Chapter 6

Ed crouched over the wounded woman. Those kids must have really loved their mother if they were willing to risk certain death like that, to try and save her. Ed examined her closely, her legs were crushed and bleeding, parts of her spine were clearly shattered, though not sticking through her skin. It got worse and worse the more he looked at her, if she was left to normal doctors, she would be as good as dead. Fortunately, Ed wasn't a normal doctor, technically he wasn't a doctor at all but that didn't matter now.

Ed knew there was only one way to save this woman and he prepared to perform the necessary alchemy to save her life. Ed held his hands over her torso and took one last look at her body, just to make sure and boy was he glad he did. Blood had started to trickle out of her nose, mouth and one ear. She was still breathing, but even using his internal philosopher's stone, this wasn't going to be easy.

"I need a volunteer." Ed asked, within himself. "You're going to have to go into this woman's body and assess her brain. It could just be that she bit her tongue, broken her nose and ruptured her eardrum. Though, if only we should be so lucky."

The tempest of souls within him quieted down for a moment, in order to listen to Ed, though once he finished talking, they were back to talking and arguing over who should volunteer. It felt like hours of debate but in reality, it only took a second, before Ed heard the voice of a young boy speak-up.

"I'll do it Ed. Mum lost me when I was was their age. She was so upset with it all, I can only imagine what it would be like for them to lose their Mummy, especially like this!"

Ed smiled, of course little Tommy would be the one to step up. "Thank you Tommy. I appreciate it. Are you sure you know what you will be looking for?"

Tommy let out an impatient sigh. "Of course I know! I've been living in your body for years!"

Ed chuckled to himself, opened his eyes and looked for the nearest sharp object, not that it was hard to find one. Ed secretly took up a rusty nail that jutted out of the woodwork and placed one of his hands over the woman.

"Ready Tommy?"

"Yes, Ed"

Ed drove the nail into his palm until it drew blood. The blood congealed quickly, pooling in his hand into a small ellipses. With great care, Ed dropped the philosopher's stone into the woman's ear and immediately, her body stiffened, as her soul tried to fight against Tommy's. It didn't last long though and soon after the woman relaxed, with the occasional bit of red lightning lashing around her face, healing her nose, mouth and ear. It only took a few seconds but soon enough, Tommy's stone began to pool in the woman's ear again. Ed cut his hand again, though no blood came out and allowed Tommy to be reabsorbed back into himself.

"Bad news, Ed." he said sadly.

"What is it?"

"There is nothing we can do, even if you used all of us to heal her. Her brain is too badly damaged. To rebuild the… neural connections? - "Yeah, you got it" - "To rebuild the neural connections in a way that would allow her body to makes sense of the signals is nearly impossible."

Ed's eyes widened in shock. Sure he had rapidly lost most of his memory after arriving in this world, but he could not ever remember not being able to solve a problem with alchemy. "What do you mean it would be nearly impossible!?"

Tommy, with the help of the other souls, explained the woman's dire situation. Most of her neural connections from her brain to her body were either cut or severely damaged, though the connection to her Heart and Lungs were intact. Most of the memory centres, including her Thalamus, her speech centre and other areas were damaged to a point where repairing them would make her forget what little she could remember. Sure she could be healed, but there is no guarantee that this woman's body and brain would begin to understand the new connections, at least not in time for her to not drown in her own filth.

Ed was struggling to get to grips with this realisation, when one thing struck him as odd.

"Tommy, why did you fix her face, if you were sure she is going to die?"

Ed heard Tommy gasp in surprise. "Why? Her kids should get the chance to say goodbye to her, of course! Mummy got to say goodbye to me after all. I wouldn't want her to look like that when they see her."

Ed nodded. He saw Tommy's point and agreed completely. After a few seconds of thinking, Ed knew what he had to do.

"I need volunteers, more than one, to share the load of keeping here alive while I take her to the evacuation point."

In matter of seconds, Ed was cutting his hand again and letting the liquid philosopher's stone drop into the woman's ear, watching it absorb into her body, all the while making a sort of combined stretcher and carrier, so that he could carry the woman comfortably on his back without causing her more harm.

It took a few minutes but Ed strapped the woman into his contraption, then strapped that thing to his back. Straining with the effort of lifting this woman and remaining balanced Ed slowly got to his feet. He had just finished checking that the ropes and cables he'd made were tied securely, when the ground began shaking again.

Ed looked awkwardly over his shoulder at where the shaking appeared to be coming from. Sure enough he could see at least three more Titans headed his way from the open Gate of Shiganshina. He could also see the telltale signs of steam coming from the body of the Titan that he attacked earlier, meaning either that it was decomposing; or regenerating, either way Ed was too over encumbered to bother sticking around.

