It's been a few months since we started training. We arrived at the training camp around the beginning of Summer and now Winter was coming, OoooOOoo. Only those who went to the forest as part of their 'responsibilities' or who could sneak out at night were the ones who could tell.
Sure the days have grown cooler and we're visited by colder breezes. And with all the constant stamina training, we barely get a chance to enjoy the cool air of autumn and instead end up sweaty messes of leather jackets.
But there were days like this when we did something other than stamina training.
Shooting Practice is awesome. It's not a quiet environment but it gives you time to think. I don't get a lot of that when I'm running around, sitting on a horse and avoiding its teeth, or actually sitting at a desk and taking tests — that one is Armin's thing.
That feeling of holding the cold wood on my hands was what I imagine how my warscythe would feel like when my Titan used it.
I smiled. I miss turning into a Titan. There's no way I'd risk turning into one anywhere near the Camp so I've been stuck is little ol' me.
"Are you seriously doing that again?" I dropped the pieces of the gun when Ymir startled me. Kind of funny that a normal voice was what scared me instead of the ringing of gun fire.
"Doing what?" I asked innocently. I quickly reassembled my rifle as I picked up each part.
"You're taking that gun apart."
"I'm actually putting it back together. If you're going to get mad at me for something at least get your facts straight," I pouted.
Ymir groaned. "You're the one who's always on my ass whenever I'm doing something I'm not supposed to be doing. So I don't understand why you do this."
"Yeah. Well, maybe I wouldn't be on your ass if you weren't on mine all the time for every action I take."
"I don't know what this is about but if you two are always on each others' asses, then you gotta invite me to see that." Jean snickered while he reloaded his rifle.
"Huh, you would think Horse-Face wouldn't want to see people riding ass considering everyone rides his all day." A few cadets who overheard my retort snickered. Even Ymir let out an amused huff.
"I wouldn't mind a few more hours of it if I got to see you both going at it," Jean winked.
Damn, he's smooth. I didn't expect him to be cool enough to come up with a comeback after I used Eren's insult.
"Are you sure you actually want to watch us, or are you just tired of going to bed all alone every night?" Ymir pulled back the flintlock and fired her gun without batting an eye.
I looked at Marco and realised we shared the same uncomfortable expression. This argument could get ugly.
"At least I don't spend all night looking at someone who's never even bothered to look at you twice. I don't need to suck up to anyone like you."
I let out an eep of surprise. I actually hadn't noticed what Jean said Ymir does. I was curious about who she gained an interest in since she's never even spared Historia a second glance.
Ymir cast a sideways glance at Jean as she spoke. "You're the one who can't form a bond with anyone just because of a girl. I've seen how you presented yourself to the other female cadets. Acting all tough and macho to hopefully hook them in. Then when your bravado gets challenged, you lose your shit. Kind of pathetic if you ask me."
"Maybe. But there's still a definite truth to life that maybe even I still haven't accepted." Jean kept the amusement in his tone though his words were grave.
"Which is?" Ymir prodded.
"Trusting others can get the people you want to protect killed."
"Jeez. You need to learn how to lighten up dude," Connie said. "Can't you guys like, back off? This is…"
"No." Ymir growled. Jean also gave Connie a stern stare of a warning while the other cadets displayed some interest in the brewing argument. I could see that some were thinking about Jean's "truth" as morbid as it sounded.
"What if I ordered you both to stop." My heart skipped a beat at the sound of Commander Sadies' voice which appeared out of nowhere. "Would you have the gall to refuse that order?"
"Commander Sadies!" Everyone stood at attention. I kept my firearm pressed against my back and blindly sped up my attempt at putting it back together.
"Everyone but Jean Kirstein, return to your practice."
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Kirstein. I want you at the mess hall. I'd say to take Ymir for company but I get the feeling neither of you would make it in one piece. If anyone else wants to join him, feel free. As long as you keep my grounds gossip free."
"Sir!" Jean saluted watching as the Commander marched off. "I didn't feel like practicing anymore anyway," Jean snorted at Ymir. "See you later," he patted Marco on the shoulder and walked off.
