A/N: I'm just going to leave my author's notes at the top from now on...Anyways, I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING ON TIME. The last few weeks have been hell for me, thanks to midterms. Sleep-deprived, exhausted, cranky, and just completely out of it, especially this week OTL
But anyways, it's READING BREAK now so I can relax...at least until I have to get my wisdom teeth pulled out on Tuesday T^T But I'm hoping I'll be able to write a few chapters this week while I have the time and decent state of mind...
BTW This chapter is what happens when I'm just completely out of it and my amygdala goes wild and have a chem midterm on Valentine's...And I promise next chapter will be more upbeat O.O
Chapter 15: Levi's Petra
petraral started a conversation with humanitysfastest.
petraral: Hey Auruo, where are you?
petraral: I haven't seen you at all today.
humanitysfastest: Just working out
humanitysfastest: You know how it is.
humanitysfastest: Got to train myself to get rid of all those titans.
petraral: Ugh...you're copying Corporal Levi again!
humanitysfastest: Tch
humanitysfastest: Don't know what you're talking about, Petra.
petraral: Really?
petraral: You're even copying his username...
humanitysfastest: ...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
petraral: Whatever...
petraral: Just meet me in 10 by the commander's office.
humanitysfastest: The commander's office? Why?
petraral: Just get over here, Auruo!
humanitystrongest started a conversation with eldjinn, guntherschultz, humanitysfastest, petraral and titandestroyer.
humanitystrongest: We're going on a mission to the forest again.
titandestroyer: what forest?
humanitystrongest: The one with the big-ass trees
humanitysfastest: What else would he be talking about?
titandestroyer: err sorry...
humanitystrongest: Auruo, I can speak for myself.
humanitysfastest: Yes sir!
eldjinn: What exactly are we going there for?
humanitystrongest: To find any clues about the Aberrants there.
guntherschultz: Just for the Aberrants?
humanitystrongest: Plus, there's a village a few miles from the forest
humanitystrongest: They might have an idea about the shit that's been happening for the past few years
humanitystrongest: Any other questions before we leave?
petraral: Is anyone else coming?
humanitystrongest: Someone was supposed to, but he bailed out last minute.
titandestroyer: who?
humanitysfastest: No need for you to know, brat.
titandestroyer: sorry O.o
humanitystrongest: Auruo
humanitysfastest: Yes Corporal Levi?
humanitystrongest: Shut up.
humanitystrongest: And ask Hanji to change that name of yours
humanitystrongest: The brat can't even tell who's who
humanitysfastest: Yes sir!
humanitystrongest: And Eren, you better not confuse us in real life
titandestroyer: don't worry corporal levi
titandestroyer: i don't think that's even possible
humanitystrongest: ...
humanitysfastest: ...
petraral: ...
titandestroyer: uh i didn't mean that way
titandestroyer: what i meant was that auruo has blonde hair, and you have black hair
titandestroyer: auruo's kinda tall, and you're kinda
titandestroyer: uhh...
titandestroyer: i'm just gonna shut up now
eldjinn: Let's get ready then...
guntherschultz: Yeah...
eldjinn: Any titans in sight so far?
titandestroyer: nope...i don't hear anything either
humanitystrongest: Good. Hopefully we won't have to encounter any until we're almost at the forest
petraral: Don't say stuff like that!
auruobossard: ?
petraral: What if it jinxes our mission?
petraral: We don't want it to turn out...like last time :O
humanitystrongest: Last time?
humanitystrongest: What happened last time?
guntherschultz: You mean, you don't remember?
auruobossard: A bunch of shit went down
humanitystrongest: I don't remember ever being here for a mission
titandestroyer: but you said we were going to the forest 'again'
titandestroyer: you actually don't remember?
humanitystrongest: No I don't, you fucking brats
humanitystrongest: And if I don't remember it, then it must not have been important
humanitystrongest: Get back to focusing on staying alive
petraral: Yes sir...
titandestroyer: INCOMING TITAN ON THE LEFT
titandestroyer: IT'S AN ABERRANT
humanitystrongest: Shit
humanitystrongest: Is everyone alright?
eldjinn: Yeah...
guntherschultz: I can't believe the titans managed to split us up
petraral: Are we all in different parts of the forest?
auruobossard: I guess so...
auruobossard: At least they can't reach us from up high
auruobossard: Unless they start grinding their way up the tree
petraral: Auruo!
auruobossard: Hey, you know it's true!
petraral: But don't say that with Eren around!
petraral: He's still a kid!
humanitystrongest: Shut up, you two
humanitystrongest: But doesn't that remind you of something...
auruobossard: Uh no...
petraral: Er...
petraral: Oh crap! I can't believe I never noticed D:
humanitystrongest: Search around until we find him
eldjinn: Yes, Corporal!
