Isa was paralyzed, she couldn't move. The horror coursing through her was like one she'd never felt before as she looked at Ethel, her dear Ethel, carry gear that she should never have to wear, should never have to use.

Denial and despair were taking over her. "No. No, just…no…This…this can't be happening."

Her knees gave out on her as she collapsed onto the ground, hands clutching her arms. Her breath was beginning to pant out, the world around her starting to spin and fade as her vision blurred. Hard shudders were wracking through her body. Tears went unnoticed as they spilled from her eyes.

She didn't register her gear digging into her legs.

No…not Ethel. Why? Why is she here? Why did they pick her? I thought they were only picking people from Wall Maria. She's from Wall Rose. Why is she here?

Why?

What if something happens?

What if I'm not able to protect her the way I wasn't able to protect Lucy? Isabel? Furlan?

I just don't understand why she was chosen. Erwin said the Military Police would be gathering people from Wall Maria.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Little black dots were forming in front of her eyes as her breath started to wheeze.

I can't lose Ethel too. I feel like I only just met her.

What if she dies? Will I be able to recover?

I can't tell if each death is getting harder or easier. Maybe both.

I can't lose her, I feel like I'll break if I do. Then what? I don't know if I'll be able to pick up the pieces.

I don't think I'm going to be able to protect her. I couldn't protect Lucy. I couldn't protect Isabel or Furlan.

Am I really just weak, useless, and pathetic?

I know it wasn't my fault they all died, but if I could have just been stronger or faster, then maybe they'd still be here.

Why is she here?

How is this happening?

Her hands were clenching tight on her arms, to the point where they would most likely have bruises later.

There was a tightness in her chest, and it felt as if someone had reached inside her chest to grab her heart and squeeze.

Hands that trembled ever so slightly pulled her hands from her arms, before coming to rest on her shoulders. That small contact was a lifeline that kept her from spiraling down into the dark abyss.

"H-hey, take a breath." A muffled voice reached out to her.

That voice…how do I always recognize that voice?

She tried to listen, but only managed a choked sob. "I can't." Her voice broke as she lost more and more control over her breath and she was starting to feel lightheaded.

Her hands came up to grab the person's wrists, squeezing tight. The person in front of her was the one thing keeping her grounded, and she didn't want to let go. Her eyes looked up, and though her vision was fuzzy and filled with those damned dots, she could make out that same gray speckled with blue. "Help me."

The hands on her shoulders squeezed tighter at the broken request. "We've been through this, I know you can. Just take a breath, and hold it." She found the voice ever so soothing as it washed across her.

It took her several tries, but she finally managed to gain control of a breath and held it.

"Good, now, I'm going to count to five. When I get there, you're going to let it go."

She nodded, clenching her eyes tight, gripping tighter at the person's wrists.

The soothing voice began counting. "One. Two. Three. Four. Five."

On five she exhaled and the tightness in her chest began to fade.

"Good girl, now do it again."

When she did, she could feel herself regaining control over her breath.

"Good, now just look at me."

Her tear-filled eyes opened, focusing on Levi kneeling in front of her, those beautiful eyes focused only on her. "Levi?"

"That's right, it's me." His hands moved up to cup her face now, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. "Now I need you to pull yourself together. There are people here that are going to be looking to us for guidance. If they see one of us falling apart, we'll have a bigger problem on our hands than the titans. I can't tell you it's going to be okay, but we'll get through this together." His gaze was serious, and she thought she saw a hint of worry in his eyes.

She nodded, comforted by his calm eyes and the warmth of his hands on her face. "I…I'm scared, Levi." Her voice was too quiet for anyone to hear except for Levi.

"I know." His whispered voice echoed in her ears as his thumb swiped at another tear that escaped her eyes. "The only thing we can do, is fight. Are you going to cry, or are you going to fight, Isa?"

'You're a fighter.'

Others might have been offended by his words, telling them to pull themselves together after they'd almost fallen apart, asking them if they're going to cry or fight. But she knew where he was coming from, and she knew he was right.

He's always helping me, and I feel like I've done nothing to help him.

