Amidst all of the rain I managed to keep to my schedule with another update, yay! Hope everyone is having nicer weather, over here we're expecting an entire week of rain and storms, so that's all kinds of fun. But I'll stop rambling and let you darlings get to readin'!
As always my lovelies, go ahead and enjoy this chapter and don't forget to toss me a little review, to let me know what you think~ ;)
P.S. All Attack on Titan characters belong to Isayama Hajime. I only own my OCs.
15. A good time
~ 850 ~
Waking with a gasp to find nothing but blue sky in front of her eyes, Natalie blinked a few times trying to remember where she was and what she had been doing. The faint groan coming from nearby had her turn her head to find Hange lying next to her. Sitting up abruptly had her grab her head at the momentary bout of dizziness before she moved onto her knees to check on Hange, afterwards leaning over the researcher to examine Moblit's injuries.
'Damn it... they didn't make it far enough...' she clenched her jaw, instantly recalling what had happened.
It seemed that second's hesitation had left Hange and their squad to take greater damage than she and Armin had. Thinking of that she panicked for a moment, wondering if she'd taken any external damage. But one glance around assured her no one had seen anything suspicious about her, leaving her to sigh in relief.
"Here..."
Armin's voice startled the redhead and she looked up to see him offering her a water canteen.
"Thank you... how are you feeling? Does it hurt?" she asked, gesturing to the bruises on his hands.
"I... I'm alright!" he replied, turning beet red when he recalled how she had squished his face against her chest to protect him from the steam. "Thank you... for protecting me. Are you feeling alright? I heard you scream back there; did you get hurt badly?"
"No... at least not as bad as these guys." she sighed, gesturing to Hange and the others. "I'm good to go, as soon as reinforcements get here."
She was certain word had to have reached Erwin by now and that he would bring reinforcements so they could go after those two.
"How long has it been?" she asked, taking a swig of water that felt like a blessing for her parched throat.
"About five hours, maybe a little longer. We have to wait for the lifts, so we can move the horses over the wall."
She had just nodded when the sound of hoofs reached then and they glanced over to see Erwin riding along the wall, at the head of a column of Scouts and Military Police alike. Further back were several carts bearing the promised lifts, and she immediately got to her feet to go meet the Commander.
"Commander Erwin!" Moblit cried out in relief, having just gotten up as well. "You made it!"
"Is the situation the same?"
"Yes."
"Good. Deploy the lifts!" he ordered.
Before he could ask for any more details from Moblit, Natalie's voice reached him and he glanced over to see the girl trying to pick up Hange from where they were crawling towards him.
"What in the world are you doing, Hange-san?" she scolded the Section Commander.
"I need a map... Moblit..." they called out, gesturing for Natalie to let them lie back down once the man had delivered it. "It's a long shot, but there's a giant forest here. We should head there... this is probably where they're headed too."
At that they pointed out the location on the map for Erwin and the others to see.
"Why is that?" Erwin inquired.
"They may have the ability to turn into Titans, but the other Titans outside the Wall would still be a danger to them. Especially after that intense fight... they might not be as bad off as Eren, but I'm sure they're exhausted. They'll want to rest somewhere the Titans can't get them. For now let's assume their destination is somewhere outside Wall Maria. Considering the distance, they'll need to recover their stamina. They'll have to rest at least until nightfall, when Titans can't move. If you can reach that forest before nightfall, you might still make it in time!"
"Alright. Everyone able to still ride, prepare to depart!" he ordered, moving back to his feet and beckoning Natalie over. "Are you alright?"
Surprised that he would ask her that in particular, she nodded.
"Yes... I'm ready to leave at any time." she replied, blinking when he seemingly turned to leave. "Um, Commander—"
"Levi was worried about you." he replied to her unspoken question. "However, I'm afraid I'll have to put you in danger yet again. I'll have you ride with me, once we split into formation."
Gradually her eyes widened as she processed the meaning of his words; that... was the last thing she had expected.
"If I'm going to have you taking Karl's place, you need to hone your analyzing skills. You'll have to learn how to adjust strategies and improve plans on the fly, when you don't have time to thoroughly think them through."
