AN: Here is Chapter XXV! Okay, just so you guys know, I never really planned to write a chapter like this but the concept of this chapter just won't let me go to sleep until I include it in the story so why not? Please don't kill me if this chapter isn't really in your tastes. If you want, you can skip this when I've put up Chapter XXVI. Anyways, thanks to those who reviewed and followed this story. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

CHAPTER XXV:

RED ANOMALY II

That night, Celeste was relaxing in the living room after dinner. Petra and Levi sat beside her just as Andrew came in, dragging a Cello case with him.

"Celeste, I found Sakura-chan." He announced.

"Thanks, Andrew." Celeste told him as she took it from Andrew. Sakura-chan was the name of Celeste's Cello from Japan. She got it when she competed in the Hokkaido tracks. Celeste saw Sakura-chan at the display of a music store and she knew she just had to buy her as replacement for her old broken Cello.

"You play the Cello (1)?" Petra asked.

"Yeah. I do." She answered as she propped it up and got the bow. After a while, she played the first chords of 'Still doll' by Kanon Wakeshima (2). Celeste has a tendency to lose herself while playing an instrument. All she would focus on was the music she was producing that it would seem like the world around her disappears. It was one of the things she loved. When she was done, she heard people clapping. Celeste opened her eyes and saw that everyone applauding her. Suddenly, they heard Erasmus barking. He approached her with a bouquet of flowers in his mouth and dropped it on Celeste's lap.

"Erasmus, where did you get this?" She asked him.

"I had it prepared for you in case you want to visit Aunt Clara and Uncle Raphael." Andrea answered. "I think Erasmus wants you to visit them."

Hesitantly, Celeste put Sakura back in her case, took the bouquet and stood up.

"Come on, Erasmus." She called for him. He immediately followed her as she went outside to the backyard trail leading to the family graveyard where generations of Knights were buried. The rest of the family stood by the door.

"Will she be alright?" Levi asked worriedly.

"She will. Celeste's a strong person. Plus she has Erasmus with her." Andrew answered pure admiration can be heard in his voice. Petra and Levi looked away from the boy and back to the trail, where Celeste's form was gradually disappearing from their sight before walking back inside to wait for her.

Celeste and Erasmus walked past the graves of various Knights and stopped at Clara and Raphael's. She kneeled immediately and put the flowers in the graves. Erasmus whimpered as he laid by the grave of his former owners. Clara and Raphael bought Erasmus when he was 4 months old as a 14th birthday gift for Celeste. Unfortunately, due to her career, it was Clara and Raphael who wound up caring for him more than Celeste but she loved Erasmus nonetheless and he loved her.

"Hey, uh…sorry that I haven't visited in 3 years. I'm pretty sure you guys know where I've been so…yeah. I'm a soldier now. You know, you guys may be gone but I know you both have always been with me. Through my training, through every battle, every hardship. I know you both were giving me the strength I needed."

Celeste wiped the tears that were streaming down her face before she continued speaking.

"I found my real parents. My mom is very nice but my dad is kind of a jackass and he has a hard time expressing what he feels too but I know they both love me. I love them too. I-I…guess I came to say thanks. For taking care of me and loving me for 15 years when you guys could've just left me in the woods or taken me to an orphanage. Not a day goes by where I don't think about the two you. I may love my real parents but I love you both as well."

With that being said, Celeste stood up and walked away with Erasmus. They walked back to the Mansion but just as they were about to enter, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Turning to face it, she saw that it was a Red Anomaly.

"Mom! Dad!" She yelled. Everyone came rushing out immediately.

"Celeste, is that an Anomaly?" Uncle Damon asked her.

"Yeah, and a red one. Doesn't exactly spell good news." Celeste answered.

"Why?"

"Red Anomalies show you the most terrifying alternate timeline of your life. It gradually chips your sanity the longer you stay." Petra answered. "I'll go and investigate. See what it has to show."

"Yeah…how about no?" Celeste answered as she held Petra back.

"Celeste, you're not going." Petra answered.

"I have to. I'm more experienced with them and I'm the only one with the mental strength to withstand it for a long time. I'll be back, don't worry."

With that said, Celeste went inside. She landed in front of their old house in Karanese the same way she did when she went in the Blue Anomaly. Celeste went inside and saw her mom, washing something in the sink. Then, she saw herself, wearing a Scouting Legion Uniform and holding a boy no older than 2 years old. Judging from the absence of her watch and Locket, this is the timeline where she was never separated from her parents.

