There Is A Reason

by DragonGoddess629

The moment Emalina Varlen loses her parents when Shiganshina fell, she decides to join the military in order to become strong. There she meets Jean Kirschtein and instantly there's a connection between the two. But one wants to join the Military Police while the other the Survey Corps. How will these two fare if they choose different regiments?

24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Utgard Castle

A/N: I spent almost one full day writing this after I finished the last chapter. I am very sorry this is late. I have been undergoing personal reasons, as well as having surgery. But here it is. I'm hoping it won't be too long before the next chapter is posted.

Disclaimer: Attack on Titan does not belong to me, I only own Emalina and any other OC's. The new story picture does not belong to me; I hold no Copyright and found the picture through Google Images.

~ oOo ~

EMALINA

With the sun riding down on my back, the journey from Stohess to see my friends and Veteran Scouts at their makeshift base went more quickly than I thought. I galloped on Freyja's back through the open plains between Wall Rose and Wall Sina, appreciating the beauty there was in the nature we were able to live in. Overhead, the sun had passed indicating morning, then afternoon. By the time I could see the housing district where my friends were currently waiting, the sun was well past being high in the sky.

Having Freyja push herself even more, I was greeted with a calming sight. There were several Veterans standing amongst the compound and across the roofs. Not seeing any of my friends, I had to guess they were held up inside the building. Flying down the last hill, I made it towards the building in no time, Freyja's call alerted the Scouts as they all turned in my direction. Miche and Nanaba were the first to greet me as I slowed my steed to a stop.

"Emalina!" Miche called out as he neared. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you too, Miche," I chuckled, jumping from my saddle to hold my steed's reigns. "And you, Nanaba."

"It's not that we're not excited to see you, but we were told you would be with everyone else in Stohess!" my female friend commented.

"And I was. That is, until Erwin gave me new orders to meet you here and fill you in on what has happened. First, where can I place Freyja? She deserves a good rest."

"Oh! Over here, I'll show you.," Nanaba offered.

"I'll grab the others and meet you at the stables," Miche announced, turning and bursting across the land with his gear.

Following Nanaba, we made our way into the stables where I was able to house Freyja, remove her gear and provide her with water and a few carrots. By the time I was done, Miche had gathered Gelgar and the rest of the Veterans. I'm glad I didn't have to point out that I only wanted to speak with them, and not the new recruits.

"Alright, spill. What's happened in Stohess?"

Chugging from my water skein, I wiped my mouth of excess droplets. "It's as we guessed: Annie Leonhart was indeed a titan in disguise." There was mumbling across the few soldiers, their eyes lit with a fire I hadn't seen since before the last mission. "It was…a rather nasty fight, but we were able to capture her."

"That's great news, Emalina!" Gelgar cried out, holding his fist up in victory.

"Heh, that's the good news. Here…comes the bad news." My friend's shoulders slumped, as if he knew it was to good to be true. "Just as we were to capture her from the nape, she encased her entire body into crystal; there's no way we can get her out."

"In crystal…so what now?" Miche asked, arms crossed.

"For now, the Scouts and Military Police have secured her deep underground. Other than that is beyond my position to know. For now, we at least were able to capture her before she escaped. That's what we've been focusing on since yesterday." Taking a small bite from the apple in my hand, I watched everyone's expressions. It was difficult news to swallow, though it seemed everyone was handling it fairly well.

"That's not the only reason you came by, is it not?" I shook my head, knowing I couldn't hide anything from Miche even if I wanted to. That infamous nose of his wasn't used just to detect titans from miles away.

"There's…another development on our hands that is currently undergoing an investigation. It's, um…how do I put this…" Consuming several more bites of my apple, I handed the rest to Freyja who greedily consumed the rest. "We've discovered titans in the walls."

Nothing but silence except for the wind. It was the same reaction with Jean; why would nobody believe me at first?

Henning, Lynne, Nanaba and Gelgar all froze, eyes wide as saucers while Miche seemed to actually consider what I'd said. "You mean to say…that there are actual titans within the massive walls keeping humanity alive?"

I nodded. "Yes. Hange and Levi saw everything first hand. I know nothing else other than Levi believes that all the walls must have titans inside." They were speculative, that much is certain as three of them had their mouths dropped to the floor.

"Wh-What does this mean, then?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I honestly wish I had more to tell. Because of this, Erwin wanted me to pass along this message: it might be several more days until we're ready to rally back at Headquarters. Erwin's not sure what will happen now since the discovery of the new colossal titan. Still, he wanted all of you to be prepared to stay here for several more days. Once they traverse back to Headquarters, they'll probably send me back to inform everyone here."

Miche clamped a tight hand upon my shoulder. "We're…not so happy with this news, but are very grateful you have traveled all the way out here."

"I appreciate that, Miche. It was weird being by myself for a trek that long."

Lynne stepped forward. "Are they wanted you back this evening? You look like you could use a nap."

She wasn't wrong, but I wasn't about to tell her that I barely got any sleep last night because Jean and I…well, let's just say we kept each other up on purpose. "Thankfully no, Erwin wants me to rest tonight and head back out in the morning. Is it alright if I crash here?"

"Of course!" Everyone said, bright smiles on their faces.

We spoke for a few minutes when I asked if I could go see my friends. Nanaba directed me towards the hall they were all currently in and I stepped forward, not even bothering to knock. Opening the door, I was met with a somewhat gloomy sight. There were new recruits across all the tables. Most were talking to their peers, while others seemed to be taking a nap on the table. Although I was friendly with everyone, I was mainly looking for my group of friends. Spotting them by one of the far windows, I smiled at those who noticed my appearance. Keeping a finger to my lips, I didn't want anyone to spoil the surprise.

"How much longer do you think they plan on keeping us here?" I could hear someone say from behind. As I quietly made my way to the window, Reiner and Bertholdt were intently focused on a game of chess, whereas Sasha and Connie were leaning against their arms, sparingly staring outside.

"You know," Connie said in a monotonous tone. "My village happens to be just a little bit south of where we are now."

"Oh, really," Sasha comment in the same, bored voice. "Town where I'm from is pretty close too."

Connie huffed. I was surprised no one had seen me standing at the edge of their table. "Why can't I go see my people? Maybe…I'll just go sneak out after dark."

"My people told me not to bother coming back home til I'm normal, so…there's that."

"Hmph. Well, folks where I grew up always tried to tell me I was too puny to be a soldier. No question I had the brains for it, just Top Ten in my class, actually. Somebody's gonna be eating their words, that's a promise."

"Connie," Reiner called to our friend without breaking his attention from the game. "I'll help ya if you really want to go."

"Oh, yeah? Why would you?"

The big guy huffed. "Doesn't this feel a bit strange?"

"It's only strange because you haven't noticed me yet!"

Taken back by my voice, all four of them turned to face me. The look on their faces transformed from confusion, to shock, and then happiness. Sasha pounced from her seat as she tackled me in one of the tightest hugs I've ever received from her. Arms wrapped around her shoulders, I held the woman tightly against me. It had only been two days since I'd last seen her, but this was my best friend!

"Emalina!" her voice rang.

"Sasha!" I cried. "I missed you so much!"

Feet landing on the ground, she chuckled as Connie waved, a smile actually appearing on his lips as he turned away from the window. Bertholdt patted my arm, a smile surprisingly on his features whereas Reiner stood to give me a hug as well. I loved hugs from Reiner. They were warm and comfortable in a similar sense from those I receive from Levi; though, Levi's were still better, I had to be honest.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" He questions after he reclaimed his seat while I moved to sit between Bertholdt and Connie.

"Erwin needed me to relay some news to Miche, which means I get the whole night with you guys!"

"Yay!" Connie and Sasha cried.

"What news?" Bertholdt asked quietly.

"Oh, um…" I froze momentarily as pretended to play with my hair. "Erwin wanted Miche to know that it might be a few days longer before we're able to head back to HQ. We discovered the person in Stohess and they're spending some time interrogating them.

"Ugh! Several more days?! I can't take this boredom anymore! Emalina, please tell me you brought something to do!"

