"Some enemies begin as friends and some friends begin as enemies…Sometimes it's hard to watch"-Edith M. Brown Diary, 850
Spring 850
Central Town Square, Stohess District
A scarred nun stood on the edges of the square, listening the conversations around her as the morning sun rose steadily in the sky. It was always a good time to pick up interesting pieces of info at this point in the day, when barely anyone was out and people were looser with their tongues.
As it was, a few citizens occupied the central town square along with a follower of the False God (Wallists as the had so named themselves) was flapping his gums once more, using his influence to spout lies to those around him.
"…I heard the Titan kid and those big shot handlers of his were summoned to the Capital, which means they'll be passing through here today" Leonard (the baker's son) gossiped.
"Is that so? Well then maybe this time they'll just dissect him and get it over with" replied Charles (the banker's boy).
"I just hope he doesn't stir up any trouble, I say let him pass through and seal the gates shut behind him"
"Infidel!" the Wallist cried, dropping his bag to the ground and interjecting himself into the conversation and preaching to anyone who would listen. "To even suggest sealing the gate! THE HANDS OF HERETICS MUST NEVER TAINT THE SANCTITY OF OUR WALLS! MARIA! ROSE! SINA! TO EVEN THINK OF DEFILING THE THREE GODDESSES…!"
"Those lunatics all worship the Walls as if they were some kind of Gods" Charles muttered to Leonard as they watched the Wallist go off on a crowd nearby. The nun scoffed at that, the Walls were Gods? How stupid were they? It was obvious the Walls were tools of Ymir, the Goddess who kept us safe for over a century.
The nun let the Wallist's preachings turn to background noise, her smirk fell as she couldn't help but fall prey to her memories; one in particular that threatened to swallow her whole.
Winter 840
Goddess Ymir Shrine, Shiganshina
The blonde nun knelt before the withered alter with her hands clasped in prayer. The wind roared around her, making the old exposed shrine creak and her skirts dance as she prayed. Scars of every shape and size plastered themselves along the nun's body; weaving themselves into intricate patterns along her skin.
The cold from the frosty ground she knelt on, bled through the layers of her brown skirt and she tucked her chin into her chest, trying to regain any sense of warmth she could. But it was no use, these habits (even the woollen ones) did little to keep out the chilling bite of Winter.
Her clasped hands grew tighter into a white-knuckled grip as she tried to ignore the thundering war cries of the men approaching on horseback. She smirked, those idiots wouldn't make it far into the forest before they had to dismount, for the trees were far too woven together here.
Self-righteous fury coursed through her veins as she thought about what she had done. She knew she couldn't hide what she had done from the Elders forever. She had done the unthinkable, altering a Herald's memories and turning them out. Breaking another Faery was grounds for exile, but breaking a Herald? Execution for sure.
But how could she not? She, a devoted sister of the Church of Faeries belonging to the Order of Ymir, had been a member far longer than that child had been alive and yet the Council never offered her the promotion of Herald.
And yet this child, who couldn't even scare a mouse, let alone kill someone had been offered the promotion of a Herald? This was the same child, mind you, that was knee-high to a grasshopper and barely spoke a word. She was barely out of infancy! How dare they insult her like that! Egotistical bastards, the lot of them!
Shaking herself from her thoughts, the nun blew into her hands, her breath seeping from between her fingers in small wispy clouds as she returned to her prayers. She had to finish, for here today, her faith was to be tested. There was no doubt about that.
With heart racing and teeth chattering, she spoke "In this place my Sisters watch over me" she whispered. A shout broke out close by, figures swathed in heavy cloth were glimpsed between the cracked pillars. "I am a weapon in service to the Goddess Ymir. Those who oppose me will know despair"
Her voice rose in tandem with the tension that blanketed the shrine, a buzzing tingle of anticipation in her cheekbones, a tightness in her throat, a sense of being stuck deep within herself and at the same time, watching the scene from above.
The first of the men broke cover, racing towards her. One man in particular was adorned with full beard and hard eyes beneath his helmet of iron. More crowded in behind him. The blonde nun rose to her feet and turned to watch the men ran towards her.
