**READ THE DISCLAIMER! Hajime Isayama is super double deluxe, as is Shingeki no Kyojin. I wish I owned that kind of deluxe-ness, but I don't. All I own are my OCs... Don't tell her I think that she isn't deluxe. I'm too young to die!**
A/N: Shout outs to my readers! You guys are amazing, and I love getting feedback from you! Thanks for all of your favoriting, following, and reviewing! Super double deluxe cookies go out to Vertan Yamamoto (Yep, Levi went there! He's mean, but we love him anyway!), asdfghjkl (Thanks! Your support means the world to me!), nyancatguru (Aw! Only thirty seconds of spazzing out? Dang it, I'm gonna have to step it up! So happy you liked the sarcasm!), (Haha, well my writing usually has loooooots of words, so I'm not gonna suddenly dip down to 1,000 words lol!) , Hatsune Cybanne, Maire ( :'D You just made me cry from happiness! This fandom could really use some OC love!), iliketosmile (I'm glad you like the story being detailed because a lot of people are scared off by a ton of words. Thanks for sticking around when others would run scared! XD), sweetchill, mirageseason132, McFassy (Yeah, their relationship (or lack of) is a straaaange one. They got off on the wrong foot, and everything just kind of went downhill from there!), MikaCheshire (Haha! Glad you didn't have to wait long! Hope this backstory lives up to your expectations!), Kiyomi-Takashima (Oh, no! Sorry if I confused you, but Malvad isn't her real name, it's the name of the place she's from. But, yeah, Karma's more willing to give answers to Eren XD), Ficchii (Seriously. Karma. XD I thought of it on the spot and just couldn't resist! And, yeah, this is where I'm bringing my theory of other civilizations to life! Though, ask yourself, if it's safer on the outside, then why would Karma be here instead?... DUN DUN DUUUUNNN XP), Reiko Narukami, Cata-nee (Thank you for the three wonderful reviews! I don't want to give you an answer that's cut short, so I'll PM you :) ), HappyGoBoom, ElucidatorHJ, Yumi Miharu (Here's an update! Sorry it took some time, but this one had a lot involved in writing it. Hope it was worth the wait!), Sylph's Arrow (Good! I didn't think it could be Japan because then how would Mikasa be the only Asian left, and the only other place that made sense was Germany :D), SilverNeira, TwilightNinja00, enviious (Yeah, Levi isn't somebody to normally lose his cool, but he strikes me as the type to only be able to put up with something for so long. You know, a no-nonsense kind of guy. Karma specifically trying to piss him off is bound to push him over the edge eventually. There's more of Levi losing it in this chapter, but just keep in mind that he's been putting up with this anger building constantly for days now. Sorry if it seems OOC, it's just how I think he would deal with something like this over a long period of time :) ), Witch Of Illusions, LittleRedRaccoon, rnn21, Fan-Fiction-Maniac 1998, unlucky-cards (WAH! Super long review! :D I love it! I will PM you, my super double deluxe reader!), floweregg, cha24u, steffiawjiayi990921, Shiinku, and 4DarkMirror6!
Chapter Four: Malvad
It had a heartbeat. Levi could feel the thrum of life underneath his fingertips as he touched the map. The shocks of heat it sent through him was seeping into his veins, slowly taking over his heartbeat with its own. Looking at the name of the town, Malvad, Levi was overtaken by the strange feelings coursing through him. In all his years as a member of the Scouting Legion, he was always working towards something. What this goal was exactly, Levi had never been able to figure out. But with this glimpse of the outside world, something every scout would literally kill to see, he could again grasp at the reason he had to continue fighting.
There was something out there.
They weren't alone in this hell.
There was hope.
In his moment of elation, Levi could barely catch Karma's nod, a confirmation to his earlier question. Upon seeing her nod, he also realized he was unnaturally close to the wall that had the chalk drawing on it. Levi took a step back, but his hand did not leave the rough cement surface. When he was able to tear his eyes away from the foreign town's place on the map, he finally took in the wide expanse that was the World. All of that open land... He could never imagine being able to scratch the surface of exploring it. Was anybody capable of that? Who knows. There could be a world of endless possibilities out there. The thought of there being more in this world than meets the eye caused Levi to wonder out loud.
"Is this all there is? Are we the only two, or is there more?" The question had been more to himself, but Karma answered it anyway.
"No, there are many. The World is just a lot bigger than you'd think. I've been inside about eight of them. They're not common, but they aren't on the verge of extinction either, and yours is most certainly not the last one." Words that would normally be comforting came like a harsh slap to the face. Levi's face jerked to the side at hearing the words come from her.
Before anyone could blink, Levi whipped out a pocketknife and pressed it against Karma's neck. Breath knocked out of her and back pressed up against the wall, the girl looked down savagely at the boy who was a twitch away from slicing open her neck, a lethal wound that not even titan blood could counter in time. The threatening action had triggered some sort of animalistic survival instinct from Karma; her eyes held a thirst for violence, and she bared her teeth in a vicious snarl. Flames raging in Levi's glare, though, were fierce enough to match any monster Karma could unleash.
"And why should I believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?" His words came out cool as ever, but there was an edge that held some bite to it. The blade pushed harder against Karma's neck and started to draw a fine trickle of blood. Any pain was not visible on the girl's face. She was solely focused on matching the heated steel eyes that were piercing her as effectively as the blade. "You didn't answer a damn question that I asked you, and now you're spilling your guts! If you expect me to trust you on your word, then you're deluded! People earn my trust, and you haven't earned shit!"
Levi's comrades were at a loss. They hadn't yet fully seen a fight between the two opposing youths. The situation's severity wasn't shown by his threat to hurt Karma; he gave those kind of threats all the time. All it took for them to get the picture was Levi's mounting volume. Levi had three levels of anger, and with each corresponded an action. Unless someone wanted to be caught on the receiving end of his anger, this was the signal to run for all they're worth. First came his silent frustration, and that went hand in hand with his eye twitching. Next was visible irritation. This was when he became outwardly grumpy, and it was a type of grumpy where he let everyone clearly know that he was grumpy. The end result of his anger building up was Levi would start to raise his voice. Jumping instantly to this third level of anger was a bad sign. To the scouts knowledge, he had only ever reached this level of anger this quickly a handful of times. As the strength of his words reached a crescendo, they became verbal punches, and if Levi didn't get calmed down or stopped immediately, those punches would become physical fast.
Karma growled back through her bared teeth. "You calling me a liar?"
"Damn straight I am! You've probably just been sitting there all this time trying to come up with a bullshit story to save yourself and make us keep you around!" Levi's tone continued to elevate, and Hanji was torn between her common sense telling her to get out of there and the urge to step in to stop this before it got too serious. Karma being chained up wouldn't keep Levi from beating her up, it would just make her an easier target. Not backing down wasn't helping Karma's case either.
A short bark of laughter got past the knife cutting into her neck. "Wouldn't you wish I was lying! Then you'd actually have an excuse to kill me! I'm not dumb enough to stand here and lie!"