I shook my head. "Sorry Sasha, all I brought was Freyja and extra supplies. I mean, why don't you guys go outside?"

"They won't let us," Reiner answered as he moved one of his chess pieces. "We're on standby in our plain clothes; they won't let us wear our uniforms; we can't even train." Standing from his seat, Reiner moved towards the window, glaring outside to see some Veterans speaking with one another. "What's even more suspicious is how our superiors are armed to the teeth. We're inside the wall, not at the frontline. So who exactly are we fighting?"

"Ugh, I dunno man, maybe they're just worried about bears?" Connie answered as he resumed his original position to glare out the window.

Reclaiming his seat, Reiner glanced upward at me to see my reaction as I shrugged. "I honestly don't understand it either."

"You mean you weren't told anything?" My head shook again indicating I did not. "Hmm, that's even more weird because they tell you everything."

"No, not everything. I wasn't in on the inside plan regarding the last mission," I pointed out.

"She's…got a point, Reiner," Bertholdt said, as he stole one of his friends pieces.

"Connie? I doubt they're gonna be fighting bears," Sasha drawled.

Reiner huffed, arms crossed in annoyance. "All you needs for bears are guns."

Feeling I was able to push the conversation aside, I slumped my head onto Bertholdt's shoulder, closing my eyes in the process. It had been a long trek from Stohess, and due to my intimate activities the night before, I was exhausted. And hungry. Bertholdt stared down at me, and as I opened my eyes, I could see Reiner giving me the same stare. Not caring whether or not the man had a crush on me, I loved the man like a big brother, so I smiled up at him.

Thump.

My eyes were open again to see Sasha heavily drop her head against the wooden table. I tried my best not to giggle. Still, a small chuckle escaped past my lips as she stared over at me with seemingly bored eyes. "What's so funny?"

"You are, Sasha."

"Oh come on now, we're all just so bored!"

"Have you…read a book?"

"Yes."

"Have you…tried drawing something?"

"Yes."

"Have…you…played chess?"

"…sadly yes."

"Damn…then yeah I'd be bored too. I'm sorry."

"There's no need," she complained, leaving her mouth wide open, not caring in the slightest. Reiner stared down at her in confusion as he continued his game with his male friend. Sasha closed her eyes for one second when I was about to -

Thump.

My eyes widened.

Thump, thump.

Bertholdt grasped another piece, about to place it onto the board when I grabbed his hand to stop.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

There was no denying it, I was hearing something far off into the distance! Nearly falling out of my seat as I tried to stand, Bertholdt grasped me by the waist to hold me steady. Running towards the door, nearly everyone in the room halted their activities to stare at me as I gazed outside, trying to find whatever it was I heard. Gasping, I knew it wasn't my imagination. It didn't sound like running. More like…heavy footsteps. Except, the only creature I knew to make sounds like that were the titans.

Titans! Here in Wall Rose?!

A gasp from behind lulled my attention away. Sasha was now sitting straight up, her eyes seeking mine as I trekked my way back. "Uhh…guys? I think I'm hearing footsteps!" There were gasps across the hall.

"What?"

"Knock it off, Sasha." Reiner really wasn't having it. Based on their situation, I could understand him being slightly edgy with nothing to do. But he should be taking her more seriously! "So what, you're trying to tell us titans are here? Come on, that would only be possible if Wall Rose had fallen."

"She's not making it up!" I cried out. "I hear it too!"

"See?! I'm not the only one! Why would Emalina and I pull your leg?! I hear something!"

At that moment, Nanaba appeared directly outside the window, opening the glass to inspect all in the room. Her voice seemed breathless when she finally started to speak. "Is everyone here?"

"What is it, Nanaba?" Christa asked.

"We've got company. Approximately five-hundred meters to the south and closing. Titans are headed this way. There's no time to suit up with your ODM gear. I want everyone on a horse, stat! Evacuate every home and settlement in the area!" When no one moved, she added, "Get to it!"

As Nanaba left, no one seemed to have moved. Slamming my hand on the table, I was able to grasp everyone's attention. "Sasha and I weren't lying! This is no time to freak and out panic. So get your damn butts in gear and go get your horses! NOW!"

Running through the door, I could hear everyone scurrying behind me. We meandered through the building, racing downstairs as we reached the stables. Everyone worked independently to attach their saddle and reigns to their individual horses. As I was the fastest to place Freyja's equipment on her, I ran around helping those I can. First Reiner, their Sasha, Bertholdt and then Ymir. By the time she had her steed ready to go, we got the orders that it was time to evacuate. The Veterans and their steeds joined our ranks, we all flocked north of the compound, riding as swift as our horses were able to.

"The second the titans reach the wood, we'll split up! I want four separate teams, recruits and soldiers alike in each different unit! When I give the signal, we'll scatter in different directions, simultaneously, get the word out to civilians. Do not engage the enemy!" Turning to those behind him, Miche added, "Which one of you is most familiar with the area?!"

Sasha immediately struck up her hand. "Oh, me! Sir, my hometown's just to the north of here. I know this region like the back of my hand. Connie too - go on, tell him!"

Yet Connie didn't say a word. Instead, he stared straight forward. Had he even heard Sasha? He…did mention before that his hometown was from the south of her. Oh. Fuck, of course he's out of it! He's worried about his friends and family!

"Connie, what's wrong?!"

"My…village. My village is to the south. That's where the titans are coming from. I can lead you to nearby settlements, but afterwards, let me go home. Please."

"Very well. Guide the southern team, then go to your village. Emalina!"

Head snapping forward, I urged Freyja to move closer to Miche's position. "Yes sir?!"

He turned to glare at me. "I want you to traverse with the southern team. You have your ODM gear. The better armed the team is, the better they can fight the titans. And since you're going south, well…you'll most likely be fighting a titan. Understood?"

"Sir!"

Beside me, Reiner moved his horses position as well. "I'll come with you!"

"What?! No, you're crazy!" Connie stated, completely bewildered. "The titans - they'll be everywhere!"

"Tch, you think I care? I was gonna help you get home anyway, wasn't I? What about you?" He turned to stare over at Bertholdt, who then cast me a weird glance. "You coming?"

The tall soldier was quiet for the moment, as if evaluating our current situation. "Of course," he eventually stated. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

We then continued to ride on, the compound drifting away from our backs.

"As you have guessed, today marks the darkest hour in humanity's history. Look sharp! If ever we needed to give our all, that time is now! Don't you dare lose heart!"

"They've reached the woods! The enemy is on top of us!"

"Scatter, now!" Miche screamed, knowing his voice would reach even the soldiers in the back. "Ride for everything you're worth!"

Peering over my shoulder as I traversed with Connie and the others, I watched the titans as they entered the thin treelike. They were moving rather slowly, more so than I had excepted, but then…they stopped. And then they burst through the trees as if shot with electricity. They were soon running, the same an abnormal would! Just what the hell was going on?!

"No, they're coming at us full tilt!"

"Son of a bitch!" I muttered.

"GELGAR!" Miche screamed, maneuvering his horse directly towards the titans. "Take charge of the southern team!"

"Sir?!" Gelgar hollered.

"Please!" Lynne said from beside Gelgar. "Tell me he's not using himself as bait!"

"I'll go with him!" Henning suggested. "I can help!"

"No, stay where you are! We can't spare anymore soldiers. Give the man some credit! That man's skills are second only to Captain Levi and Emalina! He'll make it back alive!"

We dispersed not long after Miche left our location. As the southern team - including myself - turned south, I stole one last look at the man I had looked up to since I was taken in by the Scouts. Miche had been a scary looking man with a perpetual scowl on his face, though not as frightening as Levi's could get. That didn't stop me from getting close to the man. He's actually the reason I discovered my sensitivity to sound.

As I stared at his disappearing form, I said my final goodbye. Somewhere deep in my heart, I knew I would never seen Miche again.

For the next several hours or so, we rode our steeds hard. We stopped by several villages and homes, evacuating all that we could. Some didn't seem to believe us, but those who did far outnumbered those who didn't. I wish we had more time to properly help everyone evacuate, such as load up any necessary items or gather their horses. Sadly, we barely had time to tell them to evacuate as we were needed at the next village.