Ed took off as fast as he could, it was hard to get going and stay on his feet with the extra weight, yet he managed to move at a reasonable pace and was able to avoid the Titan hotspots, eventually linking up with a group of Garrison Regiment Soldiers and having them escort him to the place where the evacuations were being staged, behind the second layer of Wall Maria. Ed stumbled through the Gate after a very long run, looking around wildly for Hannes and the two children, though that wasn't made easy because the soldiers Ed found were pushing him towards a barge full of civilians that were heading behind Wall Rose. That's where he saw them, being led by Hannes towards the ferries.

"Hey Hannes!" Ed roared out across the crowded plaza. "Hannes, get those kids to me!"

Hannes, hearing Ed wheeled around and jumped back in surprise, seeing Ed with the woman strapped to her back. He quickly grabbed the two kids and dragged them in his direction.

The young boy ran forward as soon as he saw Ed, his face was full of hope, yet as he got closer and closer that hope faded away. His sister was much the same, running at great speed, staring wide-eyed and full of hope, until they saw their mother hanging limply on his back.

Ed set the woman down and loosened her straps, so she could move more freely. Turning to look at the children, Ed didn't know what to say to them, or how to get the stone out of their mother's body without them noticing.

"I know what you're going to say. You're going to ask about my 'magic' and how it couldn't save your mother. I know you don't want to hear this, but my magic - alchemy it's called - isn't all powerful. It cannot perform miracles, despite its' power. I don't know how long she has left but I have kept her alive for long enough, so you can at least say goodbye."

The boy and his… sister? (They don't look alike) looked horrified. Their mother looked healthier, like she had been healed to them.

"What do you mean you couldn't heal her? She looks okay! What couldn't you do‽" The Boy yelled at Ed, tears winking, in the corner of his eyes.

"She's our mum! Can't you do anything more‽" The Girl roared.

Ed shook his head. "I was able to heal her external wounds. Fix her broken bones and so on, but the real damage was done to her brain-" "Her what" "-Her brain. It's the organ in your head responsible for doing… for being you? Anyway, her's is so badly damaged, that fixing it would risk killing her at worst and making her lose her memories of you at best. If you want me to try and save her, it's your call, just be aware of the consequences."

Hannes, who Ed had completely forgot about until now, finally spoke up, as it turned out that he had been standing close by, while giving the children their space. "Whoa, Ed this isn't how you treat kids, you know. They've been through alot and now you drop this on them? What is the point?"

Ed ran his hands through his hair. "The point is that is not a choice I should make, this is their mother and they should be fully informed about her situation and if necessary, get a chance to say a proper goodbye! Besides, there were more Titans on the way and it's hard to fight with a woman strapped to your back!"

Hannes was about to shoot back a reply, when the woman began coughing violently. Immediately, Ed swung around to face her, pulling out a handkerchief from his pockets to cover her mouth. As he did so, he felt for the familiar sense of souls, waiting for the stone exit her body and sure enough, after a minute or two of coughing the stone was in the handkerchief, ready to be reabsorbed.

The woman, now awake, looked around her with bleary eyes and tried moving her arms and legs, though it was not easy for her. "Eren? Mikasa? You're okay! How did you get me here? Where is here?" She asked meekly, still trying to get her bearings. "What's going on?"

The two children rushed forward and embraced their mother, crying profusely. They didn't hold back the tears and they tried to explain to her, what her situation was, but through all the sobbing, even Ed had no idea what was being said. It quickly fell to Hannes to explain to the woman how bad a state she was in, though it wasn't a great explanation, it got the point across.

Still her reaction was telling. "Who are you? What do you mean I am close to death? What are Titans?" The woman tried to stand up, but her legs refused to move, though she had good control of her arms. "Why won't my legs move?"

The children (Eren and Mikasa? I thought Erin was a girl's name?) let go of their mother in shock. They were about to speak, when Ed leant forwards. "Miss, if I may explain? You have sustained very traumatic injuries. I was able to heal your broken bones, but I can't fix memories, or your skills; like walking, digesting food and so on, not without a serious risk of making it worse."

No one moved, or spoke for some time. The woman's children were having a hard time processing everything they were being told, they were barely holding back the tears as they tried to come to terms with the fact that they might have to watch their mother die. For Ed, the Children and Hannes, it was like the world had disappeared, only the few square metres they were all standing on seemed to exist. Then ground started rumbling again and the sound of grinding gears filled the air.

