DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ATTACK ON TITAN NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!


Chapter Seven: The Heroes Have Returned


I had my hands on knees panting, "How is it that even though I'm older than you, you still beat me in a race?" I ask Mikasa.

"It's because your slow." she stated.

"I am not! If anyone's slow it's Eren!" I argued.

"Mai!" Eren whined.

I let out a sigh, "Well, anyhow," I said standing up straight, "I think we should hurry up and get home. Mrs. Jaeger is expecting us." I said as we started our walk up the hill. I looked to Mikasa and saw her deep in thought.

I wonder what she's thinking about. She's probably thinking about how she doesn't want Eren in the Survey Corps.

"Eren, Mai, you should give up on joining the Survey Corps." she said in a monotone.

Eh? She included me in that sentence. Well... I have mentioned before that I was going to join the Survey Corps.


Year 844

Four months post entering this world...


We had just finished dinner and were on Eren's bed talking about how awesome the recon team looked while leaving for their next mission when Eren had stated he wanted to join the Survey Corps.

"Eh? You too?" feigning ignorance that I didn't know already that he was going to join. I had put some thought into this once before. Who would want to stay cooped up in this prison for their entire lives? Especially someone like me who used to live without walls separating me from the outside world.

He looked at me with wide eyes, "Really!? You want to join as well?" he asked with a smile on his face.

"Of course. I feel like a prisoner inside these walls. I want to be free." I said with a dreamy look in my eyes. Eren seemed to have sparkles in his eyes at the fact that he wasn't alone in his decision.

"Don't..." we turned to see Mikasa was looking at us with fear in her eyes, "Don't join the Survey Corps." she pleaded calmly.

I smiled at her placing my hand on her head, "Don't worry Mikasa. We won't die that easily." I said reassuringly.

"But how do you know that for sure?" she asked.

"I just do." the conversation was dropped after that and we went back to talking about other stuff.


Year 845

Present...


"What? You're gonna look down on them too?" he questioned her.

"It doesn't have anything to do with how I see them-" she was caught off by the sound of bells in the distance.

"The Survey Corps is back! The front gate is gonna open! Let's go, Mikasa, Mia! It's the triumphant return of the heroes!" he said enthusiastically grabbing Mikasa's hand, running hurriedly to the gate. I followed behind them with a smile on my face even though I knew what I would see if I went.


When we got to the gate, there was already a crowd formed along the sides of the road.

"Shoot, I can't see." he said jumping up and down as he ran trying to find a place he could watch them from. Being only five-foot-one, I could barely see as it is. The two of them finally found a couple boxes to stand on.

We watched as they rode passed on their horses with sad looks on their faces. One of the men looked up at us. He had blonde hair and insanely thick eyebrows. He saw the look of amazement on Eren's and my face and turned away with downcast eyes.

Eren gave him a confused look before looking behind the man and saw why. His eyes widened in horror at what he saw. He saw wounded men and horror stricken faces.

"Only this many of them made it back?" a man wondered out loud, "They must've all been eaten. This is what happens when you go outside the walls."

"Moses? Moses!" we turned to see an old woman looking for her son, "Excuse me, I don't see my son, Moses... Where can I find him?" she asked grabbing onto what I can only guess is the Commander in fear of what he will say.

"It's Moses's mother." he turned to the man the his left, "Bring it over." the man came back and handed over an object the was wrapped in a white sheet stained with dried blood to his Commander who then gave it to the woman.

The woman looked down at in horror before she looked up to the Commander as if asking if he was pulling her leg. Seeing that there was humor on his face, she immediately began to unwrap the object in her arms. Once she unveiled the arm of her on, she swiftly covered it back up. She let out a heart wrenching sob with shaking shoulders.

"That's all we were able to recover." the Commander said regrettably. The woman fell to her knees, cradling the arm close to her person. I watched with a hand over my mouth to keep in my own sobs. I could feel tears swell in the corners of my eyes.

How can these people watch this without sheading a tear!? I could feel rage building up inside me as looked at the spectators cold faces.

The Commander knelled down in front of the woman as she began to speak, "But... my son... carried out hos duty, right?" the Commander was taken aback by her words, "Although it may not have been anything significant, he contributed to mankind's retaliation somehow, didn't he!?" looking up at the Commander with tears in her eyes in desperation to ease the pain in her heart.

The wind picked up a little, moving the red bangs that I let hang in my eyes.

"Of course! No..." he said taking back his words, "Through this mission we... No, through all of our missions... We've failed to achieve anything!" he shouted with tears streaming fro his eyes, "Through my incompetence, I've gotten soldiers killed for nothing, and failed to learn the slightest thing about them!" the woman along with everyone single one of us, stared in horror at what he was saying.

I guess watching your friends die in front of you takes a toll on you after a while...


Thanks for reading this chapter!

I was crying while writing this chapter. I still have tear stains on my face!

I was thinking about whether or not to put her in the 104th cadet squad or not, but have finally decided not to. She needs to have more OC time. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks again. See you next chapter!~


Edited: August 28, 2016