It…took some time. Though when we had visited every establishment Connie said was in there area, we finally headed directly south. We were now traveling directly into the heart of the possible breach. If that is true, we were definitely in titan country again.

By the time we were closing in on Connie's village, he was riding way ahead of us, most than what wouldn't been beneficial if a titan were to attack our position.

"Connie slow down! Get ahold of yourself!" Reiner called out to our friend.

"He's right!" I screamed, needing my voice to reach his ears. "There could be titans lurking anywhere! You need to slow down!"

Reiner called out again. "Wait for us!"

That didn't stop Connie, not until we had reached his village. Unfortunately, I couldn't see anything; nor could I hear anything. If there were any titans here, wouldn't a few stragglers remain to…finish their meal?

"Hello?! Can anybody hear me?! Somebody please, it's Connie! I CAME HOME!"

We could hear him in the distance, which is where we followed his voice. By the time we found him, he was standing stock still, staring intently upon a broken house with a - a fucking titan?! There was a probably a three, four meter titan lying upon the house!

"What're you doing?!" Having met up with Connie, Reiner pulled on our friends arm, trying to redirect him from standing to close to the titan. "Get back!"

"B-But it…it's my house…" Moving Freyja by his side, I grabbed my friend's hand, gripping it tightly so he knew we were here.

Gelgar reached the scene with his blades out. "Cadets, fall back!" Riding around the house, he surveyed the titan. "What the hell…? This is new. Can it even…move?"

"Not with those legs," I commented. "They're way to skinny and frail."

"Then, I don't understand…how did it even get here?"

~ oOo ~

By the time night fall, we had been astride our horses for hours upon hours. I was used to such a feat, however, not when holding a lit torch and meandering through the pitch black of night. After having scavenged Connie's village for any supplies we could use, we were able to find torches, to which every person on our team currently had one lit and in their hands. Our next step, since we had already evacuated all the villages in the surrounding area, was to examine the wall ourselves to find the breach.

And so, we did just that.

From the time we reached the wall, the sun was just about to set. Now, it was pitch black, except for the light from everyone's torches. I was sandwiched between Reiner and Bertholdt, and in this moment, I was perfectly happy being guarded by these two men. I'm not one to typically be afraid of the dark - except for tonight. When knowing there could possibly be a titan right outside the area your torch covers is absolutely frightening.

"Hey, uh…guys?"

As we were walking pretty lowly on our steeds, they both turned to me. "Would it be ok if I…admit that I'm a little scared?" I'm so very thankful neither snickered, mainly Reiner, as I would've smacked him with the torch. Scooting his horse closer, Bertholdt wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Reiner looped an arm on my other side, making me feel that much safer. They didn't need to say much as their actions always spoke for their words.

"It's ok to admit you're scared, Emalina. You're…not invincible," Bertholdt said calmly.

"I'm with Bertholdt. You always act so tough, we never see you like this."

"Would you rather I be scared all the time?!" I hissed.

"That's not what I'm saying, Ema." He ruffed up my already messy hair. "It's nice to see you admitting you're scared. I…like being able to help you like this."

"Same here." I turned to Bertholdt. "Usually you're the one who's always helping us. This way, we can return the favor." Smiling in their direction, I felt bad for barking at them. They were simply wanting to protect me, and I knew Jean would be grateful the next time we saw him.

Jean. I miss you so. Wherever you are, please be safe.

I blinked forward, as something caught my hearing. "Gelgar!" I whispered. "Something's coming this way!"

Frantically, he turned in his saddle to see me. "W-What does it sound like?!"

"It…sounds like hooves!"

"Hooves?"

I nodded at Gelgar; and then I saw it. Torches! Headed in our direction! "Gelgar, look!" We had run directly into the western team: Nanaba, Henning, Christa and Ymir.

"So…you followed the wall here too, I take it?"

"That's right, I assumed you found the beach then?" Gelgar dropped his mouth. "We didn't see any irregularities along the western route. Surely you must've seen something in the east?" The more she spoke, the more uncertain Nanaba seemed to be.

"No," Gelgar replied slowly. "The wall's perfectly intact." Everyone fell silent for several moments. What were we to believe? That there was, in fact, no breach? Then how the hell had today even happened?

"Well, maybe we just overlooked it," Lynne offered.

"Not likely," Henning replied. "A hole big enough for titans to get through? No way."

"I suggest we have another pass then," Gelgar stated.

This caused Nanaba to sigh. "That goes without saying. However, our horses are on the verge of collapse, and so are we. I mean, Emalina looks like she's about to pass out in her saddle."

In response to my name being called, my head slowly shook no. "I'll be fine, I can go longer if needed."

"No you can't," Bertholdt angrily said; which surprised me to no end.

"What we need is more light."

As if on cue, the clouds finally split apart, revealing the moon in its brightest stage. Across the plains and forest, we could see an old castle-like structure off into the distance.

"What's that?" I questioned, squinting my eyes so I could see more.

"It…looks like an old castle," Reiner offered.

We were then off. Forcing our horses to extend the last remaining energy they had left, it took us some time to trudge through the area. We could see the castle more clearly the closer we walked, and even I gawked at its structure. Luckily, by the time we stepped inside what looked to be like a courtyard, there were spaces for horses and troughs filled with water.

"Not an ideal place to sleep," Gelgar stated. "But I guess we can make do with it for one night."

"It's a roof over our heads and a place for my horse. I will not whine about that."

~ oOo ~

LEVI

"He's…he's a priest from the Order of the Walls!" Armin cried from before us.

"I know!" Hange cried, a bit too loud for my taste. "Ol' Nick and me are thick as thieves! Ah ha ha ha ha! Eh, it's fine," she continued. "Makes as much senes for him to be here as the rest of us, dont'cha think? We're…random, wouldn't you say, Levi?"

"No, on the contrary," I stated, rather bored of this endeavor. "Erwin's thrown us together for a reason."

"Open the gate!"

Glancing towards the front, I could see the gate maneuvering itself open. This would be a long night I was not prepared for. Still healing from my leg injury, I was not to be a part of the fighting, as sad as that is. Listening in on Erwin stating the situation about Wall Rose, we were to take the path towards Ehrmich, where the parties would then be dispersed.

"You heard him," I told Moblit, who would be driving our cart towards the next district

"Sir!"

We had barely been past the District walls when Hange already gave Eren the news about the titans inside the walls, and how our beloved Pastor Nick knew everything as well. Now I gotta sit here and listen to titan boy get pissy over everything.

"Wait, wait, back up! You're joking, right? This guy knew? He knew and he kept quiet?!" Almost standing on his feet, Eren was rightfully upset by the non-actions of Pastor Nick. Hell, I was pretty pissed the moment Hange told me as well.

"Uh-huh, 'fraid so. Just about sums it up where we are with him," Hange noted. "Cat's outa the bag now, of course. He's not willing to talk yet, but we'll see how he feels after a harsh dose of reality. Faith keeps him quiet, first-hand experience though?"

"To hell with that! No, we're doing this backwards!" And here we go. Titan boy can't fucking handle his emotions. "If this son of a bitch knows something, he needs to come out with it. Humanities on the brink of extinction and all you care about is keeping your oath?!"

I was about to speak another word when Eren suddenly grasped his head, falling backwards into his seat. Mikasa said something to calm him down as I glanced to my left at the Pastor. At that, I pulled the gun from behind my back, pointing it directly into the Pastor's side. "There's more than one way to get the truth. Granted, I may not be in top form at the moment, but it doesn't take much strength to squeeze a trigger. That said, I'm genuinely hoping I won't have to blow a hole in you to settle this. How 'bout you?"

Hange sighed from the opposite side. "Threatening him doesn't work, Levi. Trust me on that. Agree with him or not, there's no denying our priest here is a man of principle, which of course leads me to wonder. If he's so unwilling to talk, what in heaven's name do you imagine he's putting above the fate of humanity?"