I stood up to hurry after him but Ymir grabbed me by the sleeve. "Put your rifle together."
"I did. You guys took too long flirting." I raised my rifle for her to see. "But I'm taking the flintlock with me. There's really nothing else to do after lights out."
I tossed her my firearm causing her to let me go. She could reshelf it for me when she's finished.
"Hey, Jean! Wait."
Jean stopped and turned to stare at me to continue. "I wanted to ask you something."
"What." He crossed his arms and held his chin up high as he waited for me. I had to look back and see if Ymir was looking at us. She wasn't, she was enthralled by her shooting.
"Do you know who Ymir's been infatuated with?"
"Yeah."
"Can you tell me?"
"Oh you sweet child," he replied with a condescending smile and walked away.
What's that supposed to mean? Ugh, let's try this again. Maybe try and make it worth his while somehow.
"Is there anything you want in exchange for that bit of information?" I asked once I caught up to him which was taking a bit of work as he began to power walk.
"Why do you want to know?" He groaned. Hmm, getting annoyed at my pestering. If I can't get anything out of him before we reach the mess hall, then I wouldn't be able to get anything out of him later on.
"A little bit of dirt never hurt anyone."
"That's what you think." I couldn't catch what he said under his breath nor did I worry about it. I need to know who Ymir was attracted to in this timeline or universe. It might make Ido's sacrifice worthwhile.
"So will you tell me?"
"No."
"Maybe I can sweeten the air between you and Mikasa," I offered hopefully.
"That road is closed. If you really want to know who Ymir likes that badly, why don't you ask your sister. Or better yet, ask Ymir herself. Real friends don't go behind each others' backs."
"Hmm? Sister?" We stopped at the mess hall's entrance and looked at each other.
"Yeah. Mikasa. She's your sister, isn't she?"
"No?"
"I assumed you were. Aren't you both from the Oriental Clan?"
"Well, maybe we're distantly related. But we're not sisters." Jean stood rubbing his chin inspecting me.
"Marco talks you up a lot. Paints you as a carefree child." Carefree? I wish. "So why do you want to join the Scouts? Did that Suicidal Asshole brainwash you or something?"
"Eren? No. I want to join because I don't want to die." That's as much of the truth as I'm gonna give you, Jean. Please just buy it.
"Really? That sounds like the opposite of what joining the scouts will do for you," he laughed.
"And hiding in the innermost ring won't? The Colossal will come back. And when he does, it'll be Shiganshina all over again and it'll keep on repeating until we're wiped out."
"Then let someone else handle it."
"Do you really trust these blockheads that much? You trust they'll survive long enough to keep everyone else safe?" Jean frowned.
"I'm not going to risk my life." He sighed, "My brother had it made, he was in the Military Brigade but then he stupidly let himself get convinced to join the Scouts. And look where it got him. 6 feet under everyone else's feet because he trusted the wrong man."
"Man?" From the sound of it, I would've assumed that Jean's mistrust of Mikasa would've been a woman thing.
Jean hid his face behind the palm of his hand. His shoulders quivered and I thought he was going to burst into tears. Instead, he spooked me with a burst of laughter.
"Yeah." He laughed maniacally. "His Best Friend. That's what did him in. He was loyal to his last breath, something my father always commended him on. Said it was the best thing he could do with our family name."
Silence shrouded him. The tears I expected him to shed never came.
"That same man was responsible for many other people's deaths because of his Hard-Headedness. That's why I don't like your friend. If he's ever in a position of power he can kill everyone he knows."
"Listen up, Recruits!" Commander Sadies was a little quieter than usual.
The Commander had actually stopped calling us Maggots around a month ago when recruits finally stopped dropping out of the program. The only reason I could come up with on why he stopped the derogatory names was that he was confident we were the ones who had the mettle to see everything through.
It felt good believing that the Commander respected us. Sadies was different compared to the Commanders in Marley. I was definitely treated close to royalty when I began my training over there. But the days when I trained with the Warriors, I could feel the hatred Marleyans had for Eldians. And it's kind of hard not to take that personally when you're related to the people they hate.