But now isn't the time to fall apart. He's right, the people here are scared enough as it is. If they see me fall apart, chaos could break out, and that's the last thing we need. We'd never be able to control the people in the middle of a mass panic.

People, both civilians and the rest of us, would get injured or die.

That cannot happen.

I'm okay. It's like Levi said. I can't say it's going to be okay, but we'll get through this together.

She looked into his eyes again and gave him a small smile, squeezing his wrists again, the slightest bit of determination filling her eyes. "I'm going to fight."

His hands stayed on her face for another moment as he held her gaze. He gave her cheeks another gentle stroke before pulling away. He took her elbows, using them to help pull her to her feet.

She took another deep breath, now holding on to his elbows. "I'm fine now. I'm ready. We'll get through this together."

There it was again, that same small smile that had her breath hitching for a completely different reason now.

Ignoring her reaction, she pulled away, turning back to Erwin, who had been watching the exchange with a curious light in his eyes. "Sir, I'm going to need to now request two civilians to be switched to Hange's section. Roger Arlert of Shiganshina and Ethel Windsor of Trost. Please." Her voice broke on the word, but she managed to hold it together.

Erwin watched her for a moment with that curious gaze, trying to make sense of what he'd just observed. He turned to Hange, who looked slightly stunned at the scene she'd just witnessed. "Hange, is this alright with you?"

She blinked, before regaining composure. "Of course, sir."

Erwin turned to Isa, giving her a nod.

Isa took a deep breath, before walking over to Ethel, who'd been watching everything with a gentle, knowing smile on her face.

"Ethel, I've requested that you be placed in Hange's section. I'm going to do my best to keep you safe out there."

Ethel put her hands on Isa's shoulders. "Thank you dear, but you and I both know what can happen out there."

Isa's eyes welled. "No! I…I don't want to think about that. Please." Her voice broke on the word.

A worried look passed over Ethel's face at Isa's reluctance to acknowledge what would most likely happen outside the walls. A gentle hand came up to tuck some loose hair behind her ear. "Alright dear, I know that you'll do your best out there, and that's all anyone can ask."

Isa drew the woman in a fierce hug, just holding her close, relishing in the comforting smell. In just a few short years, she'd come to love her as a mother, a grandmother, the label honestly didn't matter. Ethel was her family, and she wasn't ready to lose her. A choked sob escaped her as her eyes squeezed shut.

'Take a breath.'

She inhaled deeply, and exhaled, imagining that her fears were being released with the breath, and she felt more in control of herself.

Ethel pulled back. "Whatever happens out there, when you get back here, just stay close to Levi. You both will take care of each other, I know it. He cares for you Isa."

Isa looked down. "Yea…we're good friends now."

Ethel cupped Isa's chin in her hand, drawing the girl's gaze back up to her own and stroked at her hair with the other, an affectionate smile on her face. "You still don't see it, do you dear? That's alright, you'll learn."

Isa's face flushed, nerves jangling in her stomach, still unconvinced that Levi felt anything for her other than friendship. "I…I can't think about that right now." She rubbed awkwardly at her arm, as if to soothe herself.

More like, I don't want to think about that. I don't want false hope, not right now.

Isa took a breath to calm her nerves. "We're about to ride out, and I need to show you how to ride Luna. In case something happens, you'll need to use Luna to ride away."

Ethel gave Isa's hair another stroke. "Alright dear." Though, Ethel knew she would never leave Isa stranded without her horse. She'd lived a good, long life, and she wouldn't take away Isa's only means of protection.

Ethel knew that a horse was the only way to escape the titans. Isa was her priority, if she had to give her life to make sure Isa could keep living, then so be it.

Isa took Ethel over to Luna and walked her through the basics of riding a horse, how to hold the reins, which motions would tell Luna to gallop, how to stop her, turn her, anything that she felt would help the older woman get away if need be.

When Isa had finished, Ethel excused herself, wanting to speak with Levi, who'd been watching them the entire time.

Ethel walked over to where Levi stood with Erwin. "Levi dear, I'd like to speak with you please."

He gave her a long look before nodding, following her over to an area that didn't have a lot of people. Crossing his arms across his chest, he waited for her to speak.