"Oh! But you're dumb enough to spend three days pissing me off by not answering anything, and now you decide to open up to Eren instead?! I'm the Corporal, I'm in charge, and I'm not buying this crap!"
Karma snapped. Every time she had dealt with Levi she was able to more or less keep her head. It was her life on the line, so keeping a level tone all those other times had been key. This, however, was not one of those other times. "And that's exactly why I didn't talk to you! I stalled until I finally got someone who would fucking listen! You'll only listen to what you concerns you, and he's ready to hear anything I have to say!" She then leaned into the knife, causing steaming blood to stream down and coat Levi's hand. Her tone when she spoke again was scaldingly cold.
"If you're not willing to listen, then I'm not going to speak!"
They stayed like that for a good amount of time. Levi's knife continued to bleed out Karma who stood there and allowed it. The standoff was brought to an end when Levi retracted his blade and took a step back. He wasn't backing down. Not at all. He was going to get what he wanted in the first place: answers. She wasn't going to give a response unless he listened to everything that she had to say. But if hearing her out was the price of getting what he wanted, then Levi supposed he would manage somehow. His volume was back to its normal level when he spoke again.
"I want the story." His voice was choked from the strain to not continue their yelling fit, but it was still commanding. Habitually, he started cleaning his blood-stained hand with a cloth, trying to keep himself in check. Levi was having to force back all of the anger that was trying to break out of him. Any more arguing would be childish, and the unyielding determination in Karma's eyes told him that if he didn't suck up his frustration now, then there wouldn't be a later. Not listening now would be the end of it. There would be no other opportunity. "The full story," he said threateningly.
Karma had still not moved from where she stood in a small puddle of her own blood. Her neck had repaired itself the minute the Corporal's knife was removed, but the blood that had already been spilled remained, effectively ruining the white shirt of the Scouting Legion uniform she had been loaned. She made no move to do anything about it, though. She wasn't going to do anything until Levi made it clear how he planned to go forward.
Levi could only mumble out the words. "I'm willing to listen for however long it takes."
A heavy sigh of what could possibly be relief escaped Karma. Her steady, unrelenting posture crumbled, and she gave a soft nod. While there was no doubt in her mind that she would've continued fighting against Levi if he had not given in, there was no denying it that struggling through these past three days had sapped her of her strength. Putting up defenses every time someone was around her had Karma exhausted to the point of collapsing. She half heartedly continued keeping her guard up, though. Karma walked over to her stiff bed and sat down, wrapping herself in a nest of covers. This was the greatest luxury she could afford right now; relaxation wasn't within her grasp yet. She still wasn't in the clear. She still needed to convince the scouts of this seemingly impossible story being true.
Motioning for everyone to sit, Karma closed her eyes and let herself rewind the clocks, going back to the repressed memory of the place that she could only hope to forget.
~*~*~*~*~*SnK*~*~*~*~*~
There are few things in my childhood that I can look back on fondly. Growing up in Malvad was one of those situations where things were shit, but you didn't really realize things were shit. I don't think I fully understood how bad things were until that day.
I guess if I had to be grateful for one thing, it would be knowing Vanessa and Lillium.
~*~*~*~*~*SnK*~*~*~*~*~
"Yeah, you'd better run!" A girl in an expensive flowery dress chased the neighborhood bullies out of the grimy alley, long hair fluttering behind her. Gunning it, she caught up with them and grabbed the kid that was the ringleader by his shirt collar. Throwing him to the ground, she tussled with him for a minute before she had him pinned down to the grubby cobblestone street. By this time her dress was covered in mud and filth, but that was the last of her concerns.
"Apologize!" she ordered. The boy promptly responded by spitting in her face. She dug her knee into the guy's stomach and turned his head to the side so that he faced a bruised kid cowering at the end of the alley.
"Ah! Ouch!" The pinned boy cried out at the force of her pulling his hair. The girl pointed out at the beaten up kid with her free hand.
"You know what you did! Say you're sorry now, or I'll reach down your throat and pull the words right outta your voice box!"
His head was slammed against the ground hard before he caved. "S... S-Sorry!" he coughed out at the boy he had been picking on earlier.
The girl holding him down grinned like a lunatic. "Good!" She got up, letting the boy underneath her escape after his friends. Proud of her accomplishment, she strode over to the timid kid with her hands placed victoriously behind her head. When she reached the boy that couldn't be a day over nine, she ruffled his hair.
"You were real brave back there, kid. No tears or anything!" The girl then sunk down to his eye level and gave a gentle smile. "Stay outta trouble, okay?" Lifting her hand to leave, she noticed the shallow cut by his hairline. Her mouth tugged into a frown. "You should go have a doctor check that out, kid."
The boy's head turned down as he looked away from her. It dawned on the girl that he, like many others in this part of town, probably wasn't able to afford going to the hospital. She gave him a nudge in the direction of the back street's exit. "Go to the hospital," she commanded sternly. The boy looked up at her and opened his mouth to say that he couldn't, but was cut off when the girl spoke over him.
"Tell them Vanessa sent you."
He swallowed his refusal when he heard that name. Everybody knew that name. Looking up at the girl, he took in the carefully groomed locks that had become tangled and her ruined fancy dress. It was her, no doubt about it. Scrambling to his feet, the boy nodded frantically and bolted. He then froze when he was a step away from leaving the alleyway. Turning back, he bowed his head in gratitude.
"Th-Thank you!" he stuttered out before disappearing around the street bend. Vanessa let out a thousand watt smile and waved after him with both hands.
"Hahaha! You're welcome!" When the sound of retreating footsteps stopped and a peaceful silence was restored, she swiveled around to look at where I sat on the sidelines.
"And that, Sis, is how you properly break up a fight!" Vanessa said triumphantly, pointing to me where I sat watching.
"And that's also how you make a kid piss his pants! Geez, don't go freaking people out like that!" I jested, but I couldn't hide my awe at Vanessa's courage to dive in and stop the bullies from having their fun. Watching my sister do these random heroic acts never ceased to amaze me. Hopping off the cold lid of the trashcan, I was instantly ambushed by Vanessa. She swung her arm around my shoulders, tousled my hair, and started dragging us both out of the alley.
"The only thing that's gonna scare people off is your face!" Vanessa joked and playfully pushed me.
"Coming from you that's rich!" I said, pushing her back as we came out of the dark alleyway.
As we passed into the sunlight, a shadow darting away caught my eye. I glanced up briefly to the rooftop where I was able to see the broad back of a retreating figure. I knew it was him. He had been watching us again. He had been doing this more often recently, and his every appearance put me more on edge. I didn't say anything, though. Maybe I should have.
"Oh, don't be jealous just because I'm far more beautiful than you!" Vanessa said as she flourished her hands exaggeratedly, completely oblivious to the person that had been shadowing us. I was tempted to say that we looked almost exactly the same, but she looked down at her messy outfit before I could. "Dang it, Mom and Dad are gonna kill me if I show up for the ceremony like this. Do you think Lilli would be able to fix me up in time so they won't notice?"