"Each of you have demonstrated your capability so far in joining the ranks of our Military and it is respectable! However! There are still some who have poor marks even though it's obvious that you can do better.
"I have talked with one of the Commanders about this issue and have begrudgingly come up with a solution to give you cadets an incentive to become better."
What was Commander Sadies talking about? I don't recall there being an incentive for cadets in the show. Then again, there used to only be 9 titans instead of 13.
Judging by the Commander's irritated expression the solution was probably going to be something fun. Everyone else felt that way too because there was some restless fidgeting spreading among us.
"I have been assured that this can also serve as a character building exercise and give you cadets an idea for what you really are fighting for but I am not convinced. However, it's no longer in my hands. That is why those of you who have decent marks will be heading out to Trost in the morning."
A few people, especially Sasha, cheered though their clamouring was quickly shut up by Sadies' frightening stares.
"Out of the 20 cadets we currently have, I have selected only 9 who will be able to go to Trost. Armin Arlert," we grew quiet as the Commander began calling out those who were on the list.
"Mikasa Ackerman. Reiner Braun." Even I was swaying from side to side expectantly listening for my name. "Ymir. Krista Lenz."
I looked over at Ymir. She had her arms crossed in front of her instead of behind her back like we're supposed to do when standing at attention. She looked bored and was staring off into space. Maybe I can finally use her to get Krista on my side.
I don't know if I could trust Zeke. I was never able to meet him on the mainland. And his original self was hell bent on making sure that Eldians would be eradicated completely. Krista could be the key into Ymir Fritz's world.
"Connie Springer. Annie Leonhart. Jean Kirstein, and Eliza Miller."
Cutting it close chief. Though does that mean that Jean has higher marks than me? I'll have to wait until we start doing combat exercises so that I can get above him. That is if I still got my stuff.
"These Cadets will be allowed to leave tomorrow at dawn and will come back to camp at the end of the day. Rations will be given out to whoever needs them or you can choose to spend your own money. You are encouraged to, and I quote 'mingle with the people and even find your soulmate.' I don't know what kind of humour Erwin has but I don't endorse his advice. You are dismissed!" The Commander clapped his hands and dispersed the scouts.
The mess hall was loud, louder than you could imagine. Eren especially was putting an argument on display for everyone between him and Mikasa.
"I do not need a babysitter!" I could hear the boy's shouts through the background noise.
"Hey, calm yourself down you little bastard. She doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to. Not everything has to be about you," Jean coldly looked at Eren.
"Why don't you butt out of this?"
"Why don't you make me. Do you really let this twerp talk to you like that? He thinks the world always revolves around him for some reason," Jean asked Mikasa.
She gripped her scarf and raised it up protectively. "Actually, I was trying to stay behind to keep an eye on him."
Jean slammed his fists on the table and headed for the exit. "I don't even know why I bothered." I heard him utter under his breath as he walked by me.
"Whoa, what's up with him," Connie plopped down next to Marco and me.
"Did you like, miss the whole argument that just happened?" I pointed at Eren who was sulking in his spot now.
"Why'd he get mad at that?"
"Are you gonna eat that?" Sasha interrupted ogling my plate.
"Knock yourself out," I laughed, sliding it over to her.
"Jean doesn't like it when someone obsesses over someone. Even though he's being a bit hypocritical right now." Marco's explanation confused me.
"How? This is barely the second time he's talked to her. Let alone defend her."
"It always starts out that way." Connie picked his potato up and bit into it like an apple. "Then the next thing you know, he's skipping through daisies on his way home to a house filled with children."
"The more children there are the more food he needs, I don't think it'd be so bad." Sasha said in between bites.
"Of course you wouldn't. We all know you'd be happy as long as there's food involved."
My brother's last pleas circulated in my thoughts. Your main mission from now on is to survive no matter what.
Is this something my brother meant with those words? To find myself a place where I can belong? I don't even know why I'm thinking about this. I don't think I can betray my brother.
"I think I'm going to the barracks now," I excused myself getting up. "I want to talk to Ymir for a bit."
