"Despite what people may think about the relationship between Bertolt and Reiner, Bertolt was the one who wore the pants…he never liked the spotlight, always preferring to operate behind the scenes, pulling the strings…"-Edith Diary, 850
Spring 850
Titan Forest, Wall Maria
"Ah! What the hell! What happened to my arms?!" Eren exclaimed, rescuing his stumpy forearms from their confines within his tattered cloak.
"Eren" Ymir called waving her healing arm and leg, "I'm not in any better shape here. Seems we're both having a shit day"
"Ymir…W-what did they do to me?"
"Sorry about that" Reiner apologised, "That was…that was my fault. You can pin your injuries on me, guess I was in kind of a hurry back there. Bit your nape without thinking about your nape"
"Is that right?"
"What are you two so pissy about?" Edith piped up from where she had propped herself up against a smaller outcropping branch off to the side, "At least your limbs grow back" She gestured to the steam pouring from both of their stumpy limbs, enveloping the two where they sat.
"Uh…Edith?" Eren started, staring at the girl with eyes blown wide.
"What?" Edith asked looking over at Eren once she opened her eyes from where she had been enjoying the warm breeze drifting through the canopy. Glancing around the clearing, she noticed that the others had also locked their gazes on her with varying expressions of surprise and shock.
"Edith, you're…glowing!"
"Uh…thanks?"
"No, I mean your hand is literally glowing bright red!"
"Huh?"
Edith glanced down at her one whole hand to see that it was indeed glowing or at least it appeared that way. All her veins seemed to bulge and twitch beneath her skin and the glow that emanated from the nerves seemed to create a network that wrapped around the limb.
"Huh, that's new" she commented softly as she inspected the healing limb, "But where…? Oh that bitch!" Edith exclaimed as she remembered the sudden appearance of the old nun in the courthouse after Trost; the one who had injected her with…something.
"Who? What's going on, Edith?" Eren demanded, his gaze roving over the glowing brunette across from him. He didn't receive a reply.
"You're a Herald, aren't you?" Ymir interjected, rolling straight over any other comments from the boys.
"W-what? What are you talking about?" Edith choked out as her eyes snapped up, locking on the taller steaming brunette.
Suddenly her heart felt like it was jackhammering out of her chest as she rocked forward onto the balls of her feet with her one good arm keeping her balance. She knew she must've paled at the question, making the glowing nerves stand out even more against her palor. The world seemed to narrow around Ymir and Edith, blocking out their surroundings. Ymir simply let a smirk grace her features as she recited a long buried verse.
The gem was born of evil's fire,
The gem shall be Her portal.
She comes to claim,
She comes to sire
The end of all things mortal
It all happened in an instance. Edith was suddenly there, gone from her perch next to the outcropping branch and pressed close to Ymir with her hand wrapped tightly around her neck. The sudden speed of her movements caught the others off guard; even down a limb, she was still a force to reckoned with, something that seemed to dawn on the others at her sudden action.
Despite her mocking words and smirk earlier, Ymir couldn't help but let out a raspy gurgle as Edith squeezed her grip tighter. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Eren exploded, jumping up at the sudden motion. Both Reiner and Bertolt jolted at the sudden movement, hands flying towards their ODM gear out of habit more than anything else.
Below them, Edith continued to press closer to the taller brunette, leaving them practically nose-to-nose. In any other scenario, Edith would probably be at a disadvantage against a fight against Ymir, but here and now with the odds tilting in her favour, she was the stronger opponent and she fully intended to take charge of that.
"EDITH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Eren demanded. Edith ignored him as the chokehold drew tighter and tighter around Ymir's neck, causing the taller girl to gasp and gurgle for air. Despite the situation, Ymir defiantly met Edith's narrowed murderous eyes; silently taunting her go further. Leaning in close, Edith placed her lips next to Ymir's ear as she spoke venomously. "You shouldn't use words you don't understand"
Edith had barely rested in that position for a moment after she had spoken, when she felt a hand on her shoulder rip her away from Ymir and unceremoniously dump her on another branch away from the two. Bertolt then proceeded to tie her arm against her side, effectively immobilising her movements but that didn't stop her from glaring venomously at those around her.
