"…I swear, Eren's middle name must be trouble…he's such a magnet for it, sometimes I can't help but wonder if he goes looking for it…I wonder if it rubs off on others? Can you catch it like a cold? Is there a cure?…I hope I didn't catch it, but knowing me…"-Edith M. Brown Diary, 850
Spring 850
Titan Territory, Wall Maria
Some say that when you look Death in the face, your own life flashes before your eyes. Every happy memory, every sad one. All the moments you wished you could erase and the ones that still make you cringe. And what do they add up to? You might say you lived a fulfilling life, or maybe you left behind a mark on the world. But in the end we're nothing more than bugs on a window, waiting to be swatted.
All around them, the ground rolled and rumbled beneath their feet like the rough seas during a storm. Titans surrounded them on all sides; some ran across the fiords like children chasing an animal, whilst others fell from the sky, raining down on them like boulder-sized hail.
Amongst it all Ryan found himself rooted in place, stuck with nowhere to go and nothing to do. At his feet his ODM gear lay whispering gas from the broken canisters and his blades had fallen somewhere behind him when he had landed.
If this had been any other scenario he might've actually enjoyed it [just look at those views!]; but alas the fear coursing through him as he stared Death in the eyes prevented him from any of that. Distantly, he recognised the sound of someone calling his name-a fellow medic perhaps?
He also knew that across from him Edith still sat clinging to her bowed head like it was causing her excruciating pain. Fingers dug into her scalp and wove between the strands of hair as they fell out of the crown braid she had worn it in that day. His thoughts sluggishly floated around his brain as he continued to stare up at the creature before him. I…I should…help…She-she…needs…help…my help…should help…should…
But no matter how he tried, Ryan could not make himself move. Not for himself, not for his patient, not even for the girl he so feverishly cherished. Does that…make me…a coward? Or just…human? His eyes trailed from the beady little eyes that seemed to stare into his soul, to the remnants of the Titan's last victim still stuck between its teeth.
And then there she was, blonde ponytail swinging behind her as she flew straight towards the jaws of Death as if she were travelling through the trees. Piper. Piper who, only months prior had transferred from the Scouting Legion to the Garrison due to personal reasons.
Who, he hadn't seen since the Trost incident, who no matter the situation could make you smile… "RYAN! MOVE YOUR ASS! GET OUTTA HERE BEFORE YOUR TITAN CHOW!" …And who gave zero fucks about beating around the bush. A giddy laugh fell from his lips as he watched her tackle the Titan head on.
But laughter soon turned to wails as he helplessly watched her be snatched from the sky, yanked sideways as the Titan easily plucked her from flight and tossed her down his throat like a child playing a game. She didn't even have time to scream. Or he thought she hadn't, but he could hear screaming all the same…Was that him? The raw throat could probably attest to that.
Teary eyes stayed glued to the munching teeth before him, bloody and worn as they were. Is that…Piper's arm? Oh God! Her jacket! The object in question hung from between two incisors from where it had become stuck during consumption. Oh God! I think I'm gonna be sick!
The large hand that now reached for them appeared rather pudgy and easily matched the rest of the Titan's appearance. Loose naked flesh hung off the Titan skeleton like heavy drapes. Distantly he recognised the roar of a Titan layered overtop of Eren's own desperate shout. Good God is that kid loud! Does he ever shut up? Probably not. Ryan smiled despite himself.
In front of him, Edith was practically bent in half with her forehead touching the cold dewy grass beneath them and the Titan? For some reason it had paused in its actions with its hand mere meters away from them before it had shaken its head as if ridding himself of a thought and continuing on. Oh God! This is death! I'm going to die!
Across from him, Edith who had been whimpering in pain with little pleas falling from her lips, suddenly let out a much louder sound of pain. The low keening noise that escaped from her reminded Ryan more of a wounded animal than a soldier. "E-Edith…?" Ryan stammered, his voice cracking as the Titan neared him.
By now the Titan was mere steps away, its shadow easily blanketing them where they sat. Ryan's heart felt like it was jackhammering by now, practically bursting out of his chest in his panic and yet he still could not move.
Edith's pain seemed to become too much for her to handle as she suddenly bolted upright, threw her head back and howled.