I roll my eyes at her. "As if you'd even get scolded for it. Today is such a big deal for them that they probably couldn't be mad if you showed up wearing a garbage bag!"
Vanessa bobbed her head in agreement. "True, but I don't wanna have to deal with them being angry later. Don't want anything to spoil today," she said as we began walking in the direction of a bakery. Her arm then wrapped around me tighter in excitement. "They're gonna be so proud of us!"
Us. Not proud of just her, but myself as well. It was moments like this where it was obvious why I loved my sister so much.
We were twins, identical ones, but any random stranger could figure out who was who easily. Sure, my hair was cropped short and Vanessa's flowed down to her waist, but it was just as easy to define us by our hair length as it was by our personalities. Vanessa exuded confidence. She always had, and she always would. I could've sworn on my life that nothing would ever be able to take that confidence away. Her heart was always sure of itself, and her mouth would damn well make sure the whole world knew it.
She was the special one, and everyone recognized that fact, myself included. I wasn't jealous, quite the opposite actually. Vanessa was older by only a few minutes, but those minutes could have been years for how much I looked up to her. She was aware of this, of course, and made sure to be everything a good role-model should be for my sake. We could always be found with one another, and it was often said we were joined at the hip. The bond between us twins was a thing of legends, as was being twins in itself. Having twins was a rarity in Malvad, and every time twins were born at least one of them always proved to be exceptionally talented. At our birth the Elders were present, and they had immediately declared Vanessa to have great expectations. She would find out what exactly these expectations were today.
Today was our Turning Day. Today would be the first day my sister and I turned into titans.
For fifty years this practice had been going on in Malvad, and it was now the basis of our entire culture. Kids everywhere grew up being educated and prepared for their own Turnings, and while not all people could afford the procedure, there wasn't a single person that had not heard of it. It would start at a young age, and as the child grew up their abilities developed. Their earliest injection would be at age six, right on their birthday. These shots would continue at the same time every following year until they reached age nine. Multiple shots over the years adapted the child to their new power, increasing both the power's potential and ease of controlling it. The last shot was given on the ceremony of the child's Turning Day, their tenth birthday. On that day they would do what had been expected of them since birth; they would officially become a titan shifter.
Titans had always been a focus of Malvad's citizens, ever since their sudden appearance one century ago. The people feared them at first, but that fear developed into wonder and admiration, soon causing the titans to be viewed on the level of gods. And, of course, what person wouldn't want to walk amongst gods as an equal? This brought on an evolutionary change spurred by humanity's thirst for power. Malvad's brightest were put to the test, developing a chemical that when injected into the bloodstream would grant them the Titan's Power. Success was finally achieved by my grandfather, who has since passed, leaving his legend behind for his bloodline to live up to. My father was his heir, and he, too, had come to make a name for himself. He had developed, built, and was currently running what was commonly known as the Dome. The Dome was a colossal structure that served as a place to educate, train, and hone a shifter's skill. Here new shifters were trained by experts that had been shifting for decades, and the Dome was also where the Turning ceremonies would be held. Vanessa and I would be having our ceremonies back to back later this evening.
Door chimes tinkled merrily when we entered Sweet Angel Bakery. The whole place was deserted; it may have had something to do with the "Closed" sign in the store window. Vanessa beat me to the bar stools and swung around in the chair to ding the bell on the counter.
"Lillium! Don't try hiding!"
"We know you're back there!"
We kept ringing the bell for a good minute and then stopped. When everything was quiet there was the soft click of a lighter, and the smell of acrid smoke hit our noses before she walked through the employee's door behind the counter. Lillium took a long drag from her cigarette before sharply looking at us.
"You girls are insufferable," she grumbled, smoke wafting from her mouth.
I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Bleck. The feeling is mutual. Do you have to smoke?"
She raised an eyebrow and turned her hawk eyes fully on me. "Do you have to be here?" she snapped mockingly.
"Aw, don't be that way, Lilli! You know you love us!" Vanessa kicked her feet up on top of a clean glass case that held ornate pastries. Dirt fell from her shoes to create a fine layer of dust.
Ash dropped along with Lillium's lips. "Again? You've come to dirty up my bakery again?"
"What? It's not like I'm the thing scaring away customers," Vanessa then smirked. "That would be you."
"Touché." Lilli grabbed Vanessa at the waist with two lightly tattooed hands and hauled her over the counter. Grabbing a clean rag and stain remover, she started to dab at my sister's ruined dress in an attempt to save it. If anyone could work a miracle with getting stains out of clothing, it would be Lillium. She spent the majority of her time working long hours here at the bakery she had inherited four years ago when she had turned twenty-two, so she had become a master at getting foods and dyes out from anything and everything.
"So what'd ya get into this time?" she asked, brushing aside light blonde strands of hair so that she could take in the full damage. Vanessa's cuts and bruises had already healed on the walk here, but there was still mud splattered over her front, and an assortment of small twigs and leaves were tangled in her hair.
"Knocked a kid on his ass. He deserved it."
"Good girl," Lilli said absentmindedly and took another drag. The woman then picked up a brush that she ripped ruthlessly through the Vanessa's hair, drawing out a yelp. Vanessa stood stiff and tall despite it, not showing any more weakness.
Ignoring my sister's pain, I hopped onto the counter and sat there, swinging my legs. "Sooo... Did you make us anything special for today?"
"Psh. Why would I make anything special for you brats?"
"Because it's a special day. Don't lie, I can see right through you. You know why today's special."
Finishing Vanessa's hair, Lilli stooped downward again, rolling her eyes as she did so. "Yeah, I had been hoping today would've been the day you two decided not to come bother me. Guess I'm too optimistic," she drawled as she lifted a destroyed black shoe to the light. It went straight into the trash, followed shortly by its partner. A new pair was brought out of a nearby drawer. Lillium had gone through this enough times to always have a spare pair of everything on hand. "Obviously," she remarked sourly.
"Oh, come on!" I pressed insistently. "It's our Turning Day! You've got to have made something!"
Hauling Vanessa up, the woman sat her down next to me. Lillium's face pinched up at the mention of our Turning Day. "Ugh. Not that Turning shit again."
Vanessa stopped rubbing her sore scalp long enough to shoot a question she had been wondering for years. This wasn't the first time their older friend had shown distaste in Malvad's sacred ceremonies. "Why do you hate them? The Turnings?" Vanessa then pouted. "You aren't gonna hate us afterwards, are you?"
"Nah, of course not. Can't hate ya more than I already do. It's just that those rituals creep me the fuck out. What they do to you kids..." Lilli shook her head in revulsion. "It's sick, and you don't even realize it. They do it at an age where you aren't old enough to know any better, and will just do whatever your parents tell you. They promise that you'll become a godly warrior and you'll be doing what's right, but it's wrong." Her fists were clenched, and her knuckles were turning white. "What they turn you into isn't a warrior, it's a monster," she spat.
My sister and I stayed quiet, and when I finally spoke it was in a hushed whisper. "Is that why you never had the procedure?"