With hands still clasped in front of her she continued her prayer, her voice ringing clear out of the shrine's courtyard and all who occupied it. "I pray for the mighty Goddess Ymir to lend her strength, to guide me in my moment of strife. I pray for her to have mercy on our souls"
The blonde nun shook herself from her reverie, her attention no longer grasped by the old Wallist who screamed and shouted his preachings to anyone who would listen. It was true that they had gained favour with the public in the last few years, but she knew that it was all a ruse.
The desperate men had flocked to the religion that the False God preached-it was just like a man to place himself at the top of the pyre, least he be the last to burn. With those thoughts in mind, she turned from the square and returned to the church, intent on making it home before daily prayers.
Spring 850
Order of Ymir: Church of Faeries, Stohess District
"It is important, when hunting a Faery, to ensure that you either bring an army of sufficient size or hope that the Spriggans hold you in their favour…if not, then pray that the Goddess Ymir has mercy on your soul"-Church of Spriggans: Faery Propaganda, Anonymous
Back at the monastery, the scarred nun slotted herself at the end of a pew between her fellow sisters who were knelt in the space between their seat and the pew in front of them. Their hands were clasped in front of them in prayer and their heads were bowed as they stayed still, waiting for the Matron to arrive and begin the daily prayers.
"Look whose finally here, you looked so carefree in the square that I didn't dare pull you from your musings. Probably should've, sorry" the brunette next to her teased as the blonde ignored her taunts and fell into position beside her.
"You've been pretty lax in your duties recently, Scar" added the shorter blonde to her right. Scar didn't deign to respond, merely closed her eyes as she leant her head on her clasped hands.
"Look Cage, you've upset her" the brunette teased.
"She's anti-social not upset" Cage replied shortly.
"Knock it off you guys" interjected a red head from the row behind them, "Let's see you hunt a lost Herald and live to tell about it"
"Ah! So you've got a crush on Scar, Cord? What could you possibly see in her?" laughed the brunette.
"I dunno, Thorn maybe it's because she got into the Church based solely on her skill, unlike some I could mention" retorted Cord.
"Oh? I don't know what you're implying, why don't you clarify"
"Oi! That's enough outta you two!" Cage scolded as the Matron (a short Oriental woman who was more terrifying than any Titan) marched up the aisle with sermon in hand. And so it was that Scar drifted off into her own world, the droning voice of Matron reading the daily prayers as her soundtrack. This was going to be a long day.
Spring 850
Rose Bazaar, Stohess District
The sun sat high in the sky by the time Scar and a few other of the older Sisters had donned their daywear habits and meandered their way through the bazaars, collecting the listed items as required. Scar heaved a sigh as she wove her way around a rotund man who was gesturing wildly as he stood in front of one of the stalls, haggling for a lower price.
She had to pick up her skirts a few times to avoid tripping on them or others tripping her up. Unlike the slitted skirt of their training habit, the daywear habit that each girl wore was vastly different in design. Instead of the high-collared turtleneck qipao, they wore long a-line skirts that brushed the ground as they walked and tight leather corsets under their blouses and vests. The only differences between them, was the shades of their skirts (dirt brown for Novice, moss green for Sister, blood red for Heralds and deep blue for Elders).
None of the girls wore a symbol of the Church, instead they were each branded with the image of a split apple on their left breast, above where thier hearts lay. As Sister Lance often said, they were to be seen but not seen. Show the people only what they expect, do not give them any reason to investigate the Church.
Unlike the group behind her, Scar purposefully made her way over to a fruit stall that sat off to the side and began to half-heartedly inspect the fruits on display much to the owner's chagrin. By that point, the other Sisters had caught up with her and were consulting the list they had been given as they stood in front of the stall a cart over from her. Almost instinctively, Scar let their conversation wash over her.
"Why would Matron need an urn, coal and a shovel?" Cord asked double checking the list to make sure that that is what it said.
