Chapter Ten:
The Final Battle Part I
Third-Person P.O.V.
"From the very beginning, Aerellia had her memory wiped," Sara muttered. She was staring at the ceiling. Commander Erwin had frequently questioned her about this particular topic. "The Shikaze family consisted of four members. Aerellia Shikaze, the girl born to die. The mother, who was unknown. To outsiders, Shikaze only used her to get children, but we always knew he loved her. Part of the reason he probably demanded for us to cease all human extinction when they retreated to the Walls was most likely due to the fact she died by Titan means."
"You only listed three." Erwin said, stoic. "Who's the fourth member?"
"No one knows," Sara said, "For the parents only created one child. But everyone always said there was a fourth member, a person no one knew about. But Aerellia was well-known. And well-hated. Shikaze controlled us to the extent we would die of exhaustion."
"Does he have a first name?"
"No. He was kind to only Aerellia and her mother, but treated us with scorn. We were often given suicide missions, but whenever we asked him about it, he always told us that our goal was to vanquish humanity even if it meant our lives." She closed her eyes, breathing slowly. "Erwin, you're one of the people who have thrown away your humanity, correct? To save humanity, you threw it away right from the start. In all terms, you're no better than I."
Aer's P.O.V.
Step one, two, three, jump, and then curtsy. "This feels so natural," I muttered, "Almost like I've done it before." I ended the Swan Lake ballet performance and sat down next to Armin. "What did Mikasa and Eren talk to you guys about? I'm sorry I slept through it though."
"They're getting married!" Hanji screamed.
"It makes sense," Sasha said, "I mean if we're all going to die soon, might as well get married now before dying." She was munching on a warm potato. "But Jean keeps on sulking." She pointed to Jean, who had indeed been sulking in a corner of the greenhouse.
"I've always imagined Mikasa as the groom and Eren as the bride…" Connie muttered, his voice trailing off.
I clapped my hands together. "I wonder if I can help Mikasa with her dress! The ceremony would be this week, right? If they're going on the expedition in two weeks, they would probably have it before that." I was excited. My first wedding!
"We can have a Titan-themed wedding!" Hanji squealed, completely not getting the point. "It'll be beautiful! Everyone will be amazed and surprised by our awesome idea of making the wedding the first Titan-themed wedding."
"No way," Armin protested, "Mikasa and Eren would never make anything Titan-themed."
Four Hours Later…
I groaned, flopping one arm over my eyes. The rest of the squad had gone on another expedition today, leaving me alone in the library. "What should I do? Its boring reading books all day. How can people do this stuff?" The blackbird chirped and tugged me toward another thick volume. "Titan-Shifting Lesson Guide." I read aloud. "Written by Aerellia Jaeger. Dedicated to my dear sister, Lilli, whom has given me hope for humanity and to Eren, my younger brother, who will one day save humanity."
It turns out the book was chock full of information regarding shifters. It clearly explained the way to obtain Titan senses, how to control shifts, and how to use a variety of Titan skills while in the body of one. "Eren, when you finish reading this, I'll be gone," I read aloud. The book was so interesting I was almost finished, with a couple of pages to spare. "Physically, or mentally, I'll be gone and probably will never return. Remember everything in this book. William was an excellent teacher and I regret the fact you two will never meet. This is the best I can teach you at the moment. Farewell, Eren. I wish you the best."
In the margins, someone had written something in faded ink. I narrowed my eyes. "In this illusion you have created, you can fly in freedom. But if you never try, your wings will be bound to the earth." The handwriting was slashed and completely messy from the neat writing used for the majority of the book.
"What are you reading?" Rivaille's irritated and clear voice resounded across the archive of books. "I never took you for someone who liked to read books all day." He was neat as a pin despite having come back from a surely bloody expedition.
"I'm not," I frowned at him. I was laying on top of the wooden table, looking at him upside-down. "You people left me all alone while you went on your fancy-killing-trip-expedition-mission-thingy! What am I supposed to do all alone?"
He shrugged then he immediately looked at the book. "What's that?"
"Nothing." I hid the book under my back, moving it out of view.
"I asked you a question, and as your superior, I expect you to answer me properly. Now give me the damn book." He walked up to me and started to wrestle the guide out of my hands. "Let go of it, Aer!"
"No!" I yelled. He grunted in reply, and I held onto the book. "Corporal stop it! It hurts!"
"Oooohhh Ri-chan are you getting hot and heavy with Aer-chan today?!" The squad leader Hanji burst through the doors. Her eyes were sparkling. "Can I name the baby?!"
"No!" Corporal Rivaille barked. "I don't trust you and your cannibalistic names."
"Ri-chan's so mean…" Hanji moped in a corner by herself. I could almost see a dark aura around her form.
"Hanji, what did you want?" I asked, hiding the book under my butt. Now Corporal Rivaille surely wasn't getting the book. "Did the expedition end already?"
"Nope," she shrugged, "The wedding's today. Of course, preparations are kind of rushed but since everyone's going to be there, Eren and Mikasa are fine with that. They wanted me to come and tell you about it since you never got to really talk to them."
"Eren and Mikasa are coming?!" I jumped up excitedly, and Corporal Rivaille took the opportunity to snatch the book. "Hey, give that back!"
"Titan-Shifting Lesson Guide," he read slowly, "Aer, why are you reading this?"
"It's interesting," I muttered, "And it sounds familiar. Aerellia Jaeger must be a really good novelist. I was wondering if I could contact her and ask how she got all of this information together." I clasped my hands hopefully, looking at Corporal Rivaille. "Do you think I could?"
Hanji froze at my words and slowly turned to look at Corporal Rivaille. The upper half of his face was dark, making it impossible to see his expression. "Aerellia Jaeger is dead," he said simply, "because of the Titans."