"Damn straight it was. I may have only been six, but I knew well enough not to let them anywhere near me with that damn needle." Lillium then grabbed a rag and forcefully wiped away the dirt Vanessa had left on the counter. When she tossed it aside and looked at us the worry lines on her forehead disappeared. "You guys know well enough not to become monsters, though. If you did, you'd never get through that door ever again," she said, pointing at the bakery entrance before slipping into the back room.
She came back moments later with two large frosted cookies in hand. Presenting one to each of us, she then went to lean against the wall and blow smoke patterns in the air. Vanessa's was a brilliant orange and mine was a teal blue, our favorite colors. Each cookie had a delicate design on it that would've taken at least an hour a piece to perfect. Vanessa's cookie was the sun, and mine was her moon.
"Happy birthday," she said in a bored tone, utterly careless.
"Awesome! These are amazing!" I exclaimed.
"So the demon does have a heart!" Vanessa yelled.
Both of us jumped down from our perch and ran to wrap ourselves around Lilli, careful not to squish our presents. Lillium jumped slightly at the sudden contact.
"No, don't be hugging me, you little punks! I'm not taking this sentimental shit!"
"Oh, shut up and deal with it!" Vanessa snapped and snuggled her face back into Lilli's sweet-smelling apron. We held that position until she conceded defeat, resting her hands on our heads and ruffling our hair.
"Okay, enough of that sappy shit."
"Wait! One more thing!" Vanessa said before digging her hand into her pocket. Eventually she fished out a silver chain that had a metal disk hanging off of it. In neat font on either side of the charm was out names.
"We both have matching ones, too!" I proclaimed before lifting my chain from underneath my shirt to show her. On one side it read "Lillium," and on the other was "Vanessa." All three of us could now wear the other two's names around their necks. Lilli looked at it for one second before shoving it into her pocket.
"Freakin' wonderful, now get out and don't come back."
"Yeah, right," I said as I detached myself from her. Vanessa and I both clamored over the counter and made our way toward the door. "Thanks for the cookies again!"
"Yeah, yeah." Her fingers rose to take the cigarette from her lips.
The chimes rang their goodbye as we opened the door to leave. Both of us turned simultaneously and called out in unison, "Love you!"
She was already turned away from us, heading into the back room again, and only her hand holding the cigarette was raised in farewell. When she heard the telling click of the door closing Lillium took a final breath of smoke before snuffing out her cigarette and flicking it into the garbage. Her hand then found its way into her pocket and brushed against the chain necklace. It might have been a trick of the light, but it looked like a smile managed to break her tough exterior for a second.
"Love you, too."
~*~*~*~*~*SnK*~*~*~*~*~
Our favorite place to go was up a giant tree that had the greatest view of sunsets and sunrises. It was our spot, and nobody could find us here. We could also look down into the titan enclosure where one of many highly regarded titans was being held. Many meters above the creature, we could also make out the jumbled prayers of worshippers beneath us.
The cookies were beyond delicious, and every taste was more heavenly than the one preceding it. Crumbs had fallen all over our clothes, and my lips were dyed a vivid blue. Vanessa smacked her orange ones after taking her final bite.
"So, what do you think it's gonna be?"
I knew what she was referring to without her having to say anything. Her foretold expectations. Some shifters got talents like immense strength, heightened senses, speed, or intelligence, but nothing compared to the exceptional gifts of a rare few. The most notable one was a twin a few decades back that was able to change her titan's height without leaving its body to create a new one. She could start at three meters and shoot up to fifteen in a second flat. Not exceeding fifteen meters, though, as it was the limit everybody had here. If I was correct, that same shifter would be there tonight to witness Vanessa's Turning.
I lay down against the tree's thick trunk so the warmth of the sun shone onto my face. Staring up at the sky, I was caught off guard by the sheer open blue skies and free space.
"Would it be too hopeful to say you might grow wings and fly?"
Vanessa snorted and leaned back into the sunlight, too. Staring up at the endless blue stretch of sky, her laughs died out and her brows knitted together. "If only freedom came that easily."
"Yeah," I breathed in response. Our eyes closed at the same time and we took comfort in the silence together.
Screaming shot us upright. We scrambled to look down from our high vantage point at the titan enclosure. Several worshippers had been herded inside, and one of them was currently being ripped to a bloody mess by a twelve meter class's teeth. The screaming came to a gurgled end when the man's throat was bitten through along with the majority of his chest. Even more horrific than that was that there were no other screams. All of the other humans closed inside the cage stood quietly in line, content while waiting for their turn to be eaten.
Sacrificial offerings such as this one weren't uncommon, but viewing the blind certainty that the sacrifices had as they walked to their deaths was absolutely appalling in itself. We jerked backwards, as if we had been burned at the sight. My breathing consisted of broken gasps until I was able to calm it. I could hear Vanessa struggling to do the same. As I tried to bring myself back together, my eyes fell to my unfinished cookie, and I remembered what Lilli had warned us about. An image of myself being the one to eat humans was what pushed me over the edge.
"Nessy, what if we turn out like that?" I sounded on the brink of crying, and that snapped Vanessa back to attention immediately. Her big sister mode activated, she placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eye.
"It doesn't matter. We decide what we amount to, not them. Circumstances are circumstances, and we shouldn't let them decide how we live our lives. If we mess up, we messed up, and we'll go from there. If you want to make a change, then be that change, okay?" I gave a shaky couple of nods, and her bruising grip relaxed. "We'll be fine, promise."
She gave me a gentle smile with the same confidence she always had. Taking my hand, we started our descent down the tree. We didn't release our hands as we walked toward the Dome. We would face our fate the same way we faced everything else in life.
Together.
~*~*~*~*~*SnK*~*~*~*~*~
Vanessa would go first, and I would go after her. We both stood in the same preparation room, each having the ceremonial robes tightly fitted to us. A sash tugging at my waist was tied right before it became impossible to breathe. My stomach gurgled in protest and hunger. Technically we were supposed to fast the entire Turning Day, but a silly rule didn't keep us from making an exception for Lilli's cooking. The cookie was not enough to hold me over, though, and it left my stomach weak with hunger. Fear had also started to gnaw on me from the inside, but somehow Vanessa telepathically sensed it and shot me a comforting smile. I hesitantly smiled back, feeling slightly better.
One of the Elders entered with my parents while we were having our hair styled elegantly. Mom and Dad's eyes shone with pride at seeing us, and they placed kisses on both of our foreheads. Dad smiled reassuringly and Mom clasped her hands together in excitement. Wrapping his arms around his wife, Dad held her close and whispered into her ear.
Their love was something I had always been in wonder of. They accepted each other wholly; flaws and all. My dad had waited far past the normal marriage age, not taking any interest in the many suitable, wealthy women that had come his way. A marriage of that variety could have furthered my dad's business and improved his social status greatly, but he held off. He might have been raised in a time where money was valued above all else, but he had made sure not to undersell his affections. When he had met my mother, he knew he had made the right choice by waiting. The two lovebirds only relinquished each other when the High Elder presented them his hand.