"Ymir, are you okay?" Eren asked, crouching next to the brunette as she sucked mouthfuls of oxygen back into her lungs. Ymir merely gave a weak grin in response. "What the fuck was that?!" Eren demanded, turning to where Edith now sat at Reiner and Bertolt's feet.
"What, are you a Titan too?" Eren questioned, still tensed.
"Her? A Titan? Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Ymir barked joyfully.
"Well, then what? What was that? What's going on? What are you?"
"It's none of your business Eren" Edith spat.
"You're a long way from home, aren't you little Herald?" Ymir panted with a smirk, tilting her head towards where Edith sat tied up. Edith merely pulled her lips back in a snarl, releasing a guttural growl from the back of her throat.
"Herald?" Reiner piped up, picking up on the words that brought forth reactions from the brunette at his feet.
"Oh you have no idea what shit you just stepped in!" Ymir cackled.
"The abilities of a Herald are otherwise unknown…powers beyond your wildest dreams…blessed by the Holy Mother Ymir, the three Heralds are her messengers and daughters…Maria, Rose and Sina…sent to us by her Holy majesty…and touched by the Stone"-The Trio of Heralds, Anonymous
Whatever usual fury swelled inside Eren met its boiling point as he bit down hard on his forearm, intending to shift into his Titan. "Eren! Don't do it!" Bertolt chided rising from his crouch.
"Easy there hot head" Ymir cautioned having calmed down enough to pull Eren's limb from his mouth "Take a look at where we are, this is the Titan Forest within Wall Maria. Wall Rose is leagues away; which means we're deep in the heart of Titan country.
See? I think our buddy down there is an Abnormal. It may look like he's just kicking back but those eyes haven't left us once. Lots of smaller ones down there too, that's plenty bad enough and another big one over there: fixated but keeping his distance, strikes me as the shy type" Ymir pointed out the lay of the land to the boy.
"And then there are these chumps" She gestured to Reiner and Bertolt "Dirty bastards. They had the foresight to suit up in full gear; course Reiner took yours. Point is changing into a Titan isn't going to accomplish very much right now. One: they can do the same thing if they want, two: they can zip into the trees if not, three: we're basically surrounded on all sides. Power or no power, getting out of this will be tricky as hell; even at the best of times. You read me? There's nothing to gain by being a dumbass"
"She's right" Reiner interjected, "You can't turn into Titans right now anyway, so don't count on that ability coming to your rescue. Your body can only take so much; it's a little preoccupied with healing at the moment"
"Nice try, you expect me to sit here and take the word of liar?" Eren spat back.
"…Yeah, well, we're sort of at a disadvantage here" Ymir continued, breaking up the tense moment, "It's not like we know the ins and outs of how this works; unlike you guys, I'm basically clueless about the whole thing"
Ymir looked up from her steaming arm and her musings, catching Reiner's attention. "Hey! Reiner! You said you'd start talking once Eren & Edith were up, don't 'cha think someone explains what you plan on doing with us?"
"…We're taking you to our hometown. Of course I realise none of you are just going to do as I ask. Like Ymir was saying though, this place is crawling with Titans, they're everywhere. We could beat the living shit out of each other if that's what you want, but I wouldn't recommend it. Our friends down below are hungry and not prone to discriminate. Whether you try to cut and run or stick around, believe me when I say our options are limited. We wait for nightfall"
"So why didn't you just stay in Titan form and run all the way home? What's the point in stopping here in the first place? You get winded and had to take a break?" Ymir questioned.
"Why don't you use your imagination?" Reiner retorted.
"It's obvious isn't it? The transformation is too taxing, even for someone with experience" Edith spoke up, nodding to Reiner and Bertolt, "I mean, Bertolt didn't even have legs and he looks like he's about to tip over"
Lemme think Eren bowed his head in thought, Suppose I wait for an opening; if I assume Titan form then running away wouldn't be that much of a challenge. Question is, can I assume Titan form in this condition? Reiner doesn't seem to think so and it's not like he and Bertolt would risk stopping here without a good reason. What if I couldn't transform to full strength? Does that mean the other Titans would be able to eat me?