"Aw," I sighed, and then took a closer look at his face. "Corporal Rivaille, did something happen between you and Aerellia Jaeger? You looked so sad just now."
"Aer!" Hanji interrupted me, "Didn't you want to go and help Mikasa with her dress?"
"Oh yeah!" I jumped up and ran to the door. "See you two later!"
Third Person P.O.V.
Hanji slowly looked at Rivaille. "Are you sure you don't want to tell her? You have nothing to lose now."
His fists were clenched. "What are you talking about?" The question came out more like a comment.
"Everyone can see it, Rivaille." For once, the Titan-crazy squad leader called the corporal by his name. "You love her. She can't see it. I have a theory for that. If she forgot about everything…she might've even forgotten how to feel."
"Bullshit," Rivaille muttered, "We're human. Of course we know how to feel."
"Family, friends, a lover." Hanji stated. "She has none. Her friends are only us, the people who can't even tell her the truth. Family, all were killed. Eren has been ordered to never get close to her either. Lovers. Rivaille, you don't want to admit it, but you love her. Those three things are necessary to feel emotion. She doesn't even have one of them. And being human…she's a Titan-shifter who has taken the same exact drug three times. Her existence can't possibly be human or Titan."
Meanwhile back at the cell…
"How's Aerellia?" Sara asked, leaning back. "Could I possibly speak to her?" When the guard shook his head, she sighed. "So they're keeping it a secret from her? How boring. I didn't think humans were this stupid."
"Well, I guess the Titans would win either way," she murmured thoughtfully. "It's amazing humans have even survived this far."
Aer's P.O.V.
"Mikasa, stop moving!" I felt her shift around again as I surveyed her white-clad body with pins in my mouth. I took them out and smiled. "You look gorgeous! Eren's going to love you in this dress!" Really, it had taken us more than five hours for her to chose a dress.
She was almost aglow with happiness. "I'm so excited!"
Five Hours Later…
"Congratulations!" We all yelled at the couple. Music started playing and I walked off by myself outside, enjoying the fresh air. Honestly, if I had the chance to, I would have gone outside during the ceremony but it felt so rude to do just that.
"Everyone's happy," I heard Onyx behind me. "Why aren't you with them?" I shrugged. The telltale click of a pistol made me freeze. I slowly turned around and saw Onyx aiming a pistol at me. "Why did you forget?" His voice was trembling. "Why did you forget how you promised to never let Lilli die? How did you forget about that promise and let her die?!"
"Onyx?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but who is Lilli?" He sighed and dropped the gun. "Are you alright? Should I go get Corporal Rivaille?"
"No, it's fine," he muttered, "Go away." With that, he walked off. I snuck off into a bush and dragged the Titan book out. The last few pages were mainly dedication pages, but I was determined to read the whole entire thing through from start to finish
Eren, before I finish this, I must tell you something. The Shikaze family. They're composed of four members: the father, the mother, the twin girls. I've only heard of this recently, so little is known to me of this particular subject.
From what the rumors say, the Shikaze family are the real enemies. The father is heard to be the Ape Titan. Titans are formed through two ways, correct? (And you should know this by now if you actually read the whole book.) There are the artificial Coordinates, and the natural ones turned by the Ape Titan.
When humanity was diminished, we swept ourselves away to the safety and confines of the Walls, but we made a grave mistake. We let the Ape Titan live. He made more natural Titan shifters and more Titans. Generally, the enemy is the Ape Titan.
I leave that task up to you. Kill the Ape Titan and avenge everyone who has suffered at the hands of the Titans.
Third Person P.O.V.
Sara closed her eyes. "Humans really are odd," she murmured, "They won't live to see another day." She reached under her clothes and drew out a remote control. She pressed the large red button, sighed, and leaned back, content. "They are partying at such a simple reason."
"Sara?!" A voice buzzed through the control. "Are you alright? We're coming."
The guard didn't hear any of it. "I'm fine, Max. I alert, prime time to invade and destroy humanity. Give orders for Operation Five-Point-Oh, send out Squads Sixteen and Nineteen. On my orders, prepare to invade the walls. Get Bertholdt on backup with the other Colossal Titans and Reiner on hold. Prepare to break down all three Walls on my watch."
"Squads Sixteen through Nineteen have been prepared. Operation Five Point Oh is on current work. All shifters prepared to participate! All Titans put on standby, counting down on Strategy Leader Sara's watch!"
"Go," Sara whispered. "All squads, invade the human Walls!" The guard had left, leaving her with the communication device.
"Sara, I thank you for being our spy." That simple sentence was all Max said before he left, leaving the control buzzing in her hands.
Aer's P.O.V.
"Commander Erwin! Corporal Rivaille!" A messenger ran up to the building on top of a horse. Interested, I walked inside. "All three Walls have been breached! Dallis Zacklay has ordered for every soldier to take part!"
"Everyone, Squads One through Three, protect the citizens! Rest of you engage combat with the Titans!" Erwin roared. For a split second, time stood still. Then everyone was rushing outside, eager for some spilt blood from the Titans.
I ran outside with the others, and grabbed my horse. The black stallion ran smoothly and quickly too. In minutes, we were near the Titans.
It was raining blood, both human and Titan. It stung my face, my hands. You have finally awoken, human.
"Aer!" Rivaille grasped my arm and dragged me back. "You're going to have to stay inside for now."
"Rivaille, I'm fine," I protested. For now, I would have to act like I never knew anything. "I just wanted to see the Titans!"
"Get back inside," he roughly shoved me back.
Rivaille's P.O.V.
As the squad and I ran off to the breach, I reviewed the conversation with Aerellia. Then I realized something out of place. She hadn't called me Corporal. She called me Rivaille.
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