"Hey, they're closing the gate!" Roared Hannes. "My mates are still out there, as well as any number of civilians! They can't do that!"
Hannes took off at a sprint, leaving Ed alone with the woman and her children. Their gaze, following Hannes, could see that the Gate of Wall Maria, leading the main wall to Shiganshina, was closing. Ed, knew that things must be getting far worse in the city if the Gate was closing. He slipped an arm under the woman's legs and one around her back, hoisting her up and carrying her towards the ferry at a run.

"You two better follow me, let's get you on the barge!" Ed yelled. "Have you made a decision about whether you want me to try save your mum?"

The two children ran at equal pace with Ed, staring at his face in earnest. "Do what you can, she's our mother!" Snapped Eren.

Mikasa nodded in support. "She's the the only family we have! Save her!"

As the three made it to the Gangway to the Barge, Ed noticed a familiar face. Hermann was standing at the stern of his barge and deep in an argument with some of the garrison personnel. Ed couldn't hear them properly, but it was pretty obvious from all the hand waving and from all the people on the barge, the Hermann was refusing to take on more people.

'If you want me to do this, you have to be prepared to accept the chance that she might not make it ('we know!') and that she might not be the same, even if she does. ('We get it!') Just so you know.' Ed said, trying his best to be sympathetic and reassuring. Not that it was easy with a nearly dead woman, in the middle of a Titan attack. 'I'll get you on the barge, wait for me there!'

The two children began to protest but Ed silenced them, letting them sit with their mother and pushed through the swelling crowd towards Hermann and the soldiers he was arguing with.

'Hermann! Hermann!' Ed yelled at the top of his lungs and waved his arms, until Hermann acknowledged him. 'I have two kids and their mother with me! Can you spare room for them?'

Hermann threw his hands into the air, impatiently. 'Those three and no more! She's barely above the waterline as it is!'

Ed shouted his thanks back at Hermann as he turned on his heel, hurrying back to the Children. As soon as he reached them, he grabbed them by the hands and dragged them onto the ferry. They fought him every step of the way but Ed was strong enough to get them onto the ferry, without having to resort to more distasteful measures.

'You two! Stay here!' Ed snapped at them, taking out a piece of paper and writing something down on, using alchemy to stain the page. 'When you get inside Wall Rose, find this address. It's my house, you can stay with me. You're mother is going to need to be moved carefully and slowly, I will see to it!'

Eren and Mikasa tried to protest but Ed had shoved the paper into Eren's hands, then turned away and had rushed down the gangplank and was rushing back to the children's mother. As Ed forced his way through the crowd back to the now prone woman, Ed could hear a distant, rapid thumping, like a giant running and it was getting closer. Whatever it was, it was big and it was heading towards Wall Maira Proper, at great speed.

'Okay, Miss?' Ed said as he reached the children's mother. She groaned in response. 'I'm going to try and heal you, but there isn't much chance it'll work. Are you ready?'

The woman nodded, less with understanding and more in acknowledgement of being spoken to but Ed wasn't going to be picky, as he knew he needed to be precise in this "operation". Using his alchemy, he created a medical transmutation circle, then proceeded to pick up the woman. All the while, the running was getting closer and closer.

Placing the woman in the circle, Ed began the process of transmuting her body, to try and heal her. 'Hell, I hope this works! I don't want those kids to be lose their mother. I know what that feels like… I think.' Ed was so focused on the transmutation, that world seemed to disappear around him, he was so focused on trying to encourage nerve growth in the woman's spine, he didn't realise the people around him were starting to panic and shove their way onto the over-full barges and how the soldiers were beginning to rush towards the Gate entrance, preparing to defend it.

What snapped Ed out of his focus, was the bright flash of light that signified failing of the medical transmutation. Ed was thrown back about a metre and scrambled forward. The woman was a mess, blood trickled from her open mouth, nose and ears. Her auburn hair was splayed out beneath her, messy and slowly being mixed with blood, from a gaping wound that slowly opened up in her head. It was clear that her injuries were far worse than first anticipated and Ed was not going to let those kids see their mother's corpse like this. Thinking quickly, he threw himself between her and the ferries.

Turning slowly around, he could see the Hermann's ferry was slowly pulling away, the motors, that attached it to the guidance cables; that would lead it into the safety of Wall Rose, were turning as fast as they could. He could also see, looking over the stern of the ferry, were the two children still close enough to see what was going on but not close enough to see it in detail, as Ed could only partially see their faces. Not wanting to break their hearts, Ed threw out his hand, giving a thumbs up and waving, in a way he hoped looked encouraging and positive. When saw them wave back and jump up-and-down, hugging, Ed new he'd fooled them and immediately, he felt guilty for doing so. Though the guilt wasn't the normal guilt, that one would feel when they tell a blatant lie, they have no moral connection to, it felt like he was breaking a deep personal oath, like he was a hypocrite, doing something he'd never do because it was done to him… but he couldn't remember why.