"So we're just going to sit on our asses, having a chinwag until the sun goes down?" Ymir asked.
"It's a possibility" Reiner replied.
No, why give us the chance to recover? If they wait for nightfall, we'd only be harder to rein in. They'll make their move while we're still helpless. At this rate I can't do anything! We're screwed! But what happened to everyone else? Where are the Scouts? Don't tell me they're coming here to save us! Oh God! If they show up, none of them…
"Wait a sec, those Titans at the castle had no problem moving around at night. What's stopping these guys?" Ymir asked.
"The Titans here can't move after dark; but then again, you know all about that, don't you Ymir?" Reiner taunted.
Eren peered over at Ymir How is it that she's able to transform into a Titan? It doesn't seem to catch her off guard like it did for me. What's her angle? Whose side is she on in all this? And I thought she was hard to read before… His gaze then returned to face the front, this time landing on where Edith lay tied up, And what's with her? Why all this shit about Heralds and gems? Why was she glowing before? It doesn't make any sense!
Eren's thoughts then turned inward, an expression of gritted determination crossed his face as he glared up at Bertolt and Reiner, I've decided. I need information, anything I can get. I've gotta keep my eyes and ears open, and when the moment comes, make a break for it. Before I can do that though…I have to keep my emotions in check. Give myself a chance to recuperate.
"The ability to transform into a Titan comes with a secondary ability to heal at astonishing speeds…They can have their limbs torn off or their organs destroyed and as long as the wound isn't fatal, they can heal perfectly…given enough time"-Titans Through the Ages: Titan Shifters' Healing Powers, Geoff Bramwood
Spring 850
Plains, Wall Maria
"We've got a red smoke flare fired from the right wing" Reported one of the captains behind Erwin.
"We stay the course" Erwin replied gruffly, "Tell the right wing to merge with the centre and maintain direction. The shortest route is our only option; straight ahead, we have until sundown!"
Further back in the formation, Ryan kept close to the other Rookies who had been cluttered together this time around. "Mikasa! Hey Mikasa! Hello!" Hannes called out to the girl unintentionally leading the group, "Stop pushing so hard; you're drifting up into the vanguard. You wanna break the whole formation? Look, I know how you feel, but what did I tell ya? It's not like Eren'd let those assholes get the best of him without a fight. Agreed?"
"Hm"
"Kid just doesn't have it in him to give up, all we gotta do is have a little faith that he can hold his own until the rest of us can get there. Always has, always will"
"Besides, Edith's with 'em too" Ryan called forth, "And you've seen what she can do"
"But she lost her prosthetic" Armin argued.
"What's your point?" Ryan grinned.
Up ahead, Mikasa buried her face into her red scarf, a look of determination falling into place as the group pushed on through Titan territory.
Spring 850
Titan Forest, Wall Maria
The sun had begun to set by the time the heat had set in. The steam pouring off of two healing Titan shifters didn't help matters. "Hey Reiner, got any water?" Ymir asked fanning herself, "C'me on, help a girl out. I'm dying over here"
"Sorry there's not a helluva lot I can do, even if it is a matter of life and death" Reiner replied, ignoring the still bound (and now leashed) Edith who now stood alone on her own branch and drank from the giant leaves that decorated it. Boy was she glad that it had rained yesterday!
"Huh, well, that's comforting" Ymir sighed looking down at her arms, the majority of which were healed (the only things left were her hands), "At least now we know where we stand"
"Speaking of which, we've been working our asses off with no food, no sleep, nothing. Ever since those Titans showed up, that was yesterday, right?" Reiner mused aloud; his attitude changing to one that was more reminiscent of his cadet days.
"Yeah, we're lucky the Wall hasn't been destroyed" Bertolt muttered.
"Still you'd think that'd mean they'd give us a break and don't even get me started on a promotion"
"What the hell?" Bertolt and the others stared at Reiner as if there was something wrong with him, and maybe there was.
"What? Aw, c'me on, I don't think that's too much to ask, don't you? God knows we've done our fair share of heavy lifting, all things considered. I mean I get it, we're soldiers, duty first and all that. It's just nice to be acknowledged"
"You bang your head or something?" Ymir smirked, "What are you even talking about? Seriously?"