"Look, you and I both know that I'm most likely not going to survive this. The odds just aren't in my favor. I worry about Isa." She watched as his eyes darted over to the woman, his face and eyes softening ever so slightly. Imperceptible to others, but she could see it. "I know you care for her, so just please promise me that you won't leave her alone after this is all over."

"I hadn't planned on it." His eyes still watched over the woman in question, who was currently speaking with Hange.

She had to hold back a smile when he didn't deny it this time.

She could see that subtle light in his eyes as he watched her, the one that he tried so hard to keep hidden. "I know dear, but just humor an old woman's last request."

His gaze came back to her, calculating as ever, and nodded. She could see the worry in his eyes, matching her own. It was faint, well controlled, but she could see it, nonetheless.

This poor man feels so much but doesn't know how to express it, may not even fully know how to understand what he feels. I don't know what happened in your past, Levi, but I am truly sorry.

I can tell you're learning though, learning to be more affectionate with her with the way you held Isa. You're learning through her, and through your own memories, however long ago they may have been. The way you wiped at her tears…I know you saw me do the exact same thing when you both came to my shop. You might have even seen her do that to someone else at some point.

You're a smart man Levi, and you learn fast. You'll get there.

A small smile crossed Ethel's face as she pulled him in for a hug, not deterred in the slightest when he tensed. "You're a good man, Levi. Isa sees it, and I see it too." She pulled back, cupping his face, forcing him to meet her gaze so that he could see the seriousness in her eyes. "I know you don't see it, but you're good for her."

He looked away, avoiding her eyes, but she caught the uncertainty in his, the faint pink that rose to his cheeks. She chuckled at his reaction, patting his cheek. "Alright dear, I'm through embarrassing you. Go on and continue being Humanity's Strongest."

She laughed when he rolled his eyes and grumbled, clearly embarrassed by the silly title. She gave his cheek another gentle pat before walking away.

You'll be alright Isa. I've made my peace with my imminent death, I only hope that you'll be able to as well.

Isa watched as Ethel made her way back over to her. The conversation she'd had with Levi looked to have been serious, and she wondered what she could have possibly discussed with the man.

"What was that about?" She asked when Ethel was beside her.

Ethel stroked at Isa's hair. "Don't worry about it dear, just asking Levi for some tips on what to do outside the walls."

Isa had a feeling that Ethel was lying but didn't press the matter. "We're about to ride out, and I still need to grab Armin's grandfather." Isa's tone had turned clipped, matter of fact, in an attempt to keep control over herself, and to prepare herself for the leader role she was going to have outside the walls. "You and him will be part of the group of civilians in my group. Two other members of Hange's squad, Mark and Sherri, will be with us as well."

Isa had requested that Uma be excused from this, so that she could spend time with her family. She'd been surprised when Erwin had approved the request, and she could tell that Uma had been grateful.

She wasn't sure what Levi had meant about her being 'off,' but she'd promised him she'd be careful, and she trusted his judgment, though, she truly felt this was him just being pessimistic as usual.

She continued as they walked. "Hange and I decided it would be best to split our squad into two smaller teams that will each lead a large group of civilians. We're working to minimize casualties as much as possible."

She approached Armin and his grandfather. "Mr. Arlert, sir, I'm Isa Tudor, second in command for Squad Hange. You have been reassigned to her section, per my request."

He gave her a smile. "Please dear, call me Roger."

She nodded. "We're about to head out, so now's the time to say goodbye to your loved ones."

Roger turned to Armin and crouched to give the boy a hug. "Make sure you hold tight to that book I gave you."

Armin wrapped his short arms tight around his grandfather and remembered Isa's words. "I will. I love you."

Isa couldn't help but smile as she watched Roger's arms tighten around his grandson. "I love you too, Armin." He pulled back.

When Isa turned to walk away, she felt something collide against her side. She looked down and saw Armin hugging her.

His eyes were wide and earnest as he looked up at her. "Stay safe too please."

She wrapped her arms around him, stroking at his hair. "I'll do my best sweetheart." She pulled back. "Go find your friends now, and stick with them. That's an order." She gave his nose a gentle tap.

Isa smiled when Armin giggled and saluted, before running off to find his friends.