Sighing, I still kept the gun in the man's side, albeit even tighter within my grip now. "Threat or no threat, it doesn't matter to me. All I know is that we sent my sister to send a message to Miche about the titans in your holy walls." Peering over my shoulder at the man, he dared to use his peripheral to stare back. "I'll tell you this only once." I shoved the gun into his sider more firmly so he knew I meant my fucking business. "If my sister doesn't make it back alive because you won't speak, I won't spare you the way Hange did."

"Levi - " Hange tried calling out to me, though she should've known it was too late for that.

"I promise you, if I discover my sister doesn't survive, I'll give you a fate worse than being eaten alive by a titan."

I, and everyone else, seemed to fall silent after that.

It didn't take long for another conversation to spark when I noticed Hange staring at an oddly colored rock. When I mentioned she wasn't a geologist, she and Armin went on a huge tangent about how the walls might possible be made of hardened titan skin. I cringed at the thought, thinking all the years I've climbed over the walls and it couldn't possibly just be skin? Absolutely disgusting.

What intrigued me the most was when the two of them deduced deduced the possibility of Eren obtaining hardening powers. That way, it might be possible to plug up the hole in Wall Maria. Because, according to hange's theory, the skin fragment wouldn't evaporate once he returned back to his original state. Besides the possible idea, Eren wasn't so sure of himself as to whether he could do it. He continued to have the mentality of 'I think' rather than 'I will or I won't '.

We continue to speed through the night, making our way towards Ehrmich District, and once we arrived, I distanced myself between the others. Dragging Pastor Nick alongside myself, we trudged through the city towards the gate leading inward from the plains between Wall Rose and Wall Sina. There, we were met with the crowded street of evacuees. Where they specifically came from, I could not say. All I knew was this was something the Pastor had to see. This was the reality of his Oath he so desperately clung onto.

Coming out of the doorway, he had froze, watching the people as they passed by. Kicking him in the back, I growled. "No one said to stop. A rolling stone gathers no moss."

Pastor Nick gasped. "T-This is…"

"Maybe you expected to see something quaint? This is what happens when the walls give." Even I stared amongst the crowd. My vision grew blurry as I saw Emalina's face across everyone else's. Her safety was my number one concern, and I was pissed I couldn't do anything to save her from this nightmare.

Within the crowd, I could here a young boy cry out for his mother and father. Pastor Nick stepped forward, his eyes desperately sought out the young boy to help find his family. Grasping his shoulder, I firmly stated, "No. Take it in, holy man. These are the faces of human beings who've lost everything they ever had. Human beings you and your kind abandoned incidentally. Hard to look at it, I'd imagine, but if the church had its way, this would be all of us. Titans would pour in and make a feast of what's left, shoveling man, woman and child down their putrescent gullets. All humanity digested as one."

The man still hadn't said anything, his eyes focused on the ordeal before him. Either he was feeling some type of remorse, or he was still clinging to his damn beliefs.

Shoving the man one more time, I hurled him around by the shoulder, my attention glued onto his. "This is what my sister had to go through five years ago. When the titans attacked, she had no one but her trusted steed. Somehow they made it alive towards Trost where we rescued her." Narrowing my eyes, Nick froze, seemingly wanting to step away from my position. I didn't give him the chance. "My sister is out there on the frontlines fighting these damn creatures. She has put her life on the line since the day she decided to join the military. If I discover she doesn't make it…you better believe I'll be keeping my promise to treat you worse than if a titan ever ate your sorry ass. Now fucking move."

Trudging through the back streets, we meandered our way towards the Headquarters of this District. Countless Scouts and Military Police were running around, moving supply crates from one side of the building towards the other, saddling horses and preparing more carts. Once near the entrance towards the stables, Hange met up with us, stopping before Pastor Nick with a hopeful gleam in her facade.

"So, seen the light yet by any chance?" The Pastor, in response, merely dipped his head downward, avoiding all eye contact. Taking a deep breath, she then screamed in his face. Secretly, I was loving it. "Oh god damn it! Make up your mind, this isn't some spiritual test! Lives are on the line here!"

Finally, the bastard finally spoke. All it took was a reality check and to be yelled at. "Alas…I have no choice. Neither myself nor the others who believe are at liberty to divulge the truth."

"Fat lot of help you are! Thanks for keeping us company! It's been fun!" Hange moved to storm off, when Nick's voice came through once more.

"I'd offer my help if I could, but a duty as great as this one is beyond me. The Order of the Walls abides by the sacred will our faith commands us to obey."

"Whose sacred will?" Hange snapped. I merely watched from behind, wondering exactly the same damn thing. "You mean like god or something?"

"I can't answer that. But…what I can do is provide you with a name. An individual and its divine wisdom instructed us to monitor."

"…monitor?"

"It's a person you know, someone who enlisted with the Scout Regiment as of this year. A child by the name of Christa Lenz."

The door from across the room suddenly flew open, another Scout entering the room. I recognized her. She was Sasha, Emalina's best friend. "Important message!" She yelled as the door burst open. "I'm with the 104 Cadet Corp! Oh, and my name is Sasha Brouse!" No one seemed to hear her as everyone else gasped at the mention of Christa's name. Myself, I glanced backwards towards Sasha, waving my finger for her to step forward.

"No way," Eren commented.

"Wait…who?!" Hange asked, looking back towards Eren and his friends.

"You must find her with all haste. She is the key. She may know things we understand, but poorly. And with that…we come to the end of what I am free to share. The rest I leave in your capable hands."

"B-But if…if she's in the 104th Cadet Corp…she's at the frontlines by now!"

"Then let's go, come on!" Eren suggested, turning to move towards the horses. "There's no time to lose." I so wanted to open my mouth for him to not hit Sasha, yet he moved to fast, knocking her straight to the ground.

Quickly, she grasped the parchment she dropped, hastily moving towards Hange as she extended the note outward. "I was sent to give a message to Commander Erwin, who then entrusted me to give this to you, Section Commander." I must say, I was impressed by her enthusiasm.

"Oh, uh…ok then, excellent work." Hange snatched up the scroll as she jogged towards the infamous three.

Patting Sasha on the shoulder, I stated, "Good work Sasha."

She quickly swallowed her potato. "Thank you sir!"

"Now, I must ask you. Have you seen Emalina? Where is she?"

Sasha merely shook her head, face fallen at the mention of her best friend. "H-Honestly, I'm not sure. Once we left the compound, she was instructed to join the unit that would evacuate the villages in the souther region by the wall. I went west, so I have no idea of her whereabouts. I-I'm sorry…"

I patted her head, the same I had done with my sister. Oh, I desperately missed her, and promised myself the moment I saw her, I would tell her so. I don't think I've ever done such a feat, but she needed to know. The woman needed to know how much I cared for her. "Don't push yourself, Sasha. You've done amazingly as a soldier, you should be proud of what you've accomplished."

Dragging Sasha with me, we joined the rest of the Scouts. Hange was in the midst of stating exactly what the plan would be; the other Scouts would be led by Erwin himself. Jean was entrusted to be in his command rather than be on the squad with us. I wondered what he was thinking at the moment. He obviously knew Emalina was out there on the frontlines. Was he scared? Tch, why the fuck was I even thinking about this regarding Jean?

Well, because he made my sister happy, that's for damn sure. I mean, I could see the appeal she most likely saw. He was a damn strong soldier with a quick mind upon his head. She had once told me she thought he would make a great leader, going into detail how he gathered the freshly graduated Cadet Corp members during Trost and aided them in fighting to get to Headquarters so they could refuel their gas and blades. I was impressed by the story and impressed with how well he had done so far in the Regiment. Wherever he was destined to travel today, my only hope was that he would make it back alive.

I actually liked the guy.

"That's the plan, are we clear?" Hange's voice lulled me from my inner thoughts.

"Yes, clear!" everyone stated.

"Right, we have to go, now!" Eren called out, quickly moving towards the door.

"Calm down Eren," I called towards him. "I need you all to listen. We're going our separate ways, that's how it has to be. Erwin had his reasons for throwing this ragtag squad together, but right now this is all riding on you. Armin, you and Hange are the brain trust. Use your combined knowledge to cook up some kind of solution." I stared at the smaller blonde.