"Don't ask, just buy" Cage responded handing over the exact change for the items listed and thanked the owner before they moved onto the next stall.
"Did ya hear about that sighting of the lost Herald?"
"You mean the one from a couple of days ago?" Scar tensed at the mention of the lost Herald, "It was probably just a rumour or something"
"Nah uh! I heard it from Nori, who heard it from Red who was sent on the hunt. Apparently the Herald took on four Spriggans and won!"
"No way!"
"Yes way! Apparently she used her skills granted to her as a Herald to take them down one by one"
"Oh! I would've killed to be able to see that! Can you imagine what that fight must've been like? A Herald against four Spriggans? That's the stuff of legends!"
"I know right! I wonder what it's like to be a Herald…Do you think they'll be able to catch her this time? Y'know bring her back to the Church?"
"I hope so! Can you imagine all those stories she has? Not to mention we could finally figure out what happened to her!"
"Y'know I heard that she's been hiding within the military as like a Scout or something. How ingenious is that?" Scar perked up at the admission, maybe she could still salvage her reputation and finally be rid of the Herald?
"Really? That's brilliant!"
"The closer you look, the less you actually see!"
"Ugh! Quit quoting Sister Hound to me!"
"Never!"
"…Do you think I could be a Herald?" Cage sighed dreamily.
"You? A Herald?" Cord laughed.
"But imagine the power I could wield! To break down walls, create cities from nothing, to move the very earth itself…"
"What about me?"
"Oh you'd be there too! After all a Herald is nothing without her Blade!"
Scar grit her teeth at the conversation behind her, the stall owner's protests quietened when they watched the girl in front of her dent the skin of the overripe watermelon in her hands with a glassy look in her eyes.
Why couldn't they just let that lost Herald thing go? She thought as her nails dug into the melon's skin. Why is she only resurfacing now? I spent so long trying to bury that incident, so why are they still hunting her? Was my devoted servitude not enough to placate the Goddess? Did I somehow anger her instead? Scar shifted on her feet as her thoughts took a turn, I mean not only did I cast out a Herald, I had the audacity to ask Ymir for power to fight the Spriggans! Oh Sina! What if this is my punishment?
"Are you going to pay for that or what?" Cord asked appearing next to Scar and breaking her from her thoughts. Scar merely gave a strained smile to the ginger, handing over the correct change and bagged the needed fruits before turning to follow the others.
Her fake smile remained in place as she trailed after the pair, their conversation turning to useless things like fashion and love interests. I can still do this! I can still make things right! Watch out Herald I'm gonna make you beg for sweet mercy! She thought her fake smile morphing into a smirk as the trio rejoined the other Sisters on their chore runs, melting back into the crowds as if they had never been there to begin with.
Spring 850
Back Streets, Stohess District
"Annie Leonhart was one of the few cadets from the 104th Cadet Corps that was accepted into the Military Police…However she was the only cadet to take that position, something that she did on her skills alone…She's going to be someone to watch…"-104th Cadet Corps Individual Reports: Annie Leonhart, Commandant Keith Shadis
Armin waited quietly in one of the side streets for Annie to arrive, hoping that she caught his signal earlier in the day. He tensed at the sound of approaching footsteps, forcing himself to not back away into the safety of the shadows behind him as the person approached.
Sure enough, Annie stood before him. Her gaze roved over his figure, making his shift under her stare. But it was understandable, he was standing in the shadows of a back alley dressed in the green rainwear of a cadet.
"Hello" he greeted much to her surprise, "So you're a fully fledged MP now?"
"Armin?" She breathed taking in his form and serious expression.
"Hm"
"So, uh, what's with the outfit?" she asked regaining her composure.
"Why I'm in the rain gear, you mean? It's a makeshift disguise needed to conceal my ODM rig, see?" Armin lifted the front of his rain coat to reveal his ODM gear hidden beneath, the only thing missing was his tan jacket which was probably tucked away in the pack he wore alone with some extra gas canisters.
"What's this about?" Annie asked.