She led Roger and Ethel over to where Mark and Sherri stood with her group of civilians. She took a deep breath before speaking. "For those of us who are Scouts, we have an idea of what we'll be facing. For the civilians, I know this is terrifying, and there's nothing I can say that will make that feeling go away. Prepare yourselves, because we're about to move out."

She turned to hop onto Luna.

"Why the hell should I listen to some slut from Mitras? Yea, you'll spread your legs for any man if it means you get what you want. You don't deserve this position, and I'm surprised you aren't dead yet."

She froze at the words. She could feel the anger welling inside her. She knew Mark had issues with her, and she wasn't sure why, but now wasn't the time.

She turned slowly to face Mark, brows knit in irritation, arms crossed in front of her. "I don't know who you think you are, but right now, I am your superior, whether you like it, or not." Her voice had taken on a commanding tone, similar to the one she'd used with that old man in Trost so long ago.

She glared up at him. "Outside these walls, it doesn't matter if you hate me. The only thing that matters, is killing as many titans as possible and staying alive. Talk to me like that again, and I'll have you cleaning Captain Levi's office for a month for insubordination. We all know how he is when it comes to cleanliness. Now I suggest you go get on your damn horse."

He looked as if he wanted to press his luck, but chose against it, not wanting to have deal with Levi's cleaning standards. He stalked off to where his horse was waiting, but didn't hesitate to throw a disdainful glare her way.

"So you're using me as a threat for your punishments." She could hear the amusement in his voice as it came from behind her. She hadn't even heard him walk up.

She turned and gave Levi a sheepish smile. "I figured people are more scared of you when it comes to cleaning than they would be of simple stable duty." Her grin turned from sheepish to teasing. "Not that I blame them."

He rolled his eyes, one side of his mouth quirking up in amusement. "Always the pain in the ass."

Despite the gravity of the situation they were currently in, she still managed to giggle at his teasing. "Better than being the grouchy ass."

She stood there, caught in his gaze, and watched as his face turned more serious.

His hand came up to tuck a stray hair that had fallen loose from her braid back behind her ear.

Her breath hitched and her skin tingled when his hand grazed down the side of her neck. She didn't know if he'd intended that to happen or not, but the effect on her was the same.

His hand dropped back to his side. "Don't do anything stupid out there." His voice was hushed, only loud enough for her to hear, eyes intent, focused only on her.

"I'll do my best." She whispered, completely mesmerized and trapped by the intensity in his eyes.

"Promise me."

She swallowed thickly when his eyes somehow turned even more intense, full of questions. "I promise."

She stood there, watching as his eyes roamed across her face before focusing once more on hers, though she was unsure of what he was looking for.

He lifted a hand to ruffle gently at her hair, before turning to walk away.

She took a breath to calm her thrumming heart, before hopping onto Luna. She looked down to Ethel, ignoring the knowing smile on her face. "We're not going to be able to run like we normally do, since not everyone has a horse. I'm going to need Luna in case I have to go take on titans. Just stay close to me as much as possible, and please listen to me when we're out there."

Ethel raised a hand to pat the girl's knee. "It's going to be alright Isa, no matter what happens."

She swallowed thickly, blinking back the tears as she led the civilians towards the gates, Sherri and Mark close behind.

She watched as Pixis took a place on top of the wall right above the gates.

"The Operation to Retake Wall Maria commences now. Fight hard, all of you."

Isa was a bit surprised at how well his voice echoed across the district, even over the buzz of voices all around her.

Her stomach tightened into knots as she heard the gate begin to clank as it was drawn up. It would take a while before everyone was out, which was dangerous, because more likely than not, titans were approaching the walls, lured by the larger than normal group of people. She knew that members of the Garrison were assigned to the wall for this reason, but she worried that there would be more than they could handle.

She had no idea how many people they were sending out there, but she'd never seen so many people in one spot at the same time. She thought maybe hundreds of thousands of people.

They would be sending out groups by one by one, Hange's was ahead of hers, Levi's behind. Erwin had tried to come up with a way to adapt the formation to so many people, but she wasn't certain it was going to work. She was set to head to the right with her group.