"Right, yes sir!"

"Mikasa, I don't think I'll ever get why you're so attached to the guy, but, put your skills to good use. Protect Eren at all costs."

"Sir, I intend to."

"And you," I turned straight towards Eren. "Don't screw this up. Also, I have a mission for all of you." Glancing between Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Hange, Moblit and the others, I said, "Bring my sister home. Your priority is Christa, I'm aware, but make sure Emalina is safe and unharmed. Because, if you don't, I will personally rain hell down on all of you if she doesn't come back. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" they all cried.

~ oOo ~

EMALINA

"Someone was here not that long ago," Henning deduced as he glanced around the inside of the tower.

"A place this close to the wall?" Nanaba said.

Lynne then stated, "Bandits probably used it as a hideout."

As we were all siting around a fire, I was sitting next to Reiner while leaning my back against Bertholdt's legs. I could feel my eyes growing heavy. I so desperately wanted to sleep.

"A sign on the way in said ruins of Utgard Castle. I didn't know there was a historical site around here."

"Hey!" Gelgar called as he walked in through one of the doors. "Tale a look at what I just stumbled on."

"Oh you're kidding," Lynne sighed in disbelief. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Uh-huh, can't really read the label though."

"You're not gonna drink it now!"

"Tch, don't be smart, I'm gonna save it for later."

Henning laughed, as did several others. Me? I had my body curled against Bertholdt. His legs were comfy as I tightly wrapped my cloak around my shoulders. Bertholdt had offered me his sweater the moment we stepped inside the castle, but I was quick to decline. The gesture was so sweet, though I didn't want to risk my friend getting cold simply because I already had a way of keeping my body warm.

"You know," Henning said as he stared at Nanaba. "There are worse ways to spend the night than having access to top-shelf contraband."

"Careful," the blonde woman said. "You're starting to sound like an outlaw."

Standing, Gelgar grabbed the recruits attention. "I want you kids to get some rest. There shouldn't be any titans crawling around at this time of night. We'll take turns keeping watch. Be ready to leave four hours shy of daybreak."

"E-Excuse me," Christa called. "What if it turns out Wall Rose isn't actually compromised? Where do, uh, where else could they be coming from?"

"It's our job to find out, starting tomorrow." He moved up the stairs.

Leaning forward, I called towards the man. "Gelgar! What can I do to help?" He glanced down at me from his higher position, as did the rest of the Veterans. Smiling, the man only shook his head, continue his walk up the stairs.

"You just sit there and get some rest, Emalina. You've done enough today like everyone else. Let us take care of you guys." Nanaba said as she glanced over at me.

"A-Are you sure? I mean, I can always act as a lookout or something - !" I stopped when the man behind me grasped my arm.

"Please Emalina, get some rest. I think you're the one who needs it the most." Staring across the room, everybody, including my friends, all nodded, agreeing with Bertholdt that I should sleep. I still wanted to help, knowing I could, but their faces said it all. So, I tightened my cloak around my frame and leaned further back against Bertholdt, my head angled perfectly against his knee.

Staring upwards, I quietly asked him, "Is this alright?"

He brushed some hair away from my face. "Yeah, you're alright."

"I'm just saying," Christas lulled me from my tiredness. "The situation isn't good, sure. But is it as bad as we think? You…never know right? That's all."

"She's right," Henning agreed. "We haven't really seen that many titans. I mean, for them to have busted through the wall, anyway."

"Only with the initial sighting, a relatively modest handful," Nanaba provided her insight.

I was close to being asleep when Ymir was the one to speak next. "Connie, what about your village?"

"Totally destroyed," he admitted. "It was crushed to tinder and bits of rubble."

"I uh, I'm sorry," Ymir was quick with her answer.

"But nobody got devoured though," Connie stated. "Looked like they all got out. So…there's a silver lining at least."

"Wait, I thought that you said it was destroyed?"

"Well the houses and stuff were, but the people themselves must've all escaped. I mean they had to of. The thing is, we didn't see any blood, anywhere; not so much as one drop. That's the only possible explanation. Still though, something I can't get out of my head. There was a titan on top of our house…" Connie's head fell and I forced myself to keep my eyes awake. They were drooping more as each second past. "Just laying there, staring at me. It couldn't move on its own, thank god. But I just…I have no idea why, but it reminded me of my mom. And I…crazy?"

"Connie, what did I tell you? It was your imagination - " Reiner tried to speak, then he was interrupted by Ymir.

"Are you for real?!" She cackled with laughter, causing my to jump in fright at such a noise. Bertholdt gently held me as I calmly laid back only my comfortable position. "You actually think your mom might be a titan?! Oh honey, as itty bitty as you are, please, we all knew you were dumb as a bag of rocks. But this?! Woah man, this takes it to a whole other level."

Connie wasn't having it, and I really wanted to reach out and comfort my friend. "Yes, ha ha you have your fun; guess I was kinda asking for it."

"Don't stop there. If mother darling's a titan, it's only logical to assume dear old daddy is too. Basic biology. Think about it, how else…?"

"God will you just shut up already?!" Everyone turned to me as I glared at Ymir. She had really crossed the line. There was no need to treat Connie in such a way. Regardless of what happened to his family and friends, they were now gone and he had no idea where they were at this moment in time. My heart went out to one of my closest friends. I knew what it was like to lose my family, but at least I was able to see them one last time before they died. He wasn't given that chance.

"What did you just say?!"

"I said shut up Ymir! Connie and the rest of us have been through enough today, and if it's alright with you, I'd like to get some fucking sleep!" Throwing the cloak over my face, I closed my eyes, not wanting to deal with this mess anymore. Let Connie believe what he wants to. If it somewhat makes him feel better thinking the titan looked like his mom, then let him be.

~ oOo ~

I don't know how long I had been asleep. One hour, maybe two? Who knows. All I cared about was that I was in a comfortable position surrounded by nothing except warmth to protect me from the cold. Slowly cracking open an eye, I was met with an interesting sight. Apparently sometime between when I fell asleep and now, Bertholdt had moved from the chair to the floor, and now my head was resting peacefully in his lap. Eyes gradually fluttering open, I slowly stood to a sitting position, stretching my limbs, hearing my back crack several times.

In the moment I moved, Bertholdt had awoken as well, peering at me through his long eyelashes. Sharp green eyes seeking mine, he gave me a small smile as he stretched as well. "D-Did you sleep well, Emalina?"

Nodding slowly, it didn't seem my mind was fully awake just yet. Yawning, I held my cloak tighter. The fire had dimmed only a little, but that was enough to bring a small draft inside the enclosed room. "Somehow I did. I, uh…I appreciate you lending your lap as my pillow."

His cheeks turned pink as he turned his head away. "I couldn't let you throw your head against the floor so I moved to help."

I smiled even more. I was ever so lucky to have a friend like him. Peering around, it seemed everyone else was asleep. Ymir had wondered off somewhere, though she was probably scavenging for supplies. Kneeling beside Reiner, I tapped his cheek with a finger. "The big guy's still out, huh?"

"No, the big guy's been awake for some time."

Squealing, I jumped backwards, nearly falling into Bertholdt as Reiner moved to a sitting position. "What the hell were you touching my cheek for?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alive, that's all."

His cheeks turned red as well. "Oh, is that all?" He sounded sad, and I had to wonder why.

It's because Reiner has a crush on you, Emalina!

Remembering Jean's word, I almost slapped my cheeks. Of course! God damn it, I had to keep reminding myself that Jean's right and Reiner probably does have a crush on me. Feeling sorry for the closeness I have been giving him, I remained where I was seated. I didn't want him to think I was distancing myself out of no where.

"Uh, Emalina?"

Head lifted to see the big guy staring intently at me, I said, "Yes, Reiner?"

Moving his body so his back was sitting against the wall beside his friend, he curled his legs into his chest. "Can I ask you something?"

"Well, yeah, of course."

"I, well…tch, ok, I'll just be blunt…What is it about Jean that you see in him?" Eyebrow raised, it took a moment before I understood what he was asking me. At that moment, he asked another question. "Why're you with a guy like him?"