"Annie, we have a plan for Eren to escape and we're hoping that you'll help us" Armin replied removing his hood.
"Wait, escape? To where? Stuck behind these Walls, where could you possibly hide that they couldn't find you?"
"We'll only need to hide him for a short while. This isn't a mutiny, we have every intention of returning! View this as a few loyal Scouts staging a small protest; it's stall tactic, we need time to gather enough evidence to overrun the Council's ruling about Eren. That's all we want"
"You're serious about this? How can you be sure the evidence even exists? And what is it?"
Armin looked down at his feet, unable to meet Annie's eyes as he continued. "…I-I can't say, I'm sorry"
"Sorry, Armin I'm going to have to decline. My lips are sealed though; best of luck" Annie sighed.
"Hold on!" Armin spoke up as Annie turned her back, "Annie please! They're going to kill Eren!" That stopped her in her tracks, "They'll kill him for no better reason than they fear what they don't understand.
They don't see that their fear is pushing humanity to the brink of extinction! Maybe it's too late to change their minds, but what if we can? We have no choice but to bet everything on that chance! I'm sorry, the last thing we want is to cause you grief. But, well, the only way to sneak him through the Wall's checkpoints is with the help of someone in the Military Police…It's out only hope"
"But why me? Do I really look like that good of a person to you?" Annie asked over her shoulder as she gripped tight to the rifle slung over her shoulder.
"A good person? I don't know, actually I've never placed much value in those sorts of labels" Armin bowed his head as he continued softly, "The way I see it, good is merely a word applied to people who are convenient to your needs in some way. It's purely subjective. Any way you try to look at it, labelling people dehumanises them. Regardless if you still choose to say no to this request, then at least in my eyes that makes you a bad person"
Annie didn't respond save for the look of shock on her face at Armin's admission. Instead she removed the rifle from her shoulder and silently fiddled with the rifle, flicking the safety on, making Armin suddenly fear for his life. Only instead of shooting him, Annie placed the unarmed firearm against the wall where it was still within reach. "Alright, let's go" she agreed sliding a silver band onto her index finger.
"We made it! Can't believe it was so easy!" Eren whispered. He and Mikasa (garbed in the same gear as Armin) had joined up with Armin and Annie a few streets over before they had snuck through the checkpoint.
"Hush" Mikasa scolded him.
"The Military Police hard at work" Eren continued, ignoring his sister in favour of complaining, "Surprised they bothered to show up at all"
"Let's just keep moving"
"Hopefully they haven't noticed my stand-in yet either. It's not gonna hold up under close scrutiny, after all Jean and I look nothing alike"
"It's close enough" Armin snapped, whispering quickly as he replied "You both have that same angry scowl and the same boulder-sized chip on your shoulder"
"Yeah! But I don't have his horse face!"
"Hey!" Annie interrupted "So if I had refused to help you guys out, what was your Plan B for getting over the Wall?"
"We would've used our ODM gear to barge right through the checkpoint" Armin replied.
"That's stupid! Why didn't you just avoid all this trouble in the first place? You could've escaped before reaching Stohess, right? I mean why wait till now?"
"I felt that this town's complex layout would allow us to squeeze a little more time out of our body double ploy. Of course, a head-on assault is ill-advised, so as long as the convoy acts like it's following orders everyone keeps their defences down"
"I see. It's very good plan" Mikasa and Eren shared a glance at the tone Annie used.
"Ah! There it is!" Armin exclaimed quietly as he made his way over to the entrance of a wooden stairwell that led underground.
"Here?" Annie questioned.
"Yeah, we'll pass through here. It's what remains of an underground city they were planning to build way back when and if I'm right, it should lead us to somewhere in the vicinity of the outer gate" He led Mikasa and Eren down the stairs without any complaints, but Annie remained on the street, not even daring to place her foot on the top step.
"Annie? What's the matter?" Eren called to her when he realised that she wasn't with them, "You're not afraid of dark, cramped spaces or anything, are you?"