Slowly, they made their way towards the front, and before Isa knew it, she was crossing underneath the gate and started moving towards the right of the gate.

It was a bloodbath. Isa watched as civilians around her got torn apart and chomped on.

As planned, the titans were currently occupied with the civilians ahead of them, and the Garrison behind them, not paying her group any notice, giving them the chance to move out of the way.

The idea had been to have the first teams work as a distraction, to give other groups the time to move away from the walls and start heading towards Shiganshina.

As they slowly moved away from Wall Rose, screams of civilians tore at Isa's heart as she cursed the Royal Government.

It's working...but at what cost? Is all of this really worth it?

This isn't a distraction. They're being used as bait.

Damn those idiots. I'd like to see them come out here and fight.

The sound of flesh tearing and ripping apart, blood spattering onto the ground was filling the air along with the cries and wails of the dying. She could hear the sounds of retching behind her, from those who weren't used to the sound, smell, and sight of people being ripped apart.

She could tell the civilians in her group were growing more and more fearful, but there was nothing she could do about that. Despite the rising terror in herself, she had to rein it in.

'If they see one of us falling apart, we'll have a bigger problem on our hands than the titans.'

As always, Levi was right, and she would find a way to keep it together. The people behind her were looking to her for leadership, and she'd provide it to them, even if it felt like she was merely leading them to their deaths.

'Take a breath. I know you can.'

How is it that his voice is always able to break through?

I remember having attacks like these, when they would lock me in that room, but I would usually just end up losing consciousness. Until that day in Trost, it had been years since I'd had one.

But somehow, he's always able to pull me back, break through whatever barrier my mind built and pull me out of that darkness.

How?

Despite her thoughts, she was ever perceptive and watchful, monitoring the land surrounding them for any sign of titans.

Isa hated the speed they had to move in, it was too slow. They didn't have time to be moving this slow, but they also didn't have a choice. There hadn't been enough horses for everyone, and she wasn't about to leave behind her group of civilians.

As they moved forward, she felt the telltale thump thump thump of an approaching titan. She looked to her right and saw a group of three fast approaching.

Quick to react, she gave her orders. "Mark, with me. Sherri, you stay behind and keep leading the civilians forward. I'm going to try to either get rid of these titans or lead them away."

She nudged Luna into a gallop in the direction of the titans. She would have preferred to bring along Sherri, but she didn't trust Mark in the slightest, and she wasn't about to leave Ethel and Roger with him.

She could feel his glare on her as he rode behind her, though he had at least listened.

"Mark, take the one on the right, I'll lead the two on the left away and try to take them down."

"Roger." He sounded reluctant to comply, but right now, she didn't care what his tone was like as long as he did what she commanded.

She nudged Luna to the left, the sound of her hooves filling the air as she moved.

Thankfully, the two titans took the bait, and followed her. She led them further away from the group, keeping distance between herself and the titans.

In a normal expedition, the Scouts would work on avoiding titans, instead of engaging in battle. But that was when they were moving at top speeds on horses and could afford to avoid them. At the slow speed they were traveling at now, there was no avoiding the titans, battle was the only option.

When she felt that she'd led them far enough away from the others, she swung Luna around and took in their position.

Okay, the one on the left is closest. I'll deal with that one first.

She nudged Luna forward, and as they approached, she raised herself onto her feet on Luna's back and sprang into action.

Her grappling hooks landed on the titan's arm, and she used her momentum to swing up above the titan's head dodging its hand as it made to grab her. She latched her hooks onto the titan's shoulder now, and used her gas to propel herself down, slicing through the titan's nape.

No time to celebrate, she quickly pushed off the titan's back to the next one, which was shorter, allowing her to latch onto its neck. Landing on its head she swooped down to slice at its nape.

Once again, she pushed off the titan's back as she moved to the ground, rolling as she landed to absorb the impact. Luna was already there waiting, and she hopped on, pushing her to a gallop so she could rejoin her group.

As she rejoined, she noted that it looked like everyone was still there and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The feeling didn't last long.

They were riding past a small grove of trees, when a titan poked its head out from behind a tree up ahead. Chaos ensued.