Stunned to the core, I had to process his words. He was truly asking me why I was with Jean! That's…kinda rude? Yeah, that's definitely rude to ask. Though I had to withhold a chuckle as Bertholdt smacked his friend across the chest, snapping at him for asking such a stupid question. Still, Reiner was relentless as he ignored his friend, staring fixedly into my eyes.

"Please Emalina, I need to know."

"Why do you need to know so badly? What will my answer do for you?" I really wanted to snap at Reiner. How dare he ask me such a personal question! If he was asking merely because of a crush he did have on me, then shame on him for not talking to me about it sooner! I'd been in love with Jean since the drill in Trost, but still, the man could've at least talked to me about this instead of harboring inside his chest!

Sighing, I pulled my long hair from the confines of its braid, allowing the locks to whisk across my back. Running fingers through to untangle any knots, I sighed again; it was deeper, heavier. This was a conversation I was not mentally prepared for, and I was still waking up from being asleep.

"Reiner…I don't know what it is you're wanting me to tell you. I've been in love with Jean since training. He's…he's just the one for me. I'm sorry if that's not the answer you're looking for, but…"

"That's not good enough."

"…excuse you?"

"That doesn't tell me why."

"You don't need to know why. All you need to do is respect my decision and who I'm with. I don't know what beef you've got against Jean, but this needs to stop - !"

Moving his body until he was on his knees, Reiner took hold of my shoulders, bringing his face down until his nose was barely touching mine. "I need to know because you're important to me, Emalina. I can't keep living this life knowing you may be with the wrong person."

Eyes wide as saucers, I tried pushing away from the large male, except his fingers jeeping me tight were to strong to get away from. Pleading at Bertholdt who sat beside Reiner, he noticed my struggle, taking Reiner's arm, dragging him away from me. Moving several steps away, I held my knees against my chest, casting my eyes every second or so towards the blonde who stared me down. He looked like a lost puppy and it surely pulled at my heartstrings. I cared for the man, more than I could probably admit, but it was not in the same sense as Jean.

I've said this before. I did not see Reiner Braun in the same way I saw Jean Kirschtein.

"Reiner," I softly called his name after a few silent moments. "I don't know what's been running through your mind, but you need to take some time and clear your head."

"Emalina…!" Outstretching husband towards me, I shied away, not wanting to be touched in that moment unless it was Jean. I needed to warm arms around me, telling me everything was going to be alright. "Why can't you…why can't you be with a guy like me?"

I gawked at the man. "Are you insinuating I break up with Jean just to be with you?" He nodded, head bobbing up and down. All the while Bertholdt muttered his friends name under his breath, socking him in the side. Curling away from the man, it was…shocking, to say the least, hearing those words come from his mouth. The idea of Reiner possibly having a crush on me made more sense the longer I was around him. I just…never thought he would act in such a jealous manner just so I could be by his side.

"You need to let this go, Reiner. I'm sorry but, I'm with Jean. I've always thought of you as my big, burly brother." Through my peripherals, my vision was blurry with the sudden onslaught of tears. "I'm sorry but…I'll never see you more than that…"

"EVERYONE WAKE UP! GET TO THE TOWER IMMEDIATELY!"

Quickly attaching my gas tanks and sheaths to my side, Bertholdt noticed I was struggling, kneeling against the ground to help attach my right side as I worked on the left. Together, it only took us a few minutes, if that, for my gear to be ready. Everyone had just ran up the stairs, and as I was about to follow, Bertholdt held me back by my wrist.

"Bertholdt?!"

"E-Emalina…I'm sorry."

"Is this really the time?!" I pondered, staring at the stairs then back at him. "We've got an emergency!"

"I know!" He seemed flustered as he released my wrist. "Someone has to apologize for Reiner. You…didn't need to go through that."

Relaxing my tensed shoulders just a bit, I manage a weak smile for my friend. "You care very much for him, I appreciate that. But we'll talk when we can. Now come on!" Taking hold of his hand this time, we read up the stairs two steps at a time. Once at the top, we noticed everyone, new recruits and Veterans alike, frozen in their spots. Stepping closer to the outer edge of the towers top, that's when my body refused to move as well.

We were completely and utterly surrounded by titans.

"I-I couldn't see them in the dark…" Lynne said nervously, voice shaky as she glanced downwards upon the horrific beasts. "But with the moonlight…!"

"How can they move? This shouldn't be happening! The sun went down hours ago!" Gelgar cried out.

"Then…what's going on?" Christa questioned.

Gaining our attention, Connie then said, "Hey guys? What the hell is that?!" Pointing off into the far distance, even I had to take a step backwards. "It's gotta be a titan!" Connie was right. Whatever the hell that thing was, it was lanky and taller than Eren's titan form, possibly seventeen, eighteen meters high! "Have you ever seen one that big?! Look at it! It's more like some…kind of beast! How do we…?!"

"No!" I moved my own finger towards its direction. "It's headed straight towards the wall!"

We were suddenly thrown off our feet. From below, one of the larger titans ran straight into the base of the tower, causing the stones to steer sideways. Falling into Reiner, I almost dropped to the floor when his massive arms caught me before I could even scream.

"Hey, are you alright?!"

"Y-Yeah…" My voice wasn't weak because of the attack. I still didn't know how to react from our earlier conversation.

"Hey hey! Back off!" Peering over the ledge, Gelgar focused on a smaller titan that was desperately fighting to get inside the tower. "Don't be coming up here! Bother someone else! I should be drinking right now, damn it! You're standing between me and a tankard of ale! I've earned the right to get trashed!"

"Rookies! Stay where you are!" Running towards the ledge, Nanaba pulled her blades out, pointing one towards the sky, its metal shining brightly against the moonlight. "We've got this. Let the ODM gear do what it was designed to do. Emalina! We need you on the frontlines with us!"

"On it!"

I screamed, pulling both my blades out as well. Nanaba, Gelgar, Henning and Lynne jumped off, one of them yelling, "Attack!" I joined in right as they jumped off, my vision catching sight of Reiner and Bertholdt just as I leaped from the tower. Jumping to my possible death, I glanced upward at the moon which could be for the last time. In its brightness, I saw an image of Jean peering down at me. Allowing myself to close both eyes, it was if I could feel the man's arms holding me from behind.

No, I will not die this day!

Screaming again, I narrowly avoided a titan's grasp as it surged towards me. Not wanting to give any beast a chance, I quickly maneuvered my way around the damn monster, slicing my blades directly through its neck. I manage to take down one, then two and then three before I reclaimed a spot next to Nanaba on the tower.

Lynne suddenly appeared, her breath quickly and painful. "The door's been kicked down!"

My face fell. "I'll tell the others!"

Flying upward, I fell on the ledge, holding onto the large piece of stone to catch my breath. "The castle's been breached! You need to find any and everything you can to improvise makeshift weapons and form a barricade. Go, now! You don't have time to waste!" Glancing backwards, I cringed. Knowing full well this might be it for my and my friends. "There are more titans out there than I'd prefer, but I will not give up. And since I'm not giving up, I don't expect any of you too either! Now go down there and fight until your last dying breath! Do you understand me?!"

"You got it!" They all screamed, heading immediately down into the tower.

As the left, I returned to my unfortunate killing spree. Slicing four more titans, I knew I needed a break. I could kill as many titans as needed, yet to perform several executions in a row such as that is fairly taxing on the body. Winding myself around the tower, I could hear crashing and screaming from the inside. Biting my lip, I knew the titans were a priority. And yet…my friends were defenseless with at least one titan inside.

Knowing the others would be alright without me for several minutes, I climbed to the top, running down the same stairs my friends had. At the bottom of the first stairs, my friends were scavenging to find whatever they can fend off whatever remained in t he tower.

"Bertholdt!" Seeing my tall friend emerge from one of the side rooms, he was about to question my presence when I entered the room as well. "Where's Reiner?!"

"He went downstairs to see exactly where the titans are at!"

