a while yet. More then enough to give them another chance at life, should there be any surviving humans to be found.

At the moment, they were traveling through a forest with impossibly high trees, ones that Klara couldn't remember seeing in any of her memories. They were many times taller then any Titan, and countless times thicker as well. The large and imposing trees easily blocked out the sunlight, giving the area below a dark and gloomy feeling. It seemed that many Titans also traveled through here, based on the number Klara had killed already. It was a strange forest, unnatural even, but majestic in a sense.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a metallic scent reached her nose, making her sick with hunger and revulsion. She stopped moving forward, frozen in place with an internal conflict in her mind. She could easily recognize that smell from her nightmares, the red life fluid that haunted her sleep. The reminder of what a monster she was.

"Klara... do you smell it too?" Teresa asked in worry.

"Yes. It's human blood..." Klara trailed off ominously. There was a tense silence between them for a moment, neither of the Titan sisters knowing how to handle this situation. Mindless Titans lurking about with a strong scent of human blood did not promise a happy discovery.

"We should investigate," Teresa finally decided. She darted ahead before Klara could respond, forcing her to reluctantly follow behind. It took all of her courage to go forward, while silently battling her own Titan's twisted hunger. A part of her desired the taste human flesh again, but no, she would not give in to that sick instinct. She desperately clung to her own humanity, reminding herself that she was not a monster. She was Klara, and she was a human too. She kept repeating those words to herself until they finally reached the source of her conflict.

"Oh no," Teresa whispered in disbelief, staring ahead in horror. Walking around a few more massive trees, Klara bore witness to the horrific scene that guaranteed another nightmare.

It was a massacre. The entire clearing was filled with the remains of dead humans and horses, the soil soaked and spattered with countless bloodstains. The dead looked to be soldiers of some kind, if their strange gear and blades were any indication. Bloodied green cloaks clung to their dismembered bodies, with a blue and white wing as their insignia. Klara could easily guess what had happened: they tried to fight the Titans, and failed miserably.

Only one other Titan besides them remained in the gore fest, and it was munching on a still living soldier. The man let out pained screams as the Titan slowly gnawed on his legs, which were little more then stubs at this point. It was sickening to see the giant devour his flesh and blood with twisted delight, and it called out to her to do something about it.

Klara didn't think, she just acted. She threw herself forward to stop the horrifying scene that pained her heart. One ghoulish hand reached out with it's claws outstretched, ripping out the abominations nape to kill it. The other carefully pried the mangled soldier out of it's crushing grip, in a desperate attempt to keep him alive for a while longer. With the Titan dead on the ground, she carefully lowered the tormented man to the earth, Teresa crawling over to take a look as well.

The remains of his legs were a mangled mess, blood seeping out into her bony hand. Just at a glance, Klara knew there was no way to save him. He had lost too much blood, and was certain to die soon. Seeing the horrible pain he was enough for Klara to hold back her own Titan's sick desires. She didn't want to hurt him, but it was impossible for her to help him at this point. The best she could do was watch over him until he passed away.

With a flicker of his eyes, the soldier faintly looked up at the Titan sisters, fear and horror overcoming his face again.

"Monsters... stay away!" The man cried out. He tried to crawl out of Klara's hand in a futile attempt to escape, a task made impossible by his missing limbs. Teresa crawled over to take a closer look, her massive green orbs staring at him in pity.

"It's okay. We won't hurt you," Teresa assured the dying man. His eyes flickered in surprise at her words, disbelieve overtaking his other emotions.

"You... can talk?" The soldier gasped. "No... it's not possible."

"My name is Teresa," the Titan girl continued, ignoring his numb disbelief. "I'm sorry mister, but we can't save you. Do you want something before you die?" Teresa gestured at the countless bags tied to her massive body.

To both their surprise, the man gave off a bitter laugh at her concern.

"Why do you care? You Titans did this to us! You kill us for fun! This world is hell, because of monsters like you!" Those harsh words cut into both their hearts like a knife, but Klara tried to ignore them. She understood that he was a broken man, lashing out at the world before death claimed his soul.

"All of us Titans were once humans. Don't you know this?" Klara asked with grave sorrow, her amber orbs staring down at him in pity. "We were forced to become Titans, by other humans who hated us. We didn't want to be this way." She hoped that this reveal, however tragic, would give him some level of closure. He at least deserved to know the truth before he died.

Shock overcame the soldier's face at that harsh reveal, before anger and denial took over it again.

"No, you're lying! It's a lie!" That man cried out. "Stop mocking me! I hate you both!" He flailed around in her ghoulish hand, blood gushing out faster then before. "Just shut up! Shut up and die already! Leave humanity alone! The world belongs to us, not you bitches!"

"Stop moving! You're making it worse!" Teresa cried in alarm at his worsening injuries. But the man was deaf to any reasoning. In a final display of hate, the soldier spat out saliva mixed with blood, the tainted liquid splattered onto Teresa's face. She recoiled at his hostility, a look of pain and confusion appearing on her face as their eyes met for the last time.

"Go to hell... you don't belong in this world," the man whispered in contempt. He gave a few pained gasps for breath before falling silent. His eyes lost the last sparks of life, now showing emptiness and pain. Both of them looked at the fresh corpse with mixed emotions, words failing to express this tragic moment.

"The poor man... he didn't deserve this," Teresa broke the somber silence. Even now, it amazed Klara how forgiving and understanding Teresa could be at times. Klara herself understood how the fallen soldier felt, but the words still hurt, and did nothing to improve her state of mind.

"I know, Teresa," Klara tiredly replied. She looked around the clearing again, looking at the dead soldiers and horses in grief. "They're all dead. The least we can do is bury the bodies." Using one of her bony hands like a shovel, Klara tore up the topsoil to make a quick grave. Gently placing the dead soldier in the earth's cold embrace, she moved the soil back to cover his lifeless face. She was about to do the same for the others, when Teresa tugged at her arm for attention.

"No, Klara. There are more of them here! I can smell them," Teresa urged. "There must be others like him nearby. We need to help them. We can save them!" Teresa declared passionately. Using her own scent of smell, Klara realized that Teresa was correct. There were more humans nearby, perhaps within a mile or so.

It would be all to easy for Klara to refuse. All too easy to make an excuse of why they shouldn't risk their lives for people they didn't know. But looking over the mangled corpses around her, Klara felt the forgotten emotion of empathy rise up within her. Could she ever forgive herself if she abandoned the other humans out here? Did she have the heart to leave them to die for her own convenience? If she did nothing, they were sure to end up like the corpses in front of her; just more meaningless deaths in a cruel world.

You want to prove that you're not a monster, don't you dear? This is your perfect chance. Please, save them. A faint whisper in her mind encouraged. Just her imagination, Klara reasoned. But she found herself agreeing with that sentiment. Her sense of compassion would not allow her to say no.

So be it. Klara would help them, if only out of pity. She could only hope that this ended well.

"Teresa... yes. Let's go help them," Klara finally agreed."Just stay close to me, and don't die." A relieved smile appeared on Teresa's face, the girl happy at the decision that was made.

"Let's go then! There's no time!" Teresa immediately sprinted forward on all fours, with Klara following close behind. Their footsteps shook the forest with earth crushing steps, the sisters darting around the massive trees and boulders in a desperate race against time. For the sake of saving strangers, and to protect them from the mutant humanoids that they understood better then anyone else.

Hold on, little ones. Help is on the way. Klara silently promised, a glint of fire reawakening in her amber eyes.