'What's so terrifying about this timeline then?' She asked herself.

"Mom, where's dad?" The other Celeste asked.

"He's in Wall Sina." She answered. Both versions of Celeste caught the crack her voice made The real Celeste walked out of the house, wondering why her mother had been crying.

"Maybe dad knows." She thought to herself and she used an ice slide to Wall Sina.

When Celeste got to Wall Sina, she immediately searched for her father. When she saw him, however, she wanted to torture him, beat him up, kill him and then gouge her eyes out because of what she was seeing.

Her dad walked out of a house with kiss marks on his shirt collar and from where she was standing, she can smell a lady's perfume on him (3).

'No, this isn't your timeline. Don't let it get to you. Get a hold of yourself, Celeste.' She thought to herself. Try as she may, however, her mental strength waned. She knew it was only a matter of time before she completely lost it. Just then, a rider from the Legion came.

"Captain Levi, Karanese is under attack. Celeste requests that you return immediately." He said. A look of horror fell on the real Celeste's face so she immediately used an ice slide to get back. When she got back to Karanese, so many titans fell dead. Not by the blades of Levi or Mikasa, not even the fist of Eren's titan form, but rather, they fell to the blades of this timeline's Celeste. Just then, Mikasa and Armin arrived.

"Inform them that all the titans have been killed, I have to find someone." The other Celeste barked at the other two. They nodded and went their separate ways. The real Celeste followed her other counterpart as they ran to their house. Both stopped when they found the house as nothing more than a pile of debris. The other Celeste knew that her mother didn't get out so she started digging. The real Celeste tried to help but her hands just went through the debris.

"Mom! Dean!" The other Celeste yelled. The real Celeste immediately put the pieces together; in this timeline she has a younger brother named Dean. She guessed that she named him because she always wanted a younger brother named Dean. She watched in horror as The Other Celeste pulled out the bloody corpse of Dean. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was dead.

"Dean? Wake up. Please wake up for me." The other Celeste begged him but he didn't respond. "I'm sorry for not protecting you."

With that, she set Dean on the ground while the real Celeste watched the heartbreaking scene. She continued to take the rocks off until she found Petra. There was a wound on her head and something impaled her stomach.

"Mom? Mom?" The alternate Celeste called as the real one kneeled beside them, unable to say anything. They watched as Petra opened her eyes and give her a small smile.

"Celeste? Is that you?" Petra asked as she coughed out blood.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me." The alternate one answered.

"I don't have much time left. Dean? Where is he? Is he safe?"

The other Celeste was shedding tears as she talked.

"Don't say that. You'll be fine. Dean, he's fine. He's safe."

Petra gave another smile as she caressed her daughter's cheek.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I should've gotten you both out first."

"No, it's not your fault. You did your duty as a soldier. I did my duty as a mother. We're supposed to-to keep you safe. I won't be here much longer. Take care of Dean and tell your father-tell him I love him. And I-I lo-love you both."

With that, the hand that the alternate Celeste was holding went limp and Petra closed her eyes. The real Celeste was terrified by what she saw. If this were to happen in her timeline, she doesn't know if she can still find the will to live. She already lost one mother; she doesn't know if she can bear losing another. The real Celeste watched as her counterpart wailed in sadness, anger and frustration as she closed Petra's eyes. Once the tears were gone, she had a dark look in her eyes. She picked up Petra, laid her beside Dean and stacked him on top of her. Grabbing the Scouting Legion hoods that survived the chaos, The Alternate Celeste put it on top of their bodies before picking them up. They both walked to the area of Karanese that wasn't reached by the titans. The real Celeste watched as her counterpart laid her mother and brother on a cot where the dead were. The real Celeste watched as Mikasa and Eren arrived with Levi. He had his poker face on but both versions of Celeste knew that he had a feeling they were dead.

"Celeste." Eren greeted her counterpart, who simply turned around with her head bowed down. She slowly walked towards Levi and to everyone's surprise, slapped him.

"Where were you, you bastard?" The other Celeste asked as she slapped him yet again. She looked up this time, letting everyone see the tears in her eyes.

"WHERE WERE YOU?" She asked once again. He kept his face neutral but the two Celeste's saw the pain, the anguish, the sorrow and the guilt he felt in his eyes.

"Why am I even asking you this? I know perfectly well where you were. You were fucking the whores of Sina. I'm not surprised."

Levi's silence only fuelled the alternate Celeste's anger.