"So what? So what if I am? I wouldn't expect a suicidal maniac like you to understand. You don't know what it's like to be an ordinary girl, to be filled with fear"
"A girl who can flip a full grown man upside down, has nothing to fear from the dark. Cut the crap and let's move!" Eren turned away, leading the others further into the dark.
"No. I refuse" Annie stated, halting the trio in their tracks. "I'm too afraid, above ground I'll help otherwise the deals off"
"Quit being stubborn, dammit! Just get the hell down here! Move! We're running outta time, alright!" Eren burst out, his temper getting the best of him.
"Stop shouting, someone will hear you!" Mikasa scolded.
"I'm sure it's fine Mikasa" Annie calmly interjected, "It seems that for whatever reason this place has been completely deserted" Unbeknownst to Annie, the quartet wasn't completely alone. Hidden atop roofs and behind crates lay hordes of Scouts, ready and waiting for the signal to attack. "That hurts me, it really does. The way you're looking at me now, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't trust me. Aye, Armin?"
Armin's hand shook as he clutched to the signal gun, a flare already loaded as he waited for the right time to fire it off. "Annie? Tell me, what were you doing with Marco's ODM gear?" he asked referring to the ODM assessment check that all the cadets had to do after the battle of Trost. "It had all the same dents and scrapes, I helped him with maintenance so I know you used it"
"Yes, I found it. Found it and took it" she replied.
"Then the two Titans we had in custody, it was you that killed them!"
"No one knows. But if you suspected something a month ago, why did you wait this long to say anything?"
"Because even now it's difficult. I just didn't want…didn't want to believe I was right, so I stayed quiet but then out in the field the fact that you didn't kill me right then and there, that's the moment that set us on this path to our current situation" Armin spoke tearfully.
"…Yes, we're here 'cause I let you live. Of course, I never dreamed you'd end up cornering me like this. Why? Why didn't I do anything then?"
"Annie! Please! You've taken this joke far enough, tell us this is some kind of horrible prank! It's not too late! C'me on, we'll understand!" Eren cried, unknowingly giving Annie an out. "Come down, let's talk! You can prove to us that we're mistaken by walking down these stairs! Prove we're wrong to accuse you!"
"We both know I can't" Annie replied somewhat sullenly, "Like I told you, I don't have the constitution for it"
"Annie! Stop! We're talking about a matter of life and death!"
"Work with us Annie! We can reason this out like human beings!" Armin added as Mikasa threw aside her cloak and drew a blade.
"Enough! I'm not listening to another word of this! No point, I'm going to carve you up again! Do you understand me, Titan?" Mikasa declared. Annie didn't reply at first before she suddenly burst out in belly-rumbling laughs, throwing her head back and swaying as she did so.
"Y'know Armin" Annie started, ultimately dropping her facade in the process, "It's nice that I can be a good person for you, for now at least. Looks like you've won your bet"
Down below Armin glared up at Annie, a multitude of emotions flashing across his face as her wicked grin fell on him. "But, I'm going to gamble to! And here's my wager!" She raised a single finger to her mouth and made to bite down at the same time that Armin quickly fired the red flare up the stairs.
The Scouts that had hidden themselves away, burst forth ready to restrain Annie before she had a chance to transform. They came at her from all angles, grabbing onto a limb and pulling it away from her face. She even had a gag placed in her mouth, stopping her from biting herself or others.
Mikasa had to block Eren from moving back up the staircase, planning to keep him safe despite whatever best intentions he might have. What they weren't prepared for was Annie's backup plan. With a quick flick of her fingers, a small sharp hook popped out from the ring she wore and she used to transform.
Mikasa, having seen what Annie had intended, grabbed both Eren and Armin by the scruff of their cloaks and dragged them further into the dark much to their chagrin. "What are you-?" Armin cried as he flew backwards down the stairs.
"It's too late!" she replied, trying to get as far away from Annie as possible.
All it took was a small slice of her thumb for Annie to transform, the light given off by the transformation towered over the district as it reached towards the heavens. The evacuees could see from miles away and it frightened them to their cores. The Female Titan had come to play.