"U-understood..." she at last stammered, feeling overwhelmed already by the sudden responsibility thrust upon her shoulders. "Also... I apologize for failing... I tried..."
"You can give me a detailed report when we get back. Right now our one mission is to save Eren. Forget capturing or even killing the other two; though of course, if the chance arises we should try to do something about them. However, our primary goal remains Eren."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Also..." he stated, offering her one last look over his shoulder. "It's not always a bad thing to go all out."
At first glance his words were only meant to encourage her for the upcoming fight. Yet the odd glint in his eyes, as well as the knowing tone of his words, left her rooted to the spot with her heart hammering in her ears. Did he know? How...? Had Levi told him?! No, there was no way Levi would betray her like that; he had promised!
'Did... did he figure it out on his own?' she pondered, trying her best to keep her expression in check as she moved to follow him. 'Why isn't he saying anything then?'
Descending the wall in the same lift with him was pure torture, and she could only sigh in relief when they reached the ground so she could go get her horse.
"Move out!" Erwin commanded as she mounted and directed Ran behind him.
~ oOo ~
It was like time had suddenly sped up, as Natalie kept a close eye on the sun's course across the sky – it was moving way too fast for her liking, even though in reality they had only been riding for about an hour. Every now and then a red flare could be seen rising from both flanks, rarely at first then more and more often as Titans were drawn to the large concentration of humans.
"Commander, we're surrounded!" one of their squad members called out, drawing Natalie's eyes to the red flares shot by the teams riding ahead of them.
"There's a way around..." the other chimed in. "Should we head for it?"
"No, any detours and we'll be too late." Erwin replied after thinking it over for a moment, before raising his voice so the nearby squads could hear him. "We'll force our way through! All soldiers prepare for combat!"
As they drew nearer to the forest, Natalie at last spotted the herd of Titans – likely having gathered there while Reiner and Bertholdt were resting in the trees. But then, a familiar yellow light flickered from deep within the trees sending a shiver down her spine.
"A Titan transformation!" she called out to Erwin. "That light means one of them has turned!"
"Soldiers, disperse!" the Commander called out, prompting the formation to split in half riding along the outskirts of the forest. "We believe the enemy has already transformed! Locate Eren and retrieve him at all costs! Battle is not our goal! Prioritize recovery and retreat!"
Following him along the outskirts, she watched as the 104th squads entered the forest to try and find Eren.
'What do I do? Should I turn? I'd be much faster that way...' she debated. 'I don't know if I'd beat Reiner in a direct fight, but at least I could keep up with him and try to take Eren back.'
It was right as she was thinking that, that her eyes widened as she glanced over her shoulder. Reiner had just transformed and was now running away from the forest. She could see Bertholdt on his shoulder, Eren strapped to his back like a living backpack. And there was another Titan riding along with them... one she had never seen before.
'You pieces of shit!'
Baring her teeth in a snarl, she pulled on the reins so hard that for a moment she thought Ran would fall over; but he redressed almost immediately and followed her command to chase them.
"All soldiers!" she heard Erwin calling out behind her, as he tried to catch up. "Let the Titans chase you!"
"You demon!" one of the Military Police soldiers shouted, as the rest of the Scouts followed their Commander without hesitation. "Are you trying to sacrifice more of us?!"
"That was not my intention! The Military Police have fought well! Now fulfill your duty as soldiers!"
Looking behind once Erwin rode past her she counted at least ten Titans chasing them and the rest of the squads. At that rate at least they had a chance to delay Reiner long enough for... something to be done.
"Natalie! Don't fall behind!"
At his call she turned back to the Commander to see him gradually veering off to the right side.
'We're going around?' she pondered, before suddenly realizing what his plan was and feeling a grin curving her lips. 'We'll trap them between the squads chasing them and the Titans... you crazy bastard!'
Despite the dire situation, she couldn't help feeling privileged that she got to witness his insane genius first-hand; more so, that he seemed to have taken her under his wing trying to polish her into a strategist of her brother's level. Spurring Ran to catch up to him and stick close, she followed the man until they eventually rounded a half-circle around Reiner and came up in front of him.
"All soldiers, disperse!" Erwin ordered at the very last possible minute. "Get away from the Titans!"