"Good luck!" Sasha called after me.
I entered the cool darkness of the Barracks. Annie was the first face I saw since her bunk was the closest to the entrance. I bet she was the first one to come in, as usual. There were a few others getting ready to sleep so it was extremely quiet.
"I was wondering how long it'd take you to get tired of Eren's nightly argument. Or did Sasha eat you out of the table again?"
"Why? Did you wanna bite something?" I chuckled.
The only thing I had to worry about was keeping Ymir's teeth away from silverware. Maybe I should give her something that won't chip her teeth and give us away, something like a baby's teething toy. She'll be pissed but I need to get the message across somehow.
"Look, I have a job for you tomorrow. I need you to shadow Krista. Try and get close to her. Get her to be your friend. She's important to my plans and I need you to keep her safe."
"I have other plans. What's so important about her anyway? She's pathetic. A worthless pushover who would let just about anyone walk all over her and she wouldn't even let out a peep."
"Sounds personal," I chuckled.
Ymir's face grew red. "Trust me. Those kinds of people aren't useful to your plan. Just forget about her."
"No, you have to trust me. She's going to become a very important piece in my plan. I don't know the specifics but she might be a catalyst to Eren's future and if I control her I can control him. Just please, the least you can do is keep her company. I'm not asking you to sleep with her or anything, unless you want to."
"Not in any universe," She scoffed. "I need some fresh air. I'll think about it."
I threw myself onto the bed as Ymir left. My gaze followed her and as it did I noticed that Annie wasn't sitting at the foot of her bed anymore.
I wanted to approach the lump under the sheets but I don't know what I would say. I guess it's better to limit my interactions with them as much as I could. Less opportunity to slip in my act.
The air was crisper in the training grounds that's for sure. Here in Trost it was a bit warmer though still bearable.
Ymir thankfully listened to my request and was next to Historia right now. She looked bored and annoyed as Krista was excitedly talking away. I really hope Ymir can manage to play nice. If Historia trusts her then she'll trust me too.
We walked around as a group at first even if we were a bit distanced. Our uniforms made sure that the citizens of Trost knew who we were. Someone liked it, others hated us, others still didn't care and turned a blind eye. Pretended that we didn't exist. Even when we stopped to ask something.
We were in the innermost area of Trost which meant that we didn't see many refugees from Shiganshina. I guess that's a good thing though since they think continuing to train scouts was a waste of resources. They also thought we were stupid which only applied to Erin right now.
"You Scouts are late!" A fat bearded man barked as we came Before we could go off on our own we have to help out with one of the people responsible for the food the refugees were getting.
"We're not scouts!" Jean protested.
"Not yet at least!" I made him growl at my addition.
"I don't give a fuck. Help me get all the supplies onto the carriage like Sadies said he told you to. I'm not making any money with you all doing nothing."
"How is he even able to make money with a nonprofit charity?" Connie wondered aloud.
I grabbed one of the packages and weighed it in my hand. It was fairly big and heavy it might be a ration of potatoes as I doubted the man would be able to part with packages of meat as expensive as they are now.
The wagon we were supposed to put the cargo in barely even had anything in it. We were going to be doing most things to the work. We didn't even know we had to help until this morning.
"These aristocrats are funded by the King and Donations from the wealthy who think they can gain trust from the common folk by funding the needy," Armin explained.
He used to be so scrawny. A weak little kid who'd get beat by street ruffians. Now here he was uncontent with just carrying provision packages and instead lifting 50lb bags of horse feed. It's amazing how he still looked so feminine.
"That's messed up," Connie sighed.
I helped Historia out with a bag she for some reason thought she could handle.
"Thanks," Historia blushed sheepishly.
"No prob." I smiled.
"Would you rather they not give out provisions?" Reiner shot. "Those devils couldn't give a fuck about anyone other than themselves. The world can crumble in flames and the only thing they'll worry about is how to make their next penny."
Armin sighed in agreement. "Human nature is all about greed and self preservation. It may seem bad, but it isn't always like that. Self preservation has driven us to do a lot of wonderful things like create a society to make sure there will always be someone to protect us.