"Darren, Melissa, it is an honor to be involved with your wonderful children. The gods have looked favorably upon us, and specifically your two girls." He shook both of my parents hands, but when he looked over to us his gaze only lingered on Vanessa. "They will make lovely warriors akin to the actual titans." His voice sounded slightly power hungry toward the end of his speech.
Apparently my father didn't hear it, only nodding in return. "We look forward to seeing our daughters become the strong fighters we know them to be." Dad smiled and looked meaningfully at my sister and I. "Go get 'em, girls."
"You got it, Daddy!" we both echoed each other. Everyone except the two stylists left, and when they, too, had finished Vanessa and I were left entirely alone.
Vanessa stopped sucking in her stomach, and placed her hands over her tummy that was being strangled by florid wrappings. "Ugh, I blame the cookies for making me fat."
"I can hear Lilium calling you an ignorant pig all the way from here," I taunted. We stupidly broke out into a fit of giggles that was mostly just nerves.
Our laughs died out, and we just stood there watching each other. Neither of us spoke; we didn't feel the need to. Some magic twin connection was able to convey everything we were feeling without words. In an instant, we were hugging, holding one another for comfort.
"Do your best, okay?" I heard the words that were meant only for me. I burrowed my face into her shoulder.
"I will. Good luck, Nessy." She hummed in response.
We broke apart when two women came to bring us into the central portion of the Dome. Walking with composure as we had been instructed to proved difficult when we were able to see the full view of the room used for Turnings. It was huge, at least forty meters tall and fifty meters in diameter. We were looking down into the arena from the viewing section near the top of the building, far out of reach of even the tallest titans. Glass stretched all the way around the circular room at this height, allowing family and guests to have front row seats. A large crowd had gathered here to see this much anticipated Turning, and murmurs traveled from person to person as we passed them. Vanessa and I were led to the lift, a machine that would take shifters down to the ground where they would then transform in front of everyone. I was told to wait my turn on the balcony a ways to the right from the lift, but Vanessa was placed on the industrial machine immediately.
She started being lowered, and we shared one last look. I saw her hand reach up to her neck where I knew the chain necklace was clasped tightly in her grip. Vanessa had refused to remove it even when asked to do so. Automatically, I felt my hand draw to my neck to touch the cool, soothing metal. Then our gaze broke, and Vanessa was left to her own devices.
Vanessa walked silently to the center of the arena, followed closely by an assistant. They stopped and faced each other. I watched the assistant's lips move in the customary prayer. The woman then administered the final fifth shot and bowed deeply, presenting Vanessa with a dagger before leaving. It was a thing of beauty. My father had shown me the sacred weapon at home many times before. The blade shone various shades of silver and gold, composed of many precious metals. My favorite feature of it was the beautiful rubies embedded in its handle.
Shimmering light played off the dagger as Vanessa gracefully cut the palm of her hand with it. Rich blood seeped out as she held the hand to the light, several drops falling to splatter on the ground. Her eyes followed the deep red liquid before closing in concentration.
All eyes closed and prepared for the transformation. The room was void of all sound for a moment before the resounding explosion rang out. Massive amounts of heat swept over me, but a shiver ran up my spine despite it all. When the temperature stabilized, I opened my eyes and began searching through the clouds of steam for Vanessa.
My mouth fell open at the same time my eyes fell out of my head.
Vanessa hadn't been difficult to spot at all. She was at eye level with me. Her back was turned to me, but I could see her long, dark tresses through the clearing haze. Her broad, muscled shoulders showcased her strong nature, the epitome of what a titan should be. Oh, and she was thirty meters tall, twice the height of any titan we had ever come across before. There's that, too.
I stood star-struck for a while before breaking into a ridiculous grin. "YEAH, VANESSA!" I cheered out happily at my sister's success. Fist pumping the air, I started doing a ridiculous little happy dance. Vanessa's titan had heard my outburst and turned to face me.
I stopped dancing. My grin faltered and then crumbled completely. Her eyes, the eyes that I had looked to countless times for guidance, were empty. The green orbs were unseeing, and I imagined if I walked up and knocked on her forehead there would be no answer. Nobody was home.
The massive titan's arm started drawing back, and a fist balled up. This had to be a joke. Was she trying to freak me out? No, Nessy knew not to freak me out when I was already on edge. There wasn't any hesitation when she targeted me.
"...Nessy?"
Her fist came at me with unimaginable force, and I was barely able to throw myself out of the way in time. Diving to the ground, I dodged to the left as she swung right. A chorus of breaking glass sung out as not only the balcony was taken destroyed, but also a good portion of the viewing section. Crushing weight fell on my legs, debris falling over me. Whimpering, I managed to crane my neck so I could see the full damage. Not five feet from where I rested, the ground ended. A ten meter segment of the viewing section had been totalled, ripped out from the impact of Vanessa's swing.
That's when the panicking started. One woman screamed, and a domino effect ensued. The crowd that had been pressing against the glass moments before were now pressing to get out the doors at the far northern end of the Dome. Panic cries filled the air, and Vanessa's titan was drawn to it like a shark to blood-filled water.
Forgetting me, Vanessa's titan slowly revolved to look at the people trying to escape. The doors were closed and wouldn't open no matter how desperately the people pushed. Bolted locks kept the doors from budging, having been initially intended to keep the enormous amount of people outside from getting in after the Dome had reached its maximum capacity. Those same locks intended to keep people out was now keeping people in, caged like the livestock they were.
Screams heightened when Vanessa drew closer. A woman with a child clung tightly in her arms cried out hysterically when the massive shadow fell over her. Her cries were cut short with a swift backhand from Vanessa. As the mother and child's blood splattered the walls, I finally came to my senses.
My legs screamed out as I fought to drag myself out of the rubble. They were definitely broken, and when they were finally free I could see the gushing blood and bruises. I gritted my teeth and struggled through it, grabbing a bar above me head to bring me to my feet.
"Vaness—" I couldn't get the rest of her name out because of a choked gasp that forced its way through. I could feel the pain shooting up my legs in spasms. I almost lost my grip and fell to the ground all over again. It felt like my legs were being trampled, but I knew better than that. They were being re-broken so that they could heal properly. My mouth opened in a silent cry of anguish, yet I moved forward. It felt as if I was taking baby steps for how much progress I was making. Snapping my eyes away from the steam that was working all too slowly on my legs, I watched Vanessa continue her rampage.
She wasn't in control. That much was obvious. Her titan's size and physique were unlike any other, but controlling something that large was not an easy feat, and it most definitely wasn't something to be mastered on the first try. Not having control on the first transformation wasn't uncommon, yet with the height gap between Vanessa's range of destruction and the area that used to be safe completely nonexistent anymore, this loss of control had turned into a massacre. Vanessa's expectations were undeniably great, but it had come at the cost of her ability to immediately manipulate the titan body she created.