With the riders veering tightly to the sides, Reiner was swarmed within minutes and was left to try and battle his way through the Titan horde.
"What is this?" Jean stammered, as they looked on in shock at the unearthly scene playing out before them. "Is this hell?"
"No, but it will be soon!" Erwin called out, riding to the front of the group. "All soldiers, charge! The fate of humanity will be decided right here, right now! There is no future where humanity within the Walls can survive without Eren! We recover Eren and immediately retreat! Offer up your hearts!"
Being the first to salute, he charged right on with Natalie and Mikasa being the firsts to break off from the group and follow. They were almost upon the Titan horde, when Erwin raised his arm to order the attack... but then Natalie was left to watch in horror as an Abnormal skittered past them, and all of a sudden Erwin was no longer in his saddle in front of her.
"Commander Erwin!" she heard one of the veterans' desperate scream.
"Advance!" Erwin called back, even as the Titan carried him off. "Eren is right in front of us! Advance!"
But Natalie no longer heard his commands, her murderous gaze fixated on the Titan that had him in its jaws. Turning Ran around so hard that the poor horse neighed when she nearly snapped his neck back, she spurred him on to give chase.
"Advance!" he shouted at her. "Forget about me, get Eren!"
"Like hell I'll let you die!" she retorted. 'Levi... Levi would never forgive me for it!'
And then, as if his name had flipped a switch inside her, she knew how she could rescue the Commander. Any regular attacks, even with her speed and agility, would take far too long; Erwin would die of blood loss or further damage, before she could get to him. But she was seeing the solution clear as day in her mind... what if?
'I've watched him doing it enough times.' she pondered, even as she readied her hilts. 'I hope this works...'
With that she pulled her legs up onto the saddle and leapt off Ran's back, at the same time anchoring into the Titan's shoulders.
'Work. Work! Work!' she goaded herself on, drawing two blades and reeling herself in with a burst of gas.
Switching the sword in her right hand to face backwards, she allowed the anchors to unhook as soon as she was over the creature's lower back. Twisting herself into a spinning motion, she came down with the left blade first to start slicing along the Titan's spine. In the one moment when it turned its head sideways was when Erwin saw the second burst of gas and the arcing blood sprays, as the human saw blade she had become traveled towards the Titan's nape.
'...Levi?' he blinked, before realizing there was no way the man could be there.
At last she did take down her prey by slicing clean through the middle of the nape, at the cost of dislocating her shoulder.
'Shit... maybe I should just leave it to the Captain to do this kind of thing.' she huffed.
Through some miracle it had worked, as the carcass had begun to evaporate around her. Returning the blades to their holders with her healthy arm, she then checked around her shoulder trying to recall how Hange had pushed it back into place. As soon as she caught the right angle, she clenched her jaw and popped the bone back into its socket with a grunt. Huffing through the pain she moved over to the Titan's head to find Erwin had freed himself, judging by the blood on the one sword he was still holding onto.
To her great relief, her arm had already healed by the time she reached him, nearly tripping onto her own feet in her haste to get to the Commander.
"I told you... to go back!" he scolded her, breathing heavily from the strain. "I can always be replaced..."
"Shut up!" she snapped back. "Who the hell could take your place?! Do you know what your death would do to everyone... to the Captain...?"
Seemingly silenced by her words, he allowed her to sit him down and check the wound. Fortunately the cut had been as clean as she'd hoped, but the massive bleeding was still a problem. Thinking it over for a moment, she then eyed the medal around his neck.
"I apologize..." she said hastily, reaching for it and removing it to use the string so she could bind his arm and stop the blood.
Removing her cape afterwards, she began slicing it into strips to use as makeshift bandages, not paying any more attention to the battlefield.
"Say, Natalie..." he spoke up in the end, glancing around at the two Titans that had spotted them and were now approaching their location. "If you were ever going to transform... now would be a good time."
His words froze her hands midair as she was reaching for his wound; they froze her breath, her heartbeat and even the blood in her veins.
"How long... h-how..." she whispered, turning her horrified gaze up to him.
"You still have more years to go before you can lie to me... you and Levi both." he replied with a tired smile.