"Don't give me that, I'm not saying we storm in and demand the rank of Captain or anything" Reiner defended.
"No, that's not what I mean"
"Oh yeah! Where'd you find that canon by the way? I owe you one for saving my bacon. Really nice of Krista and Ryan to patch me up afterwards, I'm starting to think that her and I might become a thing, right? It's not just me, she always treats me like…"
"HEY! What's wrong with you?" Eren exclaimed, jumping to his feet as he stared up at the blonde before him, "You've gotta be kidding me"
"Huh? What are you babbling about? Take it easy man, is it something I said or…?" Reiner replied.
"IF YOU WANNA DIE THEN JUST KEEP TALKING!"
"Hold on, Eren" Ymir interrupted, "I think someone's gone off the deep end. Is that what this is Bertolt?"
"Oh" Edith spoke softly as she realised what must've been happening. She recognised the symptoms somewhat, only having read about it and having only seen it once or twice at the clinic. But that didn't mean the transition between personalities wasn't unsettling.
"What? If you know something we don't, now would be a good time to put it on the table"
"Reiner's got M.P.D. hasn't he?" Edith turned to Bertolt, completely ignoring the look she was getting from Reiner.
"M.P.D.?" Eren questioned.
"Multiple Personality Disorder" Edith explained, "It's what you call when someone was more than one 'person' within them. For Reiner it seems to be a Soldier: the one we know and a Warrior: the one from his hometown. Am I right?"
Bertolt's expression was filled with sorrow as he turned to the blonde, hugging his long legs to his chest. "Reiner, snap out of it. You're not a soldier, okay? You and I…we're warriors, remember?"
"…Right, I see. That's how things are" Reiner murmured after a pause, his demeanour shifting back as the Warrior took over once more.
"What the hell's he doing?" Eren asked, still not quite getting it as he watched the blonde break down in tears.
"It's like Edith said, it's like the poor bastard's mind is…compartmentalised. Everything he does is contradiction in turns, he can't help it. On one hand, he's warrior bent on pushing mankind passed the brink, on the other he's pretending to be a soldier. I'm thinking, maybe he got a little lost in the role.
See he can't resolve those facets of himself, can't bare the weight of what he's done; the only way for him to manage his conscious to for him to fall for his own lies. He thinks he is a soldier. This is what you call a split personality, he's gone insane. His heart and mind are at war with each other and judging by Bertolt's expression? This isn't the first stalemate. Blows me away that someone as honest as you, is losing their grip?"
"SHUT UP! Not another word!" Reiner spat.
"I'm sorry, must've really hit a nerve" Ymir mocked.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Eren asked, "Where do you get off pretending to be the victim? You're wallowing in self pity? How dare you! What was going through your head the day I told you my story, huh? Remember that Bertolt? I'm talking to you, lackey! I told you everything and you sat there and looked me straight in the eyes and watched me relive seeing my mother bring eaten alive! Don't you remember? Well, it just so happens that the chunk of Wall you kicked out fell on our house; it's what kept her from being able to run away. Ring any bells? Lemme ask you again, what was going through your head when I told you that story?"
"Want me to be honest?" Replied Bertolt, "In the moment I felt sorry for you"
"Huh?…Sorry, for me?" Eren breathed, "So then, you're not…you're not warriors or soldiers, you're just murderers. Psychotic mass murders who snuffed out the lives of people who never did you any wrong!"
"D'YA THINK I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT FACT?! I DON'T NEED YOU SHOVING IT DOWN MY GODDAMN THROAT!"
"THEN STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'VE GOT ANY RIGHT TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF! WE'RE LIVING IN A HELL YOU TWO CREATED! ARE YOU PROUD OF YOURSELVES?! YOU'RE NOT ONE OF US! YOU'VE NEVER BEEN! YOU'RE NOT EVEN HUMAN ANYMORE!"