"Vanessa, don't!" I screamed out, but my cry was drowned underneath hundreds of others. I could see the path she was taking went directly toward the only other balcony in the Dome. On this balcony were the royals, Elders, and, most importantly, our parents.
Bone fragments were reconnecting piece by agonizing piece. I had been able to pick up my pace to a broken run, but it wasn't enough. 'Faster!' I mentally yelled at my legs. 'Heal faster, dammit!' When I looked up again, I realized what I was doing was futile. Vanessa was on a direct path to the balcony, and I was stuck taking running around the circular upper level. She would make it there far before I would.
"Fuck!" I swore. In the same breath I stopped running entirely. The path I was taking had no chance of being successful... But that didn't mean a different path was the same story. My face lit up, and my head snapped to find the lift. I had passed it not far back, and if I remembered correctly it was still intact and undamaged. Not sparing a moment for doubt, I threw myself back the way I came.
My legs were still protesting, but they were close enough to fixed that I could run without restraint. Running around the final curve, I jumped the gate to the lift and slammed the lever to start my descent. My eyes darted back to Vanessa who had stopped to pick up a slab of stone, and I watched in horror as she effortlessly threw it at the exit. The heavy projectile landed a good distance from the countless people trying to evacuate, but it crushed fifteen people, nonetheless.
I had to rip my eyes away to attempt to push the lift's lever down harder. Slamming random controls, I tried everything to make the contraption move faster to no avail. It continued to slowly lower in a way that was almost painful.
"Hurry up!" I screamed out loud. Desperately I leaned over the lift's edge to see how far I was from the ground. There was still seven meters left, but no time to spare. I could only be thankful I wasn't afraid of heights as I swung myself over the side and fell the rest of the way.
I rolled and hit the ground running, heading straight for my sister. A glint caught my eye as I reached the center of the arena. My speed didn't waver as I scooped up the dagger. I could transform right now if I wanted to; all that was necessary was having one shot sometime in a person's life and an injury for a transformation. All of the other shots weren't required, they just gave the best results.
I could do it.
I should do it.
But I didn't.
No matter how much I wanted to swoop in and save the day, the negative part of my mind told me I wasn't ready. I didn't know how my titan would measure up. Even if I was the strongest fifteen meter class our city had ever seen, there was no chance of me taking down a thirty meter class. I could also end up the same way as Vanessa, destroying instead of helping. I could save so many, but at the risk of possibly contributing to the body count. My brain was at war with itself. It would be so easy to slice open my hand and let fate decide the rest, but I couldn't turn the dagger on myself.
Even in a dead sprint, the tears still escaped. I was too afraid of what result my decision would leave me with. I had to chose to rely on myself, or trust that Vanessa would be able to get herself back in control. I had to try to pick the lesser of two evils, and either way I'd have to live with regrets for the rest of my life.
So I did what I always did; I put my faith in her.
Pumping my limbs to a breakneck pace, I made it to the balcony box right as Vanessa did. Flipping the dagger outward, I sunk it straight into her Achilles tendon. A network of gashes soon littered the titan's foot, but it had no effect. Vanessa's titan felt nothing as she stood in front of the balcony, but the people now facing her were another story.
"Non-shifters stay back! Stay put, we'll handle this!" Three of Malvad's best fighters had stepped forward. Combined, they should be enough to bring down this sudden menace.
"Permission to kill if necessary, sir?" One of the shifters turned back to look at the High Elder.
"No!" the High Elder cried out from the back of the balcony. "Why would we possibly kill such a beauty?!" He gave a deranged grin while he feasted on the sight of the destruction this girl was capable of. The power-hungry look wasn't disguised anymore. "She's magnificent!"
All of the shifters looked like they were about to question the Elder's profound insanity, but words never came. Only the squelch of their three bodies being crushed by a lightning quick hand was heard. Chaos amplified, and any order that had been held by the now squashed warriors evaporated. Like a tidal wave, each person surged for the exit, pushing anybody in their way with them. Two people fought the wave. One was staggering forward, possibly not even realizing she was doing so.
"Vanessa... Sweety, please, it's okay. I'm here. Calm down, and we can all go home together," Mom called out in the steadiest voice she could manage. Hand held out, my mother reached for my sister.
"Melissa, don't! RUN!" my father shouted as he pushed against the mass of bodies forcing him farther and farther away. Vanessa's hand met her before Dad could take another step.
Vanessa picked her up and held her there, grinning eerily like a child playing with its food. At this point I started yelling in a frenzy.
"NO! PUT HER DOWN!" I didn't realize I was climbing until my arms started burning. The dagger sunk into the flesh of the titan's leg as if it was butter, but it held in place, giving me a handhold to pull myself up with. Continuing to haul my body up this way, I kept trying to catch Vanessa's attention.
She was in there somewhere. She had to be. I just had to reach her.
"DON'T DO THIS! THIS ISN'T YOU!" My hand slipped from the blood that had now covered the dagger's handle. Flailing for only a second, I regained my grip and stabbed the blade upward again. Right into the back of her knee.
A howl of pain and a huge gust of steam bombarded me from the wound I had created. That spot had done the trick. Empty green eyes narrowed to find its new target, unknowingly squeezing our mom into unconsciousness in the process. When those eyes found me, I shouted again.
"YOU AREN'T A MONSTER! STOP IT!"
Her free hand was already half way reaching toward me before it seized up. The titan's body jerked, and I flew backwards from the motion, having lost hold of the dagger. I got to my feet in time to see the struggle.
She was rejecting it, trying to get out of the titan's body. Giant green eyes started showing confliction, and the hand trying to grab me looked to be in an internal tug-of-war. When her eyes caught sight of the blood covering the back of her outstretched hand it was all over.
Horror. Pure horror. Vanessa's eyes were consumed in it. She hadn't been able to see or understand what she had been doing up until that point, but she was very aware of what she was seeing now. Trembles traveled up and down her body, and standing straight, her eyes never left her empty, bloodied hand. Her entire focus was on that hand, so she didn't even realize what she did before it was too late.
It was an accident. Vanessa had been attempting to touch her bloodied hand. She didn't know she had been holding onto Mom. Not until she let her go.
Her fall was far slower and far more agonizing than the lift ride. Vanessa and I were forced to watch every second for the same reason we had watched the titan sacrifices. We couldn't look away. Started with the slip of a finger, it ended with a sickening crunch of bones, and then all was still. Mom didn't move from where she lay broken.
I was paralyzed. The full impact of what had just happened hit home as I stared at Mom's crumpled body. Her death played continuously over before my eyes, and that was all I could see or hear. Something broke inside me, and I couldn't function anymore. I wasn't sure how long I was gone, but I finally came back to see Dad shaking my shoulders and calling out my name. I didn't hear any of it. All I could see was Vanessa, covered head to toe in the blood of her titan.
She had been forcefully extracted from the evaporating body, but that was still where her head was at. Vanessa was still shaking, unable to bring herself under control even in her human state. Her eyes remained horrified at seeing the blood coating her even after escaping the titan. Since it was the blood from her titan covering her, it evaporated off as the titan body decomposed, yet how she continued to stare at her hands said otherwise. Blood would always be there, forever engrained in her skin, serving as a reminder of what monstrosities she was capable of.