"Dumbass!" I harshly whispered. Connie, Ymir and Christa were untangling something that was tied down with a heavy cloth as something caught my eye off to the side. Grabbing both pitchforks, I handed on towards Bertholdt them dragged his hand with me.

"There's titans in the tower!"

Hearing Reiner scream form beneath us, we took off, each a pitchfork in hand. Just as we passed through the open doorway, we watched as Reiner was throw onto his back, a titan beating against the wood, its head and an arm already through the damaged door. "Reiner!" Bertholdt and I both called in unison. Bertholdt stepped forward, slamming the pitchfork into the titan's face as I stepped back, holding mine up in defense. I had my ODM gear yes, but in a small room such as this, it was pointless.

Both grasped the weapon, thrusting it even harder into the titan's eyes. "Talk to me man, are you good?!"

"Yes," Reiner replied, peering back at me then his friend. "Listen to me, we're gonna make it back home. This is not how we die!"

"Yeah, I know! You're damn right!"

Tensing, I turned behind me to see my other friends had somehow found a canon, managing to move it to the top of the stairs. "Guys, we need to move!" I called out to my male friends.

"Guys heads up, incoming!" Ymir called from the top. She, Connie and Christa pushed the damn thing, it's wheels fitting just perfect on the outside of the stairs that it slid very quickly down towards us. When they didn't move, I grasped both their hands, jumping out of the way just in the nick of time. The canon barreled directly into the titan, crushing the door and the poor beast.

"May miracles never cease. Huzzah."

"Yeah, it's not getting up from that. Good thing it was a little one," Reiner pointed out.

"What now?" I glanced over at Connie. "A knife's the only thing we've got. Should I cut the nape, or - "

"Don't risk it. Get grabbed and you'll get hurt."

Ignoring Reiner's statement, I stepped forward, handing the second pitchfork towards Bertholdt. Gently pushing Connie out of the way, I held both blades tightly, just in case this small titan decided to awake from the dead. Watching the poor bastard, I was finally satisfied after a moment when it didn't move. Turning my back towards it, I watched as Christa was the next to speak.

"Then I think it would be best if we head back upstairs for now. We have no way of knowing if that's the only one who…got…in…? Emalina!" The woman cried my name, though I didn't know why until it was probably too late.

Blades shaking in my hands, I slowly turned to see another titan having crawled over its dead comrade. I was frozen. Why couldn't I move? What was my body thinking?! I'd fought titans before, yet none of them have snuck up on me like this. What the hell was going on with me?!

Move. Fucking move Emalina!

"Emalina! NO!"

Running beside me, Reiner shoved the titans mouth while simultaneously shoved me out of the way. Falling into the wall, I grasped my head, fully watching as the titan turned its head, latching its teeth directly onto Reiner's forearm, who gasped in pain. Shrinking its teeth in further, I only watched as my bulky friend somehow managed to pick up the beast by placing it onto his back.

"Holy…what're you doing?!" Connie called out in wonder. "Wait, are you…are you gonna jump out the window with it?!"

"We've got no other choice!"

Connie ran up towards our friend, brandishing the knife in his hand. "No wait!" He slammed the blade into the titans mouth. "Just give me a second, I think I can slice its jaw open!"

And it worked. The titans jaw fell slack, giving way so Reiner could pull his injured arm right out. Curling it its position upon the window, the titan turned towards us, its eyes seeking me out specifically at the bottom of the steps. Running up to Bertholdt, I stole the pitchfork from his hands, ran up the stairs, then slammed the device in the titans throat, trying my best to aim where it would pierce directly through into the nape of its neck. Holding onto the tool, I grasped the wooden handle tightly. As the titan fell, it pulled me through the window as well.

I could feel the hands of my friends try and pull me through the window, their fingers barely latching onto my ankles as I continued to fall. Releasing the pitchfork, I scrambled to ignite my ODM gear, and at the last second before I would've crashed, I did just that. Wires connecting into the tower, I climbed my way back up, perching myself on the window's ledge to surprise my friends. Reiner pulled me inside with his once good arm and held me tightly against his chest.

"Just what the hell were you thinking, Emalina?!"

"I was thinking I just saved all your asses!" I glared at him then everyone else. "And what about you, you big sack of stupidity! What was your plan? To just, what, throw yourself outside the window with the titan?!" Punching his good arm several times, my vision grew blurry. "We all care about you, you dumb piece of shit! I care about you!" Seeing his eyes widen, I let go, turning harshly so my cape flew with my body. "Tch, whatever, but you need that arm cleaned, I suggest you get to it."

Whisking myself through the window once more, I resumed the fighting against the titans on the outside. However, as I stepped outside and hooked my wires into the stone, I noticed most of the titans were killed. Sighing, I checked my blades and realized I was on my last set. Taking a chance, I zoomed down towards the horses, unhooking Freyja's harness so I could remove her from her stall.

When I had left Stohess earlier this morning, Levi forced me to pack extra tanks of gas and blades, and in this moment, I was ever so thankful he had made me do so! Quickly change my gas for fresh tanks, I then added a full sheath of blades.

It was then I heard a wizzing sound, almost like the same when Trost was attacked and all the rocks zoomed across the district.

Oh no.

Slamming my hand on Freyja's backside, she reared her legs, staring intently back at me. "Get outa here Freyja! Run as fast as you can!" Slapping her one last time, I then moved onto the next horses, quickly untying their harnesses, but I knew it was too late. Forcing those I could save to move, I jumped out of the way, but then was blown across the castle's broken courtyard. Landing heavily on my back, I screamed, feeling sharp rocks against my skin.

Dragging my body into a sitting position, all I saw were broken horses and blood before my eyes. Nothing I had done could save them. In spite of this, my selfishness kicked in, wondering where the hell my own steed was. I wanted to whistle and call her over. Having said that, I forgot the idea as I was now in the middle of several titans walking in my direction when I heard a second whizzing sound. Moving quickly, I ran from the titans, using their legs as anchors swing me high into the sky just as another large stone was thrown towards the top of the tower.

My friends!

"Oh!" I could hear Nanaba scream. "Henning! Lynne!" Seeing their broken forms floating in the sky, I flew over just as Nanaba did. She grabbed Henning and I took hold of Lynne when we flew down atop the tower with Gelgar right on our heels.

"They're dead," the male soldier said. "They…died instantly."

"No…he did this - the one who made a beeline for the wall!" Connie ran over to the side as I joined him, wanting to see where that bastard beast of a titan ran off to. We both gasped, our eyes watching the same event below us. "Heads up guys!"

"We've got twice as many titans on our asses now!"

"You're kidding?!"

"It's like they're timing these attacks as some part of a larger strategy. This isn't random at all! We're being toyed with!"

It was then I heard it. A monstrous roar that could only belong to a beast. Suddenly entering my ears, I dropped to a knee, tightly holding both hands over my ears to stop the ringing inside my head. "He's calling for backup!" I screamed. And at that second, several of the new titans rammed against the side of the tower, ever beating their fists into the stone.

As the threats against the tower continued, I flew down once more with Nanaba and Gelgar. We all worked individual to see how man solo kills we could notch into our belts. I wasn't sure how many I had racked this night, all I knew was that my arms were burning with rage, the endless vibrations wouldn't stop the pain. Taking out one more titan, I flew against the stone, standing next to the last Veterans in our group.

"The tower's not gonna hold," Gelgar muttered in a weakened tone.

"Hey, my ODM gears low on juice. Yours?"

"Fresh out. And I've worn my blades down to the nub. Please tell me those aren't the only ones you've got left."

"Afraid so."

"Gelgar!" He turned his attention towards me. "I have blades! Here, I have a set for each of you!"

He merely shook his head. "No, you keep them, Emalina. You have the most gas between the three of us. Use them." He grew quiet, only to peer upward at the moon. "How many dead titans did the five of us rack up?"

"Couldn't say, I was too preoccupied to keep count."

"I'm…thinking I didn't do too bad. Oh man…what's a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?"

I had nothing to say; there was nothing I could say.

"This isn't the time for - huh?!"

"Sorry Nanaba, I…must've bashed my head or something. I don't think…I can hang on…" He then fell, his wires giving out the way his body had.