"APOLOGISES? IS THAT WHAT YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF CALLING US MURDERERS? DO YOU WANT US TO FEEL BAD? WANT US TO TAKE THE BLAME? WHO'RE YOU TALKING TO? THE PEOPLE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW DON'T EXIST, THEY'RE DEAD! BUT HEY, IF SCREAMING DOES IT FOR YA, GO AHEAD AND SCREAM YOUR GODDAMN HEAD OFF!"
"…You're right, who am I? What do I know? Still, I gotta do something, anything. I swear to you, one way or another, the two of you will pay and it's gonna hurt
"Are you two done?" Edith asked tiredly from where she sat.
"What are you talking about?" Eren demanded.
"Well, it's always the same with you; someone offends your sensibilities, you bring up the fact that you were there when Maria collapsed, you watched your mother die before you, Scouts above the others, you're gonna kill all the Titans despite the fact you are one yourself. Need I go on?"
"Why you-!"
"Look we get it, your life sucks. But quit whining! I was in Shiganshina too and you don't see me whinging" Behind her Reiner and Bertolt jolted at the admission, possibly unaware they had another person hailing from Shiganshina in their midst.
"Yeah, but that's cause you're family's still around! You didn't watch your family die!"
"Do you ever think before you speak? My family are dead, like yours, like theirs, like everyone else in this goddamn hell"
"So what? You just wanna let these assholes go free?!"
"I didn't say that, I've plenty in mind about what I wanna do with them. None of them pretty, but unlike some, I know when to keep my emotions in check"
"Why you-!"
"And what's worse? I've got trained assholes hunting me down cause of something that happened when I was a kid. So quit whining, you're not that special"
"Hunting? Is this about that Herald thing? What's going on?"
Edith just gave him a sad smile in response.
"Hm, tell me something" Ymir spoke up, "What's with the giant monkey?"
"Monkey? What are you talking about?" Bluffed Reiner.
"Huh, I'd thought for sure you'd know. That's surprising considering how you were ogling it all slack-jawed and bug-eyed, I figured we were seeing some kind of living legend. Weird"
"A monkey? Don't be cute" Eren muttered.
"Shut up and listen. Monkey, Beast Titan, whatever you wanna call 'em; he's behind this latest fiasco. It's why Titans have been cropping up out of nowhere. I get the feeling he's gauging our strength. Reiner and Bertolt are trying to get wherever he is, he's their ticket home. Feel free to correct me if I'm way off base"
"Wait! How did you know? Who are you?! What else haven't you told me?!" Eren questioned.
"Be patient!" Ymir scolded, "I'm caught up in circumstance of my own"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Eren, if you think killing these morons will put an end to all of this, you are sorely mistaken"
"Huh?! Then who's the enemy?"
"The enemy? Look if I told you things would get too-"
"Ymir!" Reiner called, interrupting the two, "There's no future for this world and you know it, you have a solid grasp on things. Whatever comes next, joining our side wouldn't be out of the question, if you were so inclined"
"And put my faith in you guys? That's rich! Neither of you can trust me as far as you can throw me"
"C'me on, that isn't true. We know what you really want, all you care about is protecting Krista. If we can all agree on that, then I don't see the conflict. I'm being absolutely serious; is it so hard to believe that we want what's best for her too? Hate to break to ya, but you're not the only one. Then again, you could always put your trust in Eren, see where that leads you"
"What?" Eren gasped.
"You're probably leaning towards escape; better to take a chance with him than throw in with us, am I right? Cause if we end up taking you, there's not much hope for being rescued. I'll be straight with you, that much is true. Even if you came willingly, we're not in a position to guarantee your safety. But if its Krista we're talking about, then we might be able to do something. It's your cal what's it gonna be? Is it Krista's future or your own petty existence?"
Is there really no future for this world? Edith thought as her hopes for escape dwindled, Why? And the Beast? How did he figure in to all of this?
"Come clean! Who's the real enemy?! Tell me what you know! Who is it?!" Eren demanded, turning on Ymir.
"Hm, couldn't say" Ymir sighed.
"Alright then, sorry Eren" Agreed Reiner.
Off in the distance, several green smoke flares rose into the sky, signalling the approach of the incoming Scouting Regiment. The Scouts are here? Edith thought, Finally! But there's only one hour left until sunset! Which means we've only got one hour left to decide! Do or die?