Her pain had always been my pain, and this time was no different. Neither of us were able to move, and it fell to our dad to steer us away from the spectators.
"C-Come on, girls... We're going home now. We'll get through this there." His eyes were lost, and it seemed like he was floundering to get words out. He was utterly petrified. This had all been his doing. Dad had been the one to make the decision for us to become shifters as children because of his line of work. Indirectly, he had been the one to make his child bear the guilt of a murderer and to lead the love of his life to her death. Agonizingly broken didn't even begin to describe what he was feeling, but that didn't stop him from getting his kids to safety.
We had almost stumbled out of the broken down exit when somebody stopped Dad. It was the High Elder.
"Darren, I am so sorry for your loss, I truly am, but on every road to success there are sacrifices that must be made." The man's hand then took hold of Vanessa who was too shell-shocked to protest. "But think about what Melissa would've wanted."
Rage flared in Dad's eyes. "How dare you disrespect my wife that way," he hissed out venomously, ripping Vanessa from the Elder's grip. "She would've wanted her kids to get past this, not having them forced to revisit this memory over and over again like you would make them! They aren't tools you can use! They're children!" Taken aback, the High Elder opened his mouth in indignation.
"The only person that's being disrespected here is me! Know your place and hand the girls over!" The minute he threatened to take us Dad was up in his face.
"I'll tell you where you can shove that damn respect of yours! Right up your ass! You won't lay a hand on my daughters! They want no part of this! Stay away from my family!"
With that, my dad picked up Vanessa and I, turned tail, and ran out of the Dome for good.
~*~*~*~*~*SnK*~*~*~*~*~
My repetitive sobbing had melted into an action that was as natural as breathing. I hadn't moved from the nest of blankets and pillows I had created for several hours. I wasn't fooling myself, though. This wasn't the warmth of my mother's arms, no matter how much I wanted to believe it was.
She was dead. Cold. Unbreathing. Unmoving. Gone.
Another fit racked my body, and I let it wash over me. The shock had worn off long ago, and I had been letting myself cry freely in an attempt to drown out what I was feeling. It couldn't make me forget, though. It couldn't soothe the pain. The grief was overpowering and unyielding. I couldn't shake it. Not alone.
I got up to go find her. She would know what to do. She always did.
Draping one of the oversized blankets around me, I waddled off in my makeshift cocoon to find Vanessa. Our house was large and spread out. Her room was on the third floor, and mine was on the second. I somehow made it up the stairs only tripping twice from not being able to see the steps through my blurry vision. I made it to her room and would've knocked on her door, but it was already open. The bright orange paint on it was out of place in our house, but Vanessa had insisted on herself painting it like that even though she hadn't lifted a paintbrush in her life. She had done a terrible job, but right now, however, the familiarity was comforting.
I shuffled into her room to find it empty. Vanessa was nowhere to be found. I could make out the slight wrinkles in her made bed where I imagined her to be sitting not a minute before. She had probably sat there for hours, going through the same process I was, completely alone and in the dark. Yet, she wasn't here anymore, and she hadn't come to find me. Normally we thought on the same wavelength, but this time she had done the exact opposite. She had avoided me.
'It's okay,' I thought to myself before turning out of the room. 'Just think about where you would go if you were her." It wasn't that difficult. If I had wanted to escape, I would've gone up to the rooftop to get some air. I did just that.
The rooftop was just after the fifth floor, and even before I opened the door to outside I felt chills. Clutching the blanket tighter, I swung open the door and walked out into the frosty night air.
The blanket fell to pool around my feet. I had been right. Vanessa had chosen to come to the roof.
She was standing right on the edge of the building, ready to step off and fall the five-story drop to her death.
She heard the faint rustle of blanket falling followed by a strangled sound that came from my mouth. Her head snapped toward me, and I could see the sadness and regret flood her face. She hadn't wanted me to see this.
I wanted to say something, anything, but no words came. Vanessa didn't say anything either. Her eyes spoke for her. She was at the end of her rope. There wasn't any confidence or wise words for her to fall back on now. The only reason she was capable of those everyday heroic acts was because she had the confidence to do so, and that confidence had abandoned her. More accurately, the confidence hadn't abandoned her, she had abandoned herself. All of her courage came from the trust she had in herself, and now there wasn't even that faith remaining. Vanessa had transformed into a monster that killed her mother without batting an eye. How could she trust herself to carry on when that fear of her grotesque identity would always be there to hold her back? She had lost the person that she thought she was, and that dilemma had brought her to take the easiest solution.
I was desperately searching for some sort of advice, but anything I would say would be empty and powerless. Vanessa's kind words had moved me to conquer my greatest fears countless times, but I knew that even if I managed to replicate her ability, there would be no moving Vanessa from where she stood.
Vanessa gave me an understanding look, and her eyes welled up with tears. Leaving her twin to survive this world alone was one of the cruelest and most selfish things she had ever decided to do. She had no doubt, though, that I would be able to do it. If there was anything she had taught me, it was to move forward and grow, no matter the situation. I just always thought she would be there beside me.
Face contorted in anguish, hot tears streamed down Vanessa's face. Escape for her was impossible, but even now she only worried about me.
"I'm sorry," she meekly squeaked out in apology.
Then she took one step forward and took the plunge.
My hands clasped over my mouth open in a silent scream. Backpedaling in alarm, I tripped over the blanket tangled around my ankles and crashed to the floor. I was up again in a heartbeat, stumbling down the hallway toward my parent's room. I supposed it was now only my father's room. That harsh reality made me run faster.
"Dad," I tried to croak out, but no words came, my throat too damaged from crying to make the word.
I collided with the door to his room and whipped my head around, finding nobody in sight. I started panicking. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Not again. First Mom and now Vanessa. In a single night, two of the people that had always stood by me were dead. There would be no more soothing embraces, or being able to look to my other half for guidance. They were gone, and all I had left was Dad. He could protect me; he always had before.
Faster than I thought possible, I worked my way down every level until I reached the ground floor. Dad hadn't been in any of the rooms; I had checked every one. All that was left was his den in the basement.
"Dad." The word finally escaped me, but it was far too quiet. Racing down the last flight of stairs, my breathing was haggard and my face wet from silent tears I hadn't been aware were coursing down my cheeks. By the time I reached the basement I was such an obvious mess that no words would've been needed to tell that something was wrong, but I yelled out anyway.
"D-Dad! Vanessa just—" The words died in my throat.
He was dangling from the ceiling, neck ensnared in an unforgiving rope. The hurt hadn't left his face even in death. If that wasn't enough, his hands were limply clasping a blade embedded in his chest, held in place by drying blood. The dark liquid didn't hide the gleaming rubies covering the sacred dagger's hilt, however.
I couldn't take it anymore. I had reached my emotional limit. All of the day's horrors crashed back over me, and I crouched over and threw up. The only thing that came out was the bright blue remains of the cookie Lillium had given me. Lillium. I could never go back to her. I could never come back here again. Not after today. Not ever again.