She did her best in trying to keep her group together, but the moment that titan showed its ugly face, along with its friends, her group panicked at the close proximity and fled to the wall.

They weren't far from the wall, maybe a couple of miles, but there was no way they'd make it back through the titans that she could see in the distance.

There was no time to help them. She tried calling them back, but it was too late, their instinct to flee from danger had taken over. She was at a loss of what to do. This group of titans was bigger than the last one, currently only five could be seen, and they were too close. Ethel and Roger were still there, the only civilians left, and she didn't have time to get them up into the trees.

She brought a hand up to the necklace around her neck.

'Are you going to cry, or are you going to fight?'

I'm going to fight Levi. I'm going to fight.

She ordered Mark and Sherri to action, commanding them to take the three that were the furthest away, and either lead them away or take them down. She'd work on the closest ones.

She made quick work of the first titan. As she came down on its nape, she watched in horror as a small titan she hadn't seen, maybe five-meters, poked its head out from behind the trees, eyes set on Ethel and Roger. She was too far away to help, and when the titan reached down to grab Ethel, Roger was quick to shove her out of the way.

Isa could only helplessly watch as she took down the second titan that had been in her path. The titan grabbed Roger and was quick to throw him in his mouth. As he chomped down, Roger's hat fluttered to the ground.

Frustration arose in Isa as she made her way towards the titan that had just consumed Armin's grandfather. She made quick work of the nape, landing beside Ethel.

"Are you alright?" She grabbed the hat off the ground, angry at herself for failing to protect someone once again. She shoved the hat into her satchel hanging on Luna's saddle.

"I'm fine dear, worry about yourself."

She didn't have time to answer as she watched more titans emerge from the grove.

Where the hell did all these titans come from?

They were surrounded. Somehow this mission to retake Wall Maria had turn into a genocide.

Mark and Sherri hadn't returned yet, and she was alone.

Everywhere Isa looked, titans were coming out of the grove, maybe ten or so were approaching. Ethel stood beside her, and Isa was going to do her damnedest to make sure the woman made it back safe.

Those fucking bastards. This is no mission to take back the wall. This is a culling. I've seen this, that one time I visited a farm with Sherri, Hange, and Lucy, and the farmers would separate the livestock based on which ones they thought carried the stronger genes. Taking out the weak and old.

Why don't they come out here and do this?

Bastards.

Isa detached a fresh pair of blades from their holsters as she looked at the approaching titans, making quick work of the closest two.

As she turned back to Ethel, she watched in horror as another titan she hadn't seen reached down to grab the older woman. She was too far away, once again. Somehow, as she'd moved to take down the closest titans, she'd gotten too far away from the older woman.

She was not going to watch another person she loved die.

Ethel doesn't try to fight when the titan reaches out to grab her. She knows she would never be able to win.

She had accepted her death the moment she received notice that she'd been one of the few from Wall Rose to be recruited for this culling. There had been mention in the notice that they'd accepted her request to be a part of this, though, she had no recollection of such request. She assumed that their miserable excuse of a government had gotten her confused with someone else.

In the end, it did not matter how she ended up here.

Ethel looks on at the girl she's come to love as a granddaughter, a daughter, though the label didn't matter to her. This sweet girl had become family to Ethel in the few short years she'd known her. She watches Isa's crestfallen face as the girl moves in an attempt to reach her in time.

Her son had died before he could marry or have children, and her husband had died years before him, so she had been alone for the longest time.

That day when Isa had walked into her teashop, she could sense the poor girl was lonely and lost.

As Isa had grown more confident around Ethel, her true personality had shown, the warm, sweet, humorous girl that she is. She'd brought a joy to the old woman's life that she hadn't felt in a long time. This is why she can see how much joy Isa has brought to Levi's life.

She can tell that the man is damn near in love with her if he isn't already. He was already halfway there when they'd met, and she can tell that if he hasn't already fallen in love with her, he's close. She can tell he himself has yet to realize it, but she can see it.

She'd seen the way he held her, wiped her tears, the gentleness in his voice when he talked to her. All the signs were there, and Ethel knows that if Isa weren't so blinded by her fears, she would be able to see for herself.