Though Ed as slowly faded in and out of reality, pondering his lie and trying to find a way to make it to the Gate of Wall Maria leading to Shiganshina, Ed finally acknowledged the sheer panic that filled the people around him. There were mothers and their children, huddled together at the docks, some were staring at Ed, as they had never seen alchemy before and some were just staring at the departed ferries, waiting for them to return; while their husbands and fathers argued with Garrison Troops about… 'What were they arguing about?' Ed thought to himself, pushing his way towards a prominent group of men arguing with Garrison Troops, keeping in mind that the children might still be watching, did his best, to hide the fact that their mother had died.

'Please sirs, you need to take your families and make your way to Wall Rose on foot!' snapped an athletic looking Garrison Officer. Her hair was short and silver and she had half-moon glasses on her face, her arms were crossed and she had a look of barely concealed panic in her eyes.

'We're not going anywhere, until those ferries get back! Are you telling us that the Garrison can't do its' job properly!'

The Garrison Officer had a response on her lips and was just ready to speak, when the cannons on top of Wall Maria opened-up, in a powerful volley of fire, down into Shiganshina. Garrison Troops on the wall were yelling down to the people on the ground, though Ed couldn't hear what they were yelling, it must have been scary because people near the gate were fleeing from it in every direction.

Mere seconds later Ed watched, helplessly, as the Main Gate of wall Maria exploded just like the Gate to Shiganshina did. Though what came barging through the Gate was not the Colossal Titan, but a 15 metre tall Titan covered in what looked like armour plates. It blasted through the Gate, sending debris everywhere and again, knocking Ed off his feet. Clambering to his feet seconds later, Ed surveyed the damage done: boulders were strewn all over the ground, getting more sparse the further away from the gate they were, buildings were toppled; some by the boulders and others by the sheer force of the shock-wave and the bodies… lots of bodies.

Survivors scrambled over to where their loved-ones lay trying to get them to move, while the Garrison turned everything they had on this new threat. Not that it mattered, as with the Gate open, Titans could pour through the breach and begin their merciless assault on the survivors.

Ed turned to look at the dead woman (Clara?) one last time, only to find a boulder the size of baby's cot where she lay, with a blood red smear being all that remained of her. Ed didn't have a chance to look for Eren and Mikasa, as the thumping of Titan feet brought him back to reality. Stepping forward, Ed roared in anger, anger at the death of a mother, anger at lying, anger at the deaths of so many innocent, blindly in his rage, he ran.

He ran right into the mess of Titans and lost control, he rushed at the armoured Titan fiercely using his flames and the elements around him to try and kill this monster, but nothing seemed to work. It dodged his flames, broke his stone spires and lances, it even booted Ed across what used to be a market square. Ed even attacked it with his Philosopher's Stone, without asking permission first, to no avail. The Red Alchemy streamed across the sky, detonating right in front of Ed's armoured foe, but still it stood, glaring with dead yellow eyes. Then with no warning, like the Colossal Titan from earlier, it vanished in a cloud of steam and smoke.

Ed screamed out again, furious at the denial of combat, enraged by his enemy's hasty retreat, but surrounded by Titans, Ed had no choice but to keep fighting. Will all the power of traditional alchemy he could muster, Ed attacked, thinking nothing of his own safety; only of a new found desire to kill.

After several frenzied minutes, Ed found himself standing on top of Wall Maria roaring himself hoarse at the Titans. He wasn't saying anything, just screaming like some wild beast, trapped in a cage. Realising this, Ed closed his mouth immediately and took stock of his situation. He was atop the 50 metre Wall Maria, the ground where he was standing before was full of Titans, chasing people, fighting Garrison Troops, or struggling to get through (or off) the myriad of spikes, ditches, pillars and other obstacles Ed had made. There were also 6 Garrison Troops standing nearby to Ed, regarding him with weary eyes.

"Uhh, you there! Blondy!" snapped a fit looking young man, nursing a small arm wound. "Who-who are you? What were you just doing?"

Ed glowered at him. "Doesn't matter, who I am or what I can do! This Gate is breached and we need to get out of here!" Ed marched at the Soldier, his golden eyes blazing. As soon as the man was in reach, Ed clapped his hands and grabbed the Soldier's arm. Blue lightning crackled through it and the Soldier yanked his arm back in shock, only to find his arm healed.

"You're right, we must evacuate as many civilians as we can and get out of here!" The Soldier said, clearly startled at Ed's brazen displays of alchemy.

Ed nodded and turn to face the Titans, now 50 metres below him. "Quick question: how did I get up here and how do I get down?"