"Gelgar, no!"

Both Nanaba and I screamed. Falling, she went after the titan that held our friend's body whereas I attacked all the incoming titans surrounding us. Taking out more titans than I could count, I only turned the moment I heard screaming. Swirling as I annihilated one more monster, I saw both Gelgar and Nanaba had been taken. My male friend was already half consumed whereas my female friend had one of her legs bitten off, and she was about to be eaten.

"I don't fucking think so!"

"No! Daddy, no I swear! I'll be a good girl! I promise!"

Flying as fast as my gear would allow, I killed all that was in my path. One titan. Three titans. Seven titans down.

And I was still to late.

Watching as Gelgar was swallowed and Nanaba had her head bitten off, I refrained from moving for a second until the titans attention was now on me. Knowing there was not much left I could do, I ran. Flinging myself as high as I could go, I flew towards the towers peak, fall against the cold, hard stone directly onto my back as I skidded towards the other side. Reiner and Bertholdt immediately came to my aid as I coughed.

It was there. That empty, hallow sensation of feeling lost, of been abandoned. In a matter of ten minutes, I lost four more of my Veteran friends, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop their pain. There was talking in the background, but all I felt, all I heard, was my two friends right here helping me to my feet. But then, I was screaming, falling down onto my butt, grasping my right leg.

"Emalina? What's wrong? What's hurt?!"

Removing my hand, Reiner and Bertholdt gasped. The stitches on my leg had broken and was now profusely bleeding. My hand was drenched in red. I tried standing back up, tried doing anything, but the pain was unbearable, worse than when Mikasa actually sliced my thigh. Not only had I ripped the stitches, I most likely had ripped the incision into a wider gash.

"Hey, take it easy, Ema." Gently pushing me back down onto the stone, I heaved a sigh, breathing heavily, a bit too deeply. It was all in my throat. The blood. The screams. The horror of everything I'd witnessed on this day. Which was worse, Trost or this night?

Shoving Bertholdt away, I clumsily stood to my feet, rushing over to the ledge as I thrust my head forward and emptied anything that remained in my stomach. It was a harsh acidic taste, burning my throat the more I hurled. Hands were placed onto my back, rubbing small circles across my Scouting cloak. Dry-heaving several times, it seemed I was finally done. Spitting whatever lay in my mouth, I coughed, pulled my self away from the ledge only to lean against the stone. My hair was sweaty across my forehead, but it didn't bother either of the males.

Reiner stepped forward, brushing several strands of hair away from my face. "Are you alright? That was pretty sudden, even for you."

"That was…" My voice was raspy. "I dunno, it just came out of nowhere."

"Connie, where's that knife you had?"

Lulled from our conversation, the three of us watched as Connie gave the knife to Ymir, her eyes seemingly dead as she stared at the weapon.

"Huh, why?" Connie asked, just as confused as the rest of us.

"Just give it here." Taking it, Ymir then patted Connie on the head. "You're very sweet, thanks."

"What do you even need it for?"

"Not much," she answered quietly, staring intently at the knife. "I'm just…gonna give them a little hell."

Eyes wide, I glance at Reiner and Bertholdt who stared back at me. "Ok then, so do you have a plan?" Reiner asked.

"If I do, we'll learn what it is together."

Walking up towards Christa, the two shared a moment, a private conversation between the two of them. Ymir mentioned something about an oath when we were training up north in the snow. I had no idea what she was talking about, and just as she finished, the sunrise had peaked its way over the horizon. Pinks, purples and blues filled our vision, and I was left in awe. How could such beauty be tainted by the darkness that lay at our feet? Why did we have to live in such a monstrous world; what in the hell had we done?!

It was then Ymir jumped off the tower.

She…what? She fucking jumped off the tower!

Christa called her name, but the only thing we could see was the same yellow spark I'd seen when Eren's transformed, or when the Colossal Titan appeared in Trost. Everyone ran to the ledge to see what the hell was happening. I didn't need to.

Ymir had been a Titan all this time.

I was frozen in place. How could Ymir hide such a secret such as this? I mean…in the world we live in I could understand. But her abilities could've saved my friends! Lynne, Henning, Gelgar and Nanaba! She had been selfish in wanted to keep her secret just that, a fucking secret. And now my friends were paying the prices for being a meal in a stupid titans stomach!

Now was not the time, this I knew. She was risking her neck to transform in this moment, only to give us a possible second chance. By god, if she was risking everything, then I would as well.

Drawing fresh blades, Bertholdt heard the noise as he turned and screamed my name. "Emalina! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Ignoring him I ran with a limp, my leg still bleeding down my leg. Straight through Reiner, I ran past Connie and Christa, jumping upon the stone ledge down to my final doom.

Screaming with all my might, I fought alongside Ymir. Whether she, in her titan form, had seen me or not, we did not cross paths unless it was necessary. As she tended to the titans near the base of the tower, I focused on those surrounding the castle, taking them down one by one.

"EMALINA! PLEASE SAVE YMIR!"

Hearing Christa's voice, I watched as Ymir was pulled from the tower by her leg. Struggling to finish the titans surrounding me, I burst through the small crowd towards Ymir. As she fought, so did I. If she wasn't giving up, neither would I. However, it was in that moment trying to help her I used the last of my blades. Sensing this was the end, I took out the last titan I could, the one holding her hair back. Fleeing from battle, I surged back towards the top, Connie grabbing my arm as I nearly fell back downwards.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" He screamed in my face.

"I was thinking that if I can still fight, I'll fight like the soldier I am!" Rubbing my ass, I groaned, Bertholdt's hand sticking outward for me to grab as he hauled me to my feet. I muttered a 'thanks' just as I was able to hear the tale end of Christa yelling towards her friends. That's when I felt it: the shifting of the tower.

Down below, Ymir was grabbing stones from the building structure, specifically in a way where it would collapse upon the titans themselves. She appeared before us as was able to speak, telling us to grab on to her hair. Making sure Reiner had a good hold because he only had one arm, I stood next to him. The next few moments gave me the sensation that I needed to throw up one more time. Ymir held tightly to the tower as long as she could. The moment it was about to crumble into the titans, she jumped over them, landing against the ground as we all. As myself and my friends were thrown against the ground, my head slammed into the courtyard where my vision grew black.

Next thing I know I was being shaken awake.

Reiner, Bertholdt and Sasha were all kneeling around me, waiting patiently for me to finally open my eyes and sit up. Once I could see, they aided me by gently pulling me to my fight, keeping an eye on the fact my leg was still bleeding, albeit more slowly now. Having my bearings straight, I stared around me. There were numbers Scouts surrounding our location and even -

"Sasha!" I cried, throwing my arms around the girl I hadn't seen since yesterday morning.

"Emalina! Oh god, I'm so glad you're alright!" Holding me by my shoulders, she glanced over my body, sad to see I was bloodied and bruised.

"Just…what the hell are you doing here? Why're there Scouts here?!"

"We came in search of you and everyone else! We planed on using this Castle as a viewpoint to see where any titans would be, but we never expected to see this!" Brushing off dirt from my cloak, I felt woozy, legs trembling as I felt a second pair of hands on my shoulder.

"Sasha, she shouldn't be standing. Her leg wound opened."

"What?! Alright missy, you need to sit down."

"No!" I cried, remembering there was one more member of my tiny family who was missing. "Freyja! Where's Freyja?!"

"Emalina, it's alright!" Hearing my name called across the way, I noticed it was Armin, his hand holding the reigns of my beloved steed. Releasing said horse, Freyja galloped her way towards me as I wrapped my arms around her neck.

"Freyja!" I cried continuously into her neck.

It was there, in the waning sun of the morning light, I released all the pent-up emotions. Remembering the words I shared with Levi several days prior, he knew I felt everything so deeply, and that, according to him, it was ok if I wanted to let it all go. So, in that moment I did just that. Sobbing into the neck of the horse I loved, I was surrounded by my friends. Surrounded by love, surrounded by fear, and surrounded by the memory of those I still still could not save.

~ oOo ~

DragonGoddess629