She can tell he's come far when it comes to affection, though, he still has much to learn. Ethel can see that he's learning through Isa. Her own actions towards him guide his towards her.

That day when the two of them came to her shop, she'd enjoyed watching the glances the two threw at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking.

She was honestly surprised that her shop hadn't burst into flames with some of the heated looks she'd seen coming from them.

Ethel can tell he has some insecurities of his own he's working through. Isa has kept quiet about his past, out of respect for him, though, Ethel has heard the rumors, so she imagines he perhaps feels he's not deserving of someone like her.

She'd seen the uncertainty in his eyes when she'd told him he was good for her.

She can tell Levi is a good man. For Ethel, if doesn't matter what he had to do before to survive. She can see he has a good heart, though, he keeps it protected, most likely from having been hurt time and time again. He's slowly warmed up to Isa, as she works to break down those walls. Ethel can see that Isa doesn't realize just how far she's come in doing so.

She can also see Isa has hearts in her eyes only for Levi, and if he'd open his eyes, he'd see it too. But he's blinded by uncertainty much like she's blinded by fear.

She wishes she could have stayed around longer to watch the two slowly dance closer and closer together, but she recognizes that her death may be what is needed to help give the two a push.

She's always believed that the world works in mysterious ways.

She remembers Isa telling her how she'd comforted him after he lost his two best friends. Now, it'll be his turn to comfort her. A true test of how he feels, a test of how much he's learned about the world of support and affection.

Ethel knows he'll exceed all expectations.

The love Ethel holds for Isa fills her, her final thoughts ringing in her head, as the titan's mouth crushes down in her.

'Isa dear, I love you, so much, and I only hope that you can be happy. I'll be watching you, and I'll always be with you. Stay safe, dear.'

As she landed on the ground she ran, faster than she'd ever ran, hooks grappling onto the titan's neck. She was thrown back to that first expedition with Lucy.

No. This time I will succeed.

As she flew up to the titan's nape, she knew she was using too much gas, but once again, she did not care.

No. This isn't going to happen. I'm going to make it.

Just as she was reaching its head, she watched as the titan threw Ethel's frail body into its mouth, chomping down, blood spattering everywhere.

Isa swerved around, slicing through the titan's nape, before landing back on the ground.

A scream tore through Isa's throat as she threw her head back, cursing this cruel world.

A rage filled her like she'd never felt, and she looked at the oncoming titans, blades crossed in front of her as she let herself be consumed by anger.

These bastards keep taking everyone I love from me.

Her eyes flashed with hatred as adrenaline, disgust, disdain took over her body. Her grappling hooks latched onto titan after titan, moving at speeds she'd never moved before. She took out any titan that crossed her path, one by one, only pausing to switch out her blades when they bent or broke.

She knew she was using too much gas, but she still didn't care. She didn't care if she died, if she didn't survive. So long as she took out as many titans as possible, it didn't matter to her.

She didn't hear her screams as she shredded through oncoming titans.

She didn't feel the rawness in her throat from her cries of anger.

She didn't feel the blisters forming on her hands, nor did she feel the burning of the steaming titan blood.

And when her gas sputtered and she fell towards the ground, her only wish was that she could have seen Levi one last time.

She didn't notice the titan reaching out to grab her as she fell.

Sherri approaches where she'd left Isa and is horrified at what she sees. She watches Isa cry out as Ethel is shoved into a titan's mouth.

When Isa goes on a rampage against the horde of titans in front of her, Sherri grows worried. There are more titans there than possible for a single person to handle.

She pushes her horse faster, in a desperate attempt to get there in time to help her friend.

She kicks off her horse, and with lightning speed, begins battling the titans with her friend. She slices at nape after nape, and when she turns, she sees her friend, her sister, begin plummeting to the ground as her gas sputters.

Fear fills her at the realization that Isa is out of gas, and she's falling directly into the path of an incoming titan's hand.

She quickly changes direction, latching onto a nearby titan, shoving Isa out of the way of the grasping hand as Sherri calls out her name.

As soon as she feels the hand close around her body, she knows. There's no one else to help her. She'd left Mark to take care of the last titan so that she could come and help Isa.