"I can't believe you. Mom gave everything and devoted herself to you. She ditched her career when I was born so she can raise me per your request even though she didn't want to leave the Legion and this how you repaid her? You're becoming the person you didn't want to be. You're becoming like grandpa."

The real Celeste realized then that in this timeline, Petra left the Legion. In her timeline, her dad TRIED to get her mom to leave the Scouting Legion for her safety and so that she'll have one parent left if Levi dies outside the walls but in the end, he was unsuccessful.

"Celeste, calm down." Eren requested of the counterpart.

"NO, I WILL NOT CALM DOWN, EREN! WHERE WAS HE? WHY WASN'T HE THERE TO PROTECT THEM? WHY WASN'T HE?" She asked as she made a move to punch Levi but he just simply pushed her, forcing her down on the ground hard. The real Celeste would be lying if she said she didn't feel that. She'd also be lying if she said the entire scene wasn't affecting her. It was affecting her both emotionally and mentally. She felt angry at her father in her timeline all over again.

"Shut up, brat! I know I wasn't there to protect them but you better start showing your father some respect." Levi told her as he tried to stop his tears. The other Celeste shook her head in response.

"You're not my dad. My dad loved us. He cared for us. He would never leave us. My dad died two years ago during the Expedition before my brother was born." She said as she cried. Mikasa tried to help her up but she stood up and ran away. The real Celeste didn't make a move to follow her but rather she stayed to see what this timeline's Levi would do. Died before Dean was born, eh? Something must've happened in that Expedition that made this Celeste's father go back to his old ways. The real Celeste watched as he approached Dean's body and for a while cradled him to his chest.

"I'm sorry, my son. I love you." He said before kissing Dean's forehead and putting him back down on the ground. Then she watched as he approached Petra's cold body and held her hand.

"I promised you I'd never leave, didn't I? I'm sorry I broke that. I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry for causing you pain. I'm so sorry. I love you." He said before kissing her cold lips and let the tears flow down to his face. The real Celeste decided that she couldn't take any of this anymore. Her sanity was starting to crack more and more. Just like an answered prayer, a black anomaly opened up beside her. Looking back one last time, she saw Levi cradling Petra's body close to him. When she looked away, she entered the anomaly.

When the anomaly deposited her back to the future, Erasmus immediately licked her face to wake her up.

"Hey, buddy." She greeted him emotionlessly as she sat up. She felt a bit woozy so she was having difficulty standing.

"Hey, hey, come on." She heard Rex say as he helped her up. Celeste stood up and rubbed her eyes as Erasmus and Rex led her inside. He made her sit down on the armchair.

"What did you see?" Janine asked her. Celeste patted her head and stood up.

"I'll tell you guys someday." She answered as she stood up. "I'm going to bed. Good Night."

Celeste headed up to her room with Erasmus trailing after her. Changing into sleepwear, she got under the covers while Erasmus jumped on the bed and settled on the space beside her. Sometimes, she uses Erasmus as a pillow but he's bit fussy at times so she stays in her own zone.

"Night, Erasmus." She greeted him before falling asleep.

Meanwhile, while Celeste slept the others were talking about her.

"She's hiding what she saw again." Petra said.

"Again?" Andrew asked.

"It's not the first time she went through a Red Anomaly. Needless to say, what she saw terrified her. And we're sure what she saw now also terrified her. Maybe even worse than before." Petra said.

"Regardless, we should let her tell us when she's ready. Pushing Celeste would only make her close herself off more than before. Let's all get some sleep for now. Duncan, lead our guests to the guest room." Damon ordered him. They all headed upstairs and went to bed, hoping that Celeste would be alright.

AN: EEEEEP! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME REGARDING WHAT CELESTE SAW IN THE RED ANOMALY! Anyways, it's not my best work but I hope you guys enjoyed it. Now let me tell you what the numbers meant:

1 – I don't know if they have Cello at the time where Titans attacked them but for the sake of the story, let's just say they do.

2 – Like I said, Celeste likes old stuff. Like songs, games, consoles, items, etc.

3 – Okay, I have no idea what to peg Levi as if he's married. I don't know if I can peg him to be the faithful type or not but please bear with me; it's just for the sake of the story and to add to the nature of the Red Anomaly. There are infinite possibilities in this world and that's what the Red Anomaly shows. If anyone gets offended, you guys can avoid reading this chapter once I put up the 26th chapter.

And that is all for Chapter XXV! Again, I hope you guys enjoyed this and please leave a review! It's very much appreciated!