"And Greed can help others not just one's self. We've built farms, gardens, preservations. Our desire for more makes us make more mores."
"You see the beauty in everything don't you," Connie observed.
"That's because there is beauty in everything. You just need to know where to look." Armin hefted another bag onto the wagon but this time he raised a finger to show us something crawling on it. It was an odd looking bug with colourful skin.
"I almost forgot what Trost's scones smelled like." Connie rushed over to one of the stands that was selling their pastries.
Reiner, Jean, and I followed after. Ymir hung back despite Historia's insistence. And Annie was being Annie.
"Sasha would love this. I'll make sure to come back before we leave and bring her some."
"Really? I thought she liked meat more than pastries." Reiner commented.
Jean laughed. "That girl would eat anything edible. Hell she'd eat grass and paper if there wasn't anything else."
"I saw her attack a loaf of bread Krista brought to her the first day we were here," I added. "How are you going to sneak it back into the training camp anyway?"
Connie scrunched his face. He patted his pockets before his eyes drifted over to Annie's bag. She was the only one of us who brought something into Trost other than the money we were promised.
I already knew what Connie was thinking about and he had a death wish. Reiner must've also read his mind as he clasped a hand on boy's shoulder and stopped his advancement with a stern look.
"Are you looking to die before the Titans get you? That's Annie you're going to confront." Fear shimmered in his eyes.
Common sense flooded Connie and we watched him shiver. "I— I don't think I'm ready to tip over yet," he laughed nervously.
Connie paid for the scones. We each got one at his insistence. They were good. But not as amazing for me as the others because they went overboard with sweetness.
"Reiner. Don't you and Bertolt come from the same village as Annie?" Connie asked.
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"I was wondering if you could tell us why she's like that. And how are you able to be friends with someone like her? No offence."
Reiner sat down making us stop to pay attention to what he was going to say. Before I lent him my attention however, I gave Ymir one last glance. She was breaking off from the group and going her own way before Historia pulled on her arm and took her another way.
That's actually pretty cute. Historia being assertive instead of submissive. The rare glimpse at the future Her Majesty. Hard to think of how the most powerful person is roughly the same size as Levi, humanity's killing machine.
"It's true. I know her. She comes from the same village Bertolt and I come from. But she's never been friendly to anyone. Especially not me.
"I think it has to do with her father. That man knew the world wasn't going to hold its peace together for long so he taught her how to fight, how to lead, how to survive. She lost her childhood far sooner than she needed to.
"It's a shame what this world can do to its people. No one can be assured that they'll be safe for long behind any kind of wall with those blasted d—Titans around.
"But to answer your question. No, Annie and I aren't friends. Maybe we could've been. Maybe we were at one point. But she's walking her own path now. And that path is a lonely one." Reiner sighed, closing his eyes to meditate.
I saw Armin glance at Annie. She was walking further away from us stopping at every other stand to investigate the contents.
"She needs to know that she's not alone," Armin said.
Connie sighed. "It's not that easy, Armin. My mom is still alive and safe in Ragako but with everything that's happening, it's difficult to not distance yourself. She just needs to meet the right person to anchor her."
"Sasha's that person for you?" I asked.
"Yeah. She's like a sister to me, someone I feel the need to protect." I clasped a hand on his shoulder as he smiled softly.
I vaguely knew how he felt. Willy might not be blood related to the real me but he was still a wonderful brother. The world swayed beneath my feet every time I thought about his ultimate demise. I bet that's how he felt when he told me to survive regardless of the plan.
"Seriously though. How am I going to get this contraband back to Sasha?"
As everyone tried to come up with ideas for Connie, I snuck away in pursuit of Annie.
What Reiner said struck me. I don't think the original Reiner ever admitted to even talking with Annie. She was just another cadet that happened to come from the same village as them. But then Reiner follows it by saying that they're no longer on the same page. Something happened between them.
Their bond might have snapped and if it's true then things can get complicated. Yet here I am following Annie down into the underground district of Trost. Dear Lord, what's the point of knowing what happens if even the smallest detail can wreck everything.