Tears and snot collected in a messy trail as they ran down Edith's pained face, mixing with the blood steadily dripping from her nose and lips. Heartstring-pulling, gut-wrenching wails flew from her mouth as she finally expressed the pain she had been feeling all that time and fingers still clung to the aching head in her hands.
With eyes screwed shut in pain she would never know the spectacle she caused, nor the pain. Unbeknownst to Edith the wind swirling around her in a tight tornado was not from a sudden gust of breeze but from the very power she was emitting. Nor would she know about the rapid healing of her stump and the bruise at the back of her head.
She would never know, that the once faded markings littered across her face had soon come back to life, glowing bright then ever before. Glowing like a blood red sunset and dancing beneath her skin like flickering lightning in a thunderstorm.
She would never know that the bright red glow not only emanated from her, but from the beneath the very earth as well. How all around her, cracks formed spreading outwards like snakes int he grass as light shone through. Nor would she know how the very same crystal that seemed to creep down her limbs, also spread out onto the ground as well.
And worst of all? She would never know how from those shiny cracks, a blood red crystal had burst forth to form stalagmites sprouting upwards and outwards in a circle. Shooting out rows upon rows of sharp crystal that devoured everything in its path.
And it really was everything. There was the collection of boulders off to the left burst into a shower of debris and joined the other pieces of earth that had been pushed into the air by the force of power emitting from Edith. And the approaching Titan above her, who had reared back in pain when the red crystal had punctured the outstretched limb.
Or the remains of a fallen soldier which had been thrown backwards by the sudden force just as Ryan had been. Only he hadn't landed on a soft patch of grass like the corpse had, oh no. Ryan had been thrown into the air at the same time a stalagmite had erupted from the earth and had impaled him up through the stomach and shoulder blades.
Shock blanketed Ryan like an old friend, making it hard for him to recognised what had happened. He barely registered the pain coursing through as blood dripped from the open wound, and black dots swarmed his vision with only one thought flittering across his mind. Well, that's new…
Eventually the painful screams came to a cease, but not because Edith drew to a close. No, instead the very Titan that had been looming over the pair of medics had swooped in again, ready to go for the kill once more. But first the cry had to stop.
The large meaty hand swung low across the fiords, slinging Edith out of the circle of protection she had created and back towards the group of medics and soldiers now gathered up on the plateau. The once strong crystal encasing her small frame, shattered upon impact as Edith slammed into one of her superiors, knocking him off his horse.
The two tumbled and rolled for a metre or so before coming to a stop in a tangle of limbs. Pain was still clearly written across Edith's face though less than before and quiet whimpers still fell from her lips. However this time the red markings on her cheeks almost appeared burnt to the skin like someone had taken a cattle brand to her face.
It would be fair to say that Edith had a lot of explain to do, but for now she had to rest. Few words were exchanged as the call to retreat was issued, and Edith was loaded onto the back of one of the horses, where she then slumped against their rider, allowing the darkness to take her away.
"Although humanity has treated the Titans as some sort of natural disaster, they could actually be the product of human actions. At the very least the fact that the Colossus Titan's destruction of Wall Maria and attack on the Shinganshina District was born of a human's intent to kill other humans within the Walls is highly significant…The Titan calamity is not divine from some transcendental being, but rather an invasion. As such it is illogical for us to sit back calmly and accept our fate. We will not fold, we swear this on the blood of out countless comrades-in-arms"-Disclosed Information: Pledge of Indomitability
"With reports maintaining the likelihood of Wall Rose having been compromised, citizens of the region were forced to take refuge in the subterranean city within the confines of Wall Sina.
However, although emergency provisions had been stockpiled for the purpose with over half the population relying on them, rations could only last-at most-a week. Beyond that lurked the terrible choice: turn on each other like animals or face the prospect of starvation to avoid a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions. Within a week of the Titan onslaught, the authorities declared Wall Rose secure"-'Trials of a Rookie: Battle of Rose', Armin Arlert
Spring 850
Hospital, Trost District
Edith leant back against the pile of pillows behind her as she clutched tight to the two little packages in her hand; all around her moans of the injured and wounded echoed throughout the building like a symphony.
She had woken during the night to find that most if not all of her injuries had healed overnight, much to the surprise of the medics and herself. But they had ordered that she stay and rest further so as not to further irritate any still healing injuries. Edith just figured that they wanted to poke and prod her some more.