Slowly the fear in her eyes melted along with the tears he saw gathering there, leaving a deep sorrow behind that he found... oddly familiar.
"I apologize..." was all she could mumble, turning her eyes away from him in embarrassment and returning to tending to his wound.
"Natalie..." he called her again, reaching to take hold of her chin and turn her to look back into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? Why don't you embrace your power, like Eren did? You... what are you so afraid of?"
At first she looked on the verge of breaking down, but then her eyes snapped back to his face and she grabbed onto him catching him off guard.
"If I do it... promise me... promise me you'll do everything you can to protect the Captain! You have to promise me!" she begged in sheer desperation, barely able to make out his face anymore from the tears that had flooded her vision. "I don't care what happens to me after this, but... the Captain... I can't let him suffer because of me! Humanity's doomed without him... please! Promise me you'll do whatever it takes to keep him alive!"
It was so unexpected, but seeing her like that... hearing her begging for the man she loved... it was enough to overlap her tearstained face for a moment with that of another; a face that had never left his memory, a face he still saw in his dreams sometimes.
"Please! I don't care what happens... please, Erwin! You have to save him!"
'Marie...' he almost audibly gasped when her voice replayed in his head, mingled with Natalie's.
"Very well... you have my word." he at last replied after taking a moment to recompose himself, and though he didn't say anything more his mind was already trying to work out some way to keep her in the Survey Corps as well.
"Thank you... Commander..." she whispered, and the warm gratitude in her voice could have melted even steel.
With his wound as well bound as she could make due out there, she got to her feet and turned to face away from him while wiping the last of her tears on her sleeve. Unsheathing one of the blades, she brought it up to her palm as she at last eyed the Titans approaching them. There was no more turning back this time... no more hesitating... no more doubting.
'Forgive me... Levi...'
~ oOo ~
The sudden flash of lightning striking the ground drew everyone's gazes to the unfamiliar Titan that had just emerged onto the battlefield.
"What the hell is that?!" Jean called out.
"A... female Titan?" Armin gasped, seeing the redheaded figure as it straightened up. "Why... is Annie...? No, that's not Annie! Who... who is it?!"
As his brain raced to try and find an answer, his memory replayed several quick images in succession: from the Stohess mission, to his brief chat with Natalie before Levi had interrupted them.
"I know what it's like to feel that the whole world is against you, that everyone would just want you to disappear!" her words echoed in his mind. "They're not monsters; they're just kids who were forced into an impossible situation. That's why I felt so sorry for her..."
"N-Natalie...?" he stammered while his eyes widened in both awe and horror, not wanting to believe his own words.
"Eh?! You... are you sure?!"
"I... think so..."
Briefly she turned to look at something over her shoulder, and then a few moments later he spotted Erwin somewhere near her. So she was on their side...
"Leave her for now!" he called out. "She's with us! We need to focus on getting Eren!"
"Maybe one of us could go get her here." Mikasa suggested. "She might be able to help with Reiner."
"Before that..." Armin clenched his jaw before lunging out of the saddle. "I'm going up there! Bertholdt!"
Stopping up on Reiner's shoulder, he glanced down at his former comrade racking his brain for something he could do, something he could say.
'What do I have to throw away? My life? Or...' he pondered, before an idea struck him. "Are you two okay with this? Abandoning your comrade and going back home? Are you abandoning Annie? Right now she's underground far north in Utopia District... and they're torturing her for information. Her screams taught us that even with her healing factor, you can never get rid of the pain. They're torturing her every way they know how, taking care that she doesn't die..."
"You spawn of the devil!" Bertholdt yelled, for once falling prey to his rage. "I'll pulverize you!"
In their anger, neither he nor Reiner noticed the redhead approaching nor the one she was carrying in her hand.
"I trust you'll aim well!" Erwin called out to her. "We only get one shot at this!"
With her nod, he withdrew one of his blades and braced himself while she stopped and allowed her own inertia to transfer to the man, throwing him at Bertholdt. With the speed gained from that, he made it just in time to deliver a slash across the boy's chest, freeing Eren and allowing Mikasa to take him back. To the Commander's great fortune his own horse had by now returned and he fell in the saddle, immediately taking hold of the reins.