I kept to whichever shadows that I could find in the odd cases that Annie decided to glance behind her. I resisted that urge since I was already suspicious enough following another girl.
The back alleys Annie took were creepy and extremely seedy. A lot of disheveled dangerous looking men filled them and the occasional prostitute trying to sell their services.
The questionable population soon made sense when I was confronted with the entrance to the underground city. The alleys must be the segway between the city of Trost and it's underground Red Light District.
Now that we were out in the open with bustling streets of thugs and watchful eyes coming from everywhere, it was making my attempts at stalking Annie a hell lot harder. I ended up losing her completely 10 minutes after getting here.
"Watch it, pretty girl," a man with a nasty scar carved into the side of his mouth bumped past me. "You don't seem to belong here. Best if you get out before you get into any problems," he cackled before disappearing.
I rolled my eyes and slid out of my jacket. The man was right about one thing. I don't want to get into any trouble and wearing a government uniform seems like an easy way to attract unwanted attention. So I turned it inside out to hide the badges and wrapped it around my waist.
I thought about the events that might be occurring at the moment as I wandered about. Annie snuck off into the underground district when she was searching for information on Kenny. Whatever happened between her and the boys didn't kill her drive to go back to her father after all.
This roused some questions in my head though. For one, what the hell is going on with Reiner and Bertolt? What were they planning to do without Annie? I don't peg Reiner as the type of guy to give up on Marley. Did this mean that there was competition between the two groups? Was Marcel involved in this somehow?
I haven't seen the Jaw wielder at all since our battle in Shiganshina. There wasn't any mention over an abnormal with his description either. It's as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. He shouldn't have any reason to hide his appearance either. He ought to think that Eliza is dead after he saw a completely different Warhammer. And no one ever saw each other's human appearance in the middle of such a hectic event.
I stepped to the side as a group of children ran past playing with each other.
It's nice to see that even in a criminal ridden place, the children still had a chance to enjoy themselves.
Advancing several steps I began to notice that I was somewhat lighter now. In fact, I could barely even feel the jacket I tied to my waist several minutes ago.
Sure enough, the jacket was gone along with the kids when I looked around.
"Great. The innocence of childhood belongs only to me around here," I groaned. "Time to go. It's not like I'm going to find Annie anymore."
I walked carefully pushing through the people trying not to get robbed even further as I made my way back to the surface of Trost. I still don't even know what my plan was going to be if I managed to follow Annie the whole way. It just kind of happened.
A cacophony of air pressure being released suddenly filled the air as a dozen people flew by in the air using ODM gear. But these people didn't wear any uniform.
"Antipersonnel." I muttered.
I know that they don't know who I am. They have no interest in lowly recruits during a time of crisis. Hell, they don't even care about the crisis, they're more interested in the legal crimes they can commit.
Still, I don't want to get caught here so I quickened my pace.
However, I wasn't looking where I was going and ended up tripping. My skin burned as I scraped my cheek on stone and opened up a wound. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
A/N: I have to be honest. I was stuck on this chapter. Not only that but I got sick. 4 TIMES. First time was a stomach ache or something. I couldn't eat at all. Second time I think I got covid, again! It was a horrible feeling and I had a fever the whole time. Third was the flu, runny nose and all around horrible life. Fourth time was after getting the vaccine.
I do have to say though that I don't know if I'll be able to update during the summer since I'm going on vacation to visit some family. That means no computer :( I'm also uploading this chapter without a computer so bear with any mistakes there may have been as I can't proof read.
Raven: I don't know if you've still been reading up until this point, I hope you have and have enjoyed the story so far, but the Warhammer can absolutely do that and might perform that move sometime soon. I also imagine it can do even more than creating an indestructible frisbee if it's in the hands of a creative wielder.
ILikeFoxes: When I first started I actually didn't want to write Ymir into the story at all. That's why my MC didn't like her at first but I thought it'd be a good idea to add in a little something extra and thus Eliza and Ymir's relationship has become this. I'm glad you've liked this so far though ^~^