auruobossard: Am I missing something...?
guntherschultz: Maybe if you'd stop running your mouth wild, you'd notice that Eren is missing...
auruobossard: Oh...haha
auruobossard: I totally knew that!
humanitystrongest: Auruo.
auruobossard: Heh, sorry Corporal...
humanitystrongest: Have you found any sign of the brat yet?
eldjinn: No...
auruobossard: How hard is it to find an angry kid that can turn into a titan?
petraral: Very difficult apparently...
petraral: I hope he's alright...
humanitystrongest: What about you, Gunther?
eldjinn: ...
eldjinn: Gunther?
petraral: Don't tell me he's missing too...
auruobossard: But I was just texting him five minutes ago!
humanitystrongest: Something's happening...
humanitystrongest: Hurry and find the others.
eldjinn: Any sign?
humanitystrongest: No...
petraral: This is really making me nervous :/
petraral: Auruo, have you found anything?
petraral: ...Auruo?
petraral: Hello?
humanitystrongest: You're fucking shitting me...
eldjinn: Maybe there's no connection in the area they are right now...
humanitystrongest: Maybe, but this is too suspicious to be coincidence
eldjinn: Should we keep searching?
petraral: Yes!
petraral: No person left behind!
humanitystrongest: What the fuck is going on
petraral: Huh?
humanitystrongest: Glad to see you're responding
humanitystrongest: Eld stopped replying to me a few minutes ago...
petraral: Oh no...
humanitystrongest: Why the fuck is this happening
petraral: Maybe that's what you get for coming back to this forest?
humanitystrongest: What
humanitystrongest: What do you mean, Petra?
petraral: You mean you really don't remember?
petraral: We've been to this forest before on a mission
petraral: A mission that ended drastically horribly
humanitystrongest: Petra, what the hell are you talking about
humanitystrongest: Explain yourself
petraral: Are you sure you want me to?
petraral: We were trying to capture the Female Titan under Erwin's plan
humanitystrongest: ...
petraral: The Female Titan were chasing all of us
petraral: And we captured her thanks to Erwin and Hanji
petraral: But don't you remember...?
petraral: After you taunted the Female Titan she called all the titans to herself so she could escape?
humanitystrongest: What...
petraral: And while we were trying to find her
petraral: We and Eren found the Female Titan
petraral: And she ended up capturing Eren and killing us...
humanitystrongest: It can't be...
petraral: I know you know it happened
petraral: And it's your fault she escaped.
petraral: That we're dead and rotting somewhere outside the walls
humanitystrongest: Stop it.
petraral: That our families are mourning for us
petraral: I didn't even have a chance to get married...have a family.
humanitystrongest: I SAID STOP
petraral: Why?
petraral: You can't even admit to yourself that it was partly your fault that most of your squad died?
humanitystrongest: I...
humanitystrongest: Why are you doing this to me?
petraral: I'm not.
petraral: You're doing this to yourself...
Gasp. Levi shot up out of bed, panting hard. Beads of sweat slid down his forehead and cheeks like tears. He remained that way for several minutes as he slowly gathered his thoughts ricocheting chaotically in his head. Gingerly getting out of his sparse wooden bed, he flung the curtains open. Same old dingy headquarters. Same old bratty cadets acting like babies. Levi could see Potato Girl chasing the Springer boy around the grounds, Ackerman tugging a flailing Jaeger to the mess hall. Everything was normal. What was up with this nightmare then?
He began pacing the room back and forth until his gaze fell on his calendar. Glancing at it for a couple seconds, realization dawned on him, and he quickly left his room.
The following hour passed by in a blur. He didn't notice that he put on his 3DMG straps backwards, or wore two different coloured boots. He didn't notice the cadets giggling about his uniform blunder, or their cringing as he absent-mindedly looked at them. He didn't notice Hanji pointing jabs at him when he asked for a ribbon. He didn't notice Erwin's curious stare as he headed for the flower patch behind the main building.
When Levi finally snapped out of his trance, he was standing in a meadow, in front of a large oak tree, its branches warmly embracing the sky. It was perfect, far away from corrupted civilization. A warm spring breeze animated the sea of short grass and daisies, painting the vibrant meadow with life.
He picked up four large round stones and set them carefully at the roots of the oak tree, placing the ribbon-adorned daffodils he had found on each stone. Kneeling in front of the tree, he stared at the stones intensely.
"Eld, Gunther, Auruo, Petra...I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry that you couldn't live to see your children and grandchildren. That is, if you wanted any of those brats...I'm sorry that you had to die for a failed mission. But I promise I will make it up to you. I will avenge you and eradicate the Titans from this world forever. Until my very last breath."
"Happy Valentine's Day."