"All soldiers, retreat!" he ordered, leaving Natalie to follow them so she could protect their retreat.
What none of them could have foreseen, however, was Reiner using the Titans swarming him as projectiles; the first one to fly off, landed several dozens of meters ahead of the Scouts forcing them to halt in their advance.
"That damn Reiner!" Jean scowled. "He's throwing Titans like a madman!"
In the rising dust, Natalie lost sight of everyone for a moment and by the time she was able to do a headcount, Eren and Mikasa were missing. Halting in her tracks, she turned to look around making use of her high vantage point. Eventually she spotted where they had landed on a patch of flower-sprinkled grass, after Mikasa's horse had fallen over. Yet her attention was drawn to the next Titan that flew past her, and she watched as it got back to its feet starting to chase after Erwin who was fortunately still on his horse. Though she hesitated for a split second, she deemed the Commander's situation more urgent and sprinted off after them. Catching up just in time to see the one shifter she didn't know, but whom she by now assumed to be Ymir, leap onto the Titan to save Erwin's life she hurried over when she saw the Commander flying out of his saddle as the horse tripped from the tremors of the ground.
'Shit... I shouldn't have left him alone!'
Without any ceremony she jumped over the scuffling Titans and in a fluid motion bent over to scoop up the injured man before finally coming to a halt. She would have called for Ran, hoping that he was still alive to hear her, but there was no way she was letting Erwin get back on the ground until they somehow dealt with all those Titans.
"Natalie... where's Eren?!" Erwin called up to her. "Can you see him?"
Looking back to where she had left the two, her eyes widened at the sight of what seemed to be an abnormally tall Titan standing before them, trying to grab a lone soldier out of the air. Hurrying over, she had to skid to a halt when another Titan came flying at her.
'Shit... that fucker!' she gritted her teeth, before a flash of blond hair drew her eyes over to Armin and Jean. 'Make it there in time!'
She had just turned to face Reiner with the intention of setting Erwin down in a safer spot and at last taking on the male shifter, when she heard Armin screaming Jean's name as yet another Titan was flung in that direction. Apparently Jean's horse had tripped because of that, sending the boy hurtling across the ground and leaving him unconscious.
"Commander!" one of the Scouts called up to the man, pointing over to Reiner. "The armored one... he's coming!"
All too suddenly Natalie found herself torn between facing Reiner, saving Eren and Mikasa, or helping Armin who had just retreated from an approaching Titan, trying desperately to keep it at bay while holding onto Jean.
"You have to choose what you think you'll regret least." Levi's words echoed in her mind. "No one can foresee the outcome."
'Fuck it all...' she scowled.
Locating what she deemed to be a safer spot further removed from the Titans roaming around, she carefully set the man down and immediately sprinted off towards Eren and Mikasa.
'Forgive me, Armin... just hold on until I get back to you!'
Her hesitation did come at a cost, however, when the Abnormal at last caught hold of the soldier. She was too far to reach them in time, unless... eyeing one of the small Titans lunging at her, she grabbed it midair and bit off its nape to kill it. Tearing off the head afterwards, she launched it like a bullet towards the Abnormal, the collision with its skinny arm causing it to drop its prey before it could shove him into its mouth. Though the soldier tried to redress himself, she saw him hitting the ground fairly hard and rolling a few feet before finally coming to a stop.
'This is why I fucking hate Abnormals.' she scowled, seeing the damn thing trying to grab the man again; the way those ones could so intently fixate on one prey was beyond annoying.
"Hannes-san!" she heard Eren shouting and saw him running over while biting into his hand.
But the steam that still came from his limbs told her he wouldn't be transforming any time soon, as his body had yet to finish healing.
"Eren!" Mikasa screamed when the Titan now went to grab the boy instead; something she had no way of stopping due to her own injuries.