I didn't grab anything, I just ran like the coward I was. My heart thudded like a trapped animal in my chest, the only reminder I was still alive. I ran through the streets that I knew like the back of my hand. I wasn't alone in this maze, though.
He was following me again. Every turn I made, he echoed it. My hectic running was shadowed by agile jumps from roof to roof. This time he did something that he hadn't done all the other times he had tailed me. He spoke.
"So you're the only one left, aren't you?"
I tried to block out his question which was more of a statement and kept sprinting. I could see the exit.
"Whatcha gonna do then? You gonna follow after them? What's it gonna be? You gonna be just as weak as the rest of them?" He trilled it in a voice that verged on taunting.
I didn't answer him. The gate was in sight now, and I yelled my name out to the guard. He started opening it immediately. My pace didn't waver as I bolted out into the titan's land. I heard him stop at the gate, and he didn't go any farther.
"Oh, so that's how you're gonna play it, huh? Fine by me. Let the games begin!"
I could hear his haunting laughter ringing in my ears for miles, but I didn't turn back once. It was better this way. I knew if I looked back even a single time, I would end up regretting something.
Anything.
Everything.
~*~*~*~*~*SnK*~*~*~*~*~
The prison was dead when Karma opened her eyes after giving a watered down version of the story to the Scouting Legion members. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.
Levi had dragged a chair right up to the bed Karma was sitting in, his eyes closed as they often were when he was thinking. After a prolonged silence, his brows furrowed when the story didn't start up again.
Karma caught the slight twitch. "I'm done." She spoke like she was having to explain the obvious to a dumb child.
Levi opened his eyes and scowled. "I said I wanted the full story."
"Yeah, so?"
"That wasn't the full story. You only went up to age ten, that's only half of it."
"Ten is half of twenty? No, duh. Gee, great math there, Corporal!" He was irked by her condescending tone, but didn't let up.
"What about the other ten years?" Levi asked sharply.
Karma huffed exasperatedly. "Listen, that's as full as my story's gonna get right now, okay?"
"Talk," the Corporal commanded. He hadn't sat here this whole time for a half-assed story.
"Traveling," she said dismissively. Levi cocked his head, wordlessly signalling for her to continue. He wasn't going to let her get away with a one word explanation. Grumbling, Karma got up and walked past him, chains clanking loudly all the way. She went straight to the map she had drawn and pointed at the dot labeled "Malvad."
"This used to be part of a place called Maine in the United States." Her finger trailed upward. "I went north into Canada where I stayed for a couple years," she said, her hand then moving off of the blob that was North America. "Then I went to Greenland, Iceland, and the Scandinavian Peninsula." Karma pointed to the respect areas of the map before finally dragging her finger down to rest on the mark labeled "You." Her hand dropped, and she stepped away from the wall. "And then I just went south until I got here. End of story. Whether you chose to believe me or not is up to you."
His face staying neutral, Levi mulled over her entire story. She had left a lot to be filled in, a strategically smart move. Showing only half of her information still left her with bargaining chips if she needed any in the future. Her story had been detailed enough to erase any doubt of her making the story up from thin air. Karma didn't seem like the type to be capable of feigning emotions, and this story, though she had done a good job of not portraying feelings while telling it, was undeniably personal. He was also able to picture it playing out. He could see Karma running through all of those countries, slowly hardening and toughening until becoming the final product that now stood before him.
The story was believable, and he would work out its missing pieces eventually. The only thing he found to be unbelievable was that this girl had somehow managed to retain her humanity through everything she had experienced.
Nodding his acknowledgement to Karma, Levi turned his attention to the wall drawing. The chalk had smudged, causing a light trail to be formed between the places Karma had traveled through. It created a large arc between the two dots, and Levi realized this girl had essentially island-hopped her way here. Getting up himself, he walked over to the map and pointed to the gaps between the landforms, the area that was supposedly the sea.
"You ran the whole way, correct? How'd you get through the water? Are the oceans shallow enough to wade through?" The river cutting through the Walls was the largest amount of water he had ever seen, but it went unsaid that these oceans were much larger. Levi could picture water getting less deep the more it was spread out.
"Correct, and no, they're really deep. I had to swim across them in titan form. It's pretty easy considering how light a titan's body is, so I could just float around if I needed a break. All someone needs is food, water, a compass, and a rowboat, that way when it gets too tired he or she can leave the titan and just rest in the boat while regaining bearings. It's a bitch of a trip, though; it takes a week or two because of all the drifting, not to mention it's exhausting." Karma became tired at the thought and walked over to collapse back onto the bed.
Just the idea of that kind of journey made Levi's head hurt. "Why the hell would you do it then? That just seems counterproductive. Why not stay in one place?"
He said the wrong thing. Scathing eyes burned into him, making it clear he had crossed some sort of boundary.
"Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but the world isn't as happy and peaceful as you'd hope it to be. Most other civilizations aren't like yours. If you're wondering why you haven't found other humans out there, it's probably because they don't want to be found," Karma snarled.
Levi felt unsettled, not by being snapped at by Karma, but by something else. Looking over to the map, the hope that had flooded him upon being told other humans existed out there was quickly disappearing. In its place was a sinking feeling, as if poison was now being spread throughout his veins.
"They're probably like my hometown, and trust me, they'd be more than content to watch you get ripped apart one by one at the hands of their precious titans."
Maybe being alone in this world would have left them better off.
This wasn't news to Karma. She had already figured that out the hard way.
A/N: Man, I asked, and you guys answered like it was your job! Dang! Well, it looks like I'll be doing long chapters, so here is an extra long 10,000+ one just for you guys! Don't expect them all to be this long, though. This chapter is also to hold you guys over until I'm able to write again. Majorly sorry, but I've got a ton of work to do before school starts (I blame AP World History), and I can't write until that's out of the way. This isn't a hiatus, I promise!
Okay, bad news out of the way, I'd love to hear what you guys thought of this chapter or the story as a whole so far! This was a big flashback chapter! Geez, it was a lot harder to create the Malvad backstory than I thought it would be, especially since it was in first person. Malvad was a lot more advanced than the Shingeki no Kyojin setting, but civilizations differ. It all kind of depends where humanity was able to create a stronghold, I guess. Writing all of those death scenes was really difficult. I should get bonus points for being able to avoid using Karma's real name at all in the flashback. As most of you probably noticed, it didn't majorly focus on Karma. This was targeted to show who and what impacted her to become the character she is today. There were tons of things in her past that can be linked to how she acts presently. How many connections could you find? (Before anyone asks, the guy who was following Karma is NOT a figment of her imagination. He's real.) Lots of OCs got thrown in there, too, so let me know which one was your favorite! I'd have to pick Lillium. She was really fun to write X) Tell me your thoughts! Criticism accepted, flames rejected.
Thanks so much for reading, and have a SUPERMEGAFOXYAWESOMEHOT day!
~THC~