Sherri is forever glad that she did so.

She hopes that Isa will come to realize how much Levi cares for her. She deserves so much happiness.

Sherri had long been filled with guilt at how horribly cruel she'd been to her friend. She was forever grateful at the forgiveness her friend gave her, despite the fact that she still feels she hadn't deserved it.

She only hopes that Isa won't blame herself for this.

Her friend is self-deprecating, unable to see the beautiful, kind, humorous person she truly is. The laughs they had all shared, the endless teasing at Isa's nervousness when it came to men.

A smile crosses her face as the memories of her time with her friends flash in front of her.

She calls out to Isa one last time, begging her not to blame herself, telling her how much she loves her. Her words are cutoff as she feels her body begin to tear, and then darkness engulfs her.

"Isa!"

A body collided with hers shoving her out of the way, and she landed on the ground, knocking the breath out of her. Gasping for air, she looked up to see Sherri in the hands of the titan that was meant for her.

"No!" Her voice was hoarse as she cried out.

"Isa, don't blame yourself, I love y—" The titan ripped Sherri's body in half, blood spraying out, as it shoved the mangled corpse into its mouth.

The rage evaporated, leaving her feeling empty, as she watched her best friend be consumed by this disgusting monster.

"Sherri." Her voice whimpered out as her lip trembled.

She…she's gone. She saved me. Dammit why Sherri! Why would you sacrifice yourself for me?

But she didn't have time to wonder. Most of the titans she'd managed to annihilate, but there were more coming towards her, and she needed to leave now if she had any hopes of surviving this culling.

'Are you going to cry, or are going to fight?'

Her eyes clenched tight at his voice in her head, her hand clasping at the necklace, begging for strength.

'Don't do anything stupid out there. Promise me.'

Her heart clenched at the reminder of his gentle, gruff voice, the feel of his hand brushing against her skin.

I'm…I'm going to fight…or I'm going to try.

She forced herself to her feet and whistled for Luna, who came running. As she hopped on, she saw a blue flare streak across the sky.

Retreat. It's…over. The mission was a disaster. Or…a success depending on the perspective.

She pushed Luna into a gallop.

This was never about taking back Wall Maria. This was about killing off those who they consider a burden to the rest of them.

If anyone is a burden on food and supplies, it would be them. I remember how much food they would go through, most of it ending in the garbage after one of their parties.

The rich in the interior are the most wasteful group of individuals, yet they sent hundreds of thousands of innocent people to their deaths so that they could continue living comfortably.

Dammit.

As she rode, her mind began to shut down. When the fighter's mind senses it's still in danger, it often pushes emotions to the side, and it isn't until the person is safe again that the floodgates open.

Her face was stony, eyes filled with despair that was slowly fading as her mind pushed away all emotion, focusing only on survival.

She approached the others, and she could see Hange and Levi, though she missed the relieved expressions on their faces. She didn't hear when they asked if she was alright.

She couldn't hear anything over the buzzing, through the wall that was forming around her.

She didn't see the worried looks the two gave each other at the state Isa was in.

All she could see, were the bodies of Roger, Ethel, and Sherri being shoved down the throats of the monstrous beasts that plagued them, playing in her mind, over and over again.

They're gone. Just like that, gone. Forever. I'm never going to see them again.

How am I going to tell Armin that his grandfather is gone? Ripped away forever.

How do I tell Hange that our best friend sacrificed herself for me? Will she blame me? Will she hate me?

The survivors nudged their horses forward, in a race towards the wall. The carnage of the past few hours lay across the land, painting it the red and pasty white of death.

Steaming bodies of titans lay alongside the bodies of countless civilians.

She didn't notice her hands clenched tight around Luna's reins, so tight, her knuckles were turning white. Didn't feel the ache in them.

She didn't notice when Levi and Hange took their places on either side of her, forming a protective barrier around her.

None of it registered in Isa's mind.

She wondered why she didn't feel anything, she felt…nothing. Empty. Void.

She couldn't feel it yet, but a numbing wall had formed around her, keeping her from feeling anything, keeping the grief, the despair, the agony, everything at bay.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought, if you want! :)