It was like time had slowed down when Natalie realized she would be there one second too late, and already she could picture him getting devoured in her head. But then she saw when he threw a punch at the Abnormal's palm and then it was like time had stopped entirely, a shiver bordering on painful – like a bolt of lightning – coursing her entire body before it disappeared completely, leaving her mind blank as she tried to understand what had happened. It was mostly on inertia and muscle memory that she saw her foot slamming down next to the Titan, her hand reaching over to grab it by the wrist and pull its arm away from him. In the same motion she brought her other hand up, the hollow of her palm smashing into its chin and sending it backwards. Posting herself between it and the two children, she slipped into an offensive stance. Using her forearm to deflect when the Titan tried to grab at her, she delivered four quick open-handed blows to its chest before whirling around in a roundhouse kick, sending it hurtling aside.
"What... is that?" Eren gasped.
"It's Natalie..." Mikasa replied, leaving him to gape at her.
"Huh?! Are you serious?"
Turning his eyes back to the redheaded Titan, he felt his jaw clenching; sure she was doing well against that one, but Reiner was still coming for them.
'I have to help... somehow... I don't want anyone to die for me!' he gritted his teeth.
At first he thought that what he felt rising from within him was his anger, that maybe at last he could turn again and get his revenge in the end. But it didn't quite feel like anger; it was more potent and unfamiliar, almost to the point where it scared him.
'I don't want anyone to die for me... I won't let anyone die for me!'
He had no idea how to get rid of the feeling that whatever was building up inside him would make him explode, other than drawing air into his lungs and releasing it in as loud a scream as he could manage. Having been focused on her opponent, Natalie almost tripped onto her own feet when one of the other Titans barreled past her to attack the Abnormal... then another, and another. Soon all the Titans scattered about the area had swarmed the blonde one, biting and tearing it to pieces.
'Now's our chance!' she realized.
Not wasting another moment she turned on her heels and picked up the two kids along with the elder soldier, sprinting away from the gruesome scene.
"Why... are the other Titans... eating that one?" Mikasa asked, as though even she couldn't really believe her eyes.
'I wish I could tell you, Mikasa; but you wouldn't believe it if I did.' the redhead mused. 'But that confirms it... Eren really has the Founder power.'
She had sometimes wondered if maybe her twin had been wrong, despite all of the memories she had seen so far. But the connection she felt was unmistakable and it perfectly fit the feeling her other self had conveyed upon showing her the vision of Eren emerging from the pillar of light. The sound of approaching thuds was what drew her out of those thoughts, to the sight of Reiner charging straight at her.
'Shit... I can't fight!' she scowled, knowing she was almost entirely open while carrying the trio.
"Don't come near me!" Eren yelled, his voice yet again paralyzing her momentarily with that same near-painful shock. "You bastards! I'll kill you all!"
Yet while it had stopped the redhead in her tracks, Reiner was still coming at her; until the other Titans, abandoning the Abnormal's evaporating corpse, charged at him.
"Eren!" she heard Armin calling from below, seeing him riding up with an extra horse that she immediately recognized as her own.
'Thank goodness...' she sighed, the gesture very much imitated by her Titan body.
Leaning down she placed them on the ground, waiting until they mounted and rode off. Moving to follow she deliberately kept pace with the horses as Erwin ordered a full retreat, so she could guard the rear in case any of those Titans decided to follow them. Yet her eyes kept going back to the front of the column where the Commander was still riding on.
'I'm worried... please... just make it back, Erwin.'
However, as soon as they had put enough distance between the Titans and themselves, the Commander ordered a short stop. Worried that he would collapse, Natalie walked over to him.
"Get out of there!" he called up to her. "We can't have anyone in the Walls know about this just yet."
His words left her speechless and she only vaguely heard him ordering everyone to secrecy about it. Was he... trying to protect her, as well as Levi? The thought was enough to tighten her chest with emotion and bring tears to her eyes. Doing as she had been told, she lowered the Titan's body onto one knee before emerging from its nape with a gasp. Taking a few large gulps of the cold evening air felt like heaven after the heat of being inside that body. Pulling herself completely free she then used her gear to descend and approach Erwin.
"I don't know how much more I can ride on my own..." he said, gesturing for her to climb in the saddle.
A better look at him made her heart squeeze. He was awfully pale and indeed looked on the verge of passing out. Not to mention that she also needed a ride, with Eren and Mikasa having Ran as theirs. Climbing in the saddle she made sure Erwin was securely holding onto her before spurring his horse to a gallop, leaving the rest of the column to follow them away from her Titan's carcass.