Heaving a sigh and with much trepidation, Edith drew on as much courage as she could as she ripped open the white envelope before her. Inside lay a collection of slightly yellowed pages. She had to choke back a sob when she saw what they were; it was the standard final will and testament that all soldiers were required to have.
Of course she had been told beforehand that Ryan was dead and because of her no less. Norfolk had had the privilege of telling her when she had first awoken and delivered the papers to her. Edith hadn't wanted to believe it, but here they were.
She carefully unfurled the papers that had been rolled up and folded in on themselves to fit in the envelope. The first was Ryan's will and testament, the rest made up a letter and all of them addressed to Edith. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as Edith began to read.
I, Ryan Thompson Hill, being sound of mind, bequeath my possessions to the following people:
To my mother, Mary Amelia Hill (nee Samson), I leave my collection of hand-knitted sweaters in the hopes that she finds some peace within the stitches.
To my father, John Henry Hill, I leave the key to secret wine cellar, enjoy it while you can.
To my eldest sister, Annabelle Lacy Hill, I leave my albums of dried flowers and medicinal books in the hopes that she find them useful in her practise.
To my youngest sister, Georgina Charlotte Hill, I leave my collection of novels in the hopes that she can find her freedom within the pages I so loved.
To my friend, Edith Marie Brown, I leave my lucky leather brown jacket in the hopes that it brings her the same luck.
Tears splattered against the paper and Edith gently wiped them away, only smudging the ink a little. Fiddling with the silver band that had fallen out of the envelope along with the letters, she continued on to the letter.
To my dearest Edith,
How am I even supposed to start this? We're both so terrible with words, I guess that's why we get on so well. I want you to know that I'm not scared. Well not of dying, anyway; it's more of forgetting. It's losing myself to this cause, that's what scares me.
So every night before bed, I've been saying their names out loud. John, Mary, Annabelle, Georgina. Like you do with your list of fallen on the stone wall. I just repeat them over and over like a prayer, and it all comes flooding back.
Just the little things; like the way the sun used to hit the vineyards at that perfect moment, illuminating the grapes right before it slipped beneath the Walls or when I'd wake in the mornings, lying right beside you and you'd be curled up in my arms, clinging tight like I'd slip away.
And I remember the taste of Cook's flapjacks, God, I'd never thought I'd miss that stuff so much, all burnt muesli and overripe fruit. And I remember you. From the first time that I met you when we were supposed to be collecting herbs from the glade; just this tiny little girl who broke my nose for trying to kiss her.
But from that moment when we danced along to the beat of the forest and swam beneath the starry sky in nothing but our birthday suits, I knew I would follow you anywhere. And I have. If I could do it all over again, I would and I wouldn't change a thing.
I hope by this point I've grown enough balls to ask for your hand in marriage, how cliché would it be for me to do it on my deathbed? I hope we're happy, that you're happy. And my hope for you is when you're looking back at this, years from now, you'll be able to say the same. Our future's in your hands now Eddie; but no pressure, right?
I know you'll find a way to do what's right, you always have. Take care of everyone for me, and take care of yourself. You deserve to be happy. Thank you for being my best friend, my love. Now, how to finish this letter? I know you hate the word 'goodbye' because it's so final, so I think I'll simply say 'love you'.
Love you loads Ed,
Ryan
It was not long after that Hanij had come looking for Edith, stating that Commander Erwin wanted to talk to her and didn't that just set her on edge? With red-rimmed eyes and stiff joints, Edith followed after Hanji through the twisting hallways of the Trost hospital.
The new arm that Peggy had installed while she had been under glistened in the evening sun as the pair passed by a couple of her classmates gathered under the archways bordering the courtyard. Edith couldn't meet their eyes.
Finally the pair found themselves standing with the doorway of Erwin's room. Both women saluted the three men within; over by the window Levi stood in a suit and vest, Erwin was in the bed looking a little worse for wear and Pixis lounged in the chair at Erwin's bedside.
"Pardon the intrusion, Erwin" Hanji saluted with Edith at her side. "Um, this is…state your name"
"Sir, Edith Brown, sir, 104th cadet corps" Edith saluted.
"Good you found her" Erwin replied, "We need to talk"
Edith swallowed hard.