"A friend is one who looks over your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden"
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Eren let out a yelp as he spun in the air before landing hard on the ground, "Not fast enough, we're going again" Annie scolded stepping away to take her stance back as Eren picked himself up from the forest floor.
"You know I thought you'd go easier on me" he groaned as he stood to his full height, "I've only been given the basic training" he took his own copy of her stance.
"I know, you've told me the last five sessions" Annie muttered keeping her eyes focused upon him, "No one's going to go easy on you because you don't know how to fight properly" she lunged for him getting in a punch to his forehead, not extremely hard but still painful.
"Pay attention!" she warned as she circled him again.
He grunted shaking his head , as he did this though Annie came at him kicking him in the leg sending him forward and crashing onto a nearby tree stump immediately feeling his ribs in an incredible pain thanks to the force, he landed upon them.
He gasped out as he rolled off the stump clutching his chest, desperately trying to get air into his lungs, "Annie…" he winced breathlessly as she looked down at him with a cocked eyebrow.
"Fine we'll take a break" she muttered sitting on the stump as Eren got his breath back but remained on the ground as not only did it feel better than trying to get up, but this way he knew Annie wouldn't be able to put him on the ground again if he was already there, "Here".
Eren was presented with a waterskin which he gratefully accepted gently sipping it down, "Do you know what you did wrong?" she questioned looking down at him.
"I asked you to train me…" he muttered sarcastically receiving a light kick to the head for his complaining.
"You took your eyes off me for a second, even if your opponent gets a jab in you can't let it distract you, deal with the pain and stay focused upon your opponent" she cast her gaze back up looking at the darkening sky above, "No matter what pain you feel you have to keep fighting".
"Yeah, I get it, I'll do that next time" Eren sighed looking up at the sky too, "Why to you train so hard like this, I've never asked?" he looked back to her.
She glanced back down at him, "It's how I was trained, believe it or not I wasn't born like this" she answered keeping her eyes on him, "Just like you I bruised and broke myself to become a strong fighter, it's the only effective method".
She cast her glance down his body to his chest, "How are you feeling?" she indicated to his chest seeing one of his arms still draped over it.
Eren looked down, "I'll be fine, you've done worse to me I'm pretty sure" he chuckled sitting up wincing slightly at the pain, "Surprised you care though".
"Why wouldn't I, if you got badly hurt it would only come back to me when the instructors found out" she calmly said.
Eren grinned at her response "Can I ask you something Annie?".
"You'll ask regardless of what I say so you might as well" she muttered.
"Why don't you want to get along with anyone?" he questioned cocking his head towards her.
She looked back up to meet his eyes, "Cause I don't need to, being friends won't do anything for me" she coldly muttered her look turning to a glare.
But to her surprise Eren smirked at her, "I never said about being friends, I just asked why you don't get along with anyone" his smirk got wider, "You don't have to be friends to get along with someone".
"Are you trying to imply something?" she continued to glare.
The chuckle he let out was slightly infuriating to Annie, "No nothing, I was just pointing it out" he smirked earning a swift punch in the arm.
"Want to get back to training?" she continued to glare knowing how much it would put Eren on the back foot, not knowing what she could do next.
"I'm good, it's getting late, and I don't think my stomach could take another hit like that tonight" he sighed grabbing his shoulder to rotate it feeling it going a bit numb from her punch, "Besides if I don't Mikasa will hunt me down again, and the others will get concerned".
He stood to walk away preparing to say his good nights before he was abruptly cut off.
"Hey Eren, before you go" Annie's words were actually soft, this peaked his attention beyond anything else getting him to turn and face her, "Can I ask you something?" she was looking to the ground with her eyes lidded, it was almost looked like she was daydreaming.
"How did you all become friends?" she muttered, this was the most vulnerable Eren had even seen Annie, he was partly taken aback by her question.
"What do you mean by all?" he question unsure who she was referring to.
"You, Armin, Mikasa, Thomas, Milieus, Nack, Sasha and M-" She cut herself off looking up to him, "You just all seemed to be close friends someday just out of nowhere you were all together, it's like the others too, Marco, Conny and Jean they were close since the start, Ymir and Christa, and so many others".
She rested her arms on her legs looking down, "You know what this training is for right, chances are most of us won't see each other again after graduation but you're all bonding together, I just don't understand why, and how it's even possible to want to be close to people you're just going to lose in the end".
Eren was lost, Annie was actually opening up somewhat to him and he was stunned, had he caused this when he asked her about getting along with people, "I-I'm not sure Annie…" he muttered stepping back towards her, "I guess it just kind of happened, that's the funny thing about friends isn't it".
She glanced up at him through her bangs wanting to ask what he meant but she didn't need to.
"One day you just start talking then before you know it, you're friends and spend these moments together and look out for each other no matter what" he smiled thinking of these moments.
"But what about our duty's…" she quietly muttered almost as if not to Eren.
Eren wasn't sure what to answer for that, in fact it didn't even seem that she wanted him to answer, "You know, I noticed you didn't mention Mina" he commented getting a proper look up at him, "Maybe you should try talking with her more?" he ginned knowing that girl all too well.
"I can really only guess about this stuff but her, she's got something of a gift with this, there no one here than doesn't love her, she'll probably know a lot more than me" he chuckled before turning away, "I'll see you tomorrow Annie".
Annie watched his back as he went, once he was far out of sight, she pulled her legs up to her chest and began to sob, "I can't…" she whispered as tears streaked down her cheeks, this was the side of Annie Eren had almost just seen.
As much as she wanted to always keep up the tough act and in reality, it wasn't even an act, part of her recently had been tearing up inside, the day she spoke with Eren and Mina about Freedom and saw them interact with their friends, some level of sadness had been growing inside her, but she hadn't been able to figure out what, it had cropped up again and almost revealed itself around the campfire with the other girls, but she was able to quickly hide it away before they exposed it.
And now, she'd almost let her guard down in front of Eren cause of this feeling however thanks to this, it had helped her figure out just what was wrong with her; getting her so low like this had caused this realisation.
Annie was simply lonely.
She shook her head as she threaded her fingers through her hair, her tears continuing to leak, here was the lonely Annie, the only one in the 1004th Cadets Corps who had no friends and no one to rely on.
"I can't risk it…" she whimpered into the emptiness, "I won't…" were the last words she muttered before only sobbing was heard but no one was around to hear.
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"Annie help me!" someone screamed as they were dragged away.
"No! Please Annie!" someone else cried.
"Annie don't leave, I beg you!" another voice.
"Help me Annie, I don't want to die!" Mina cried as her head entered a mouth.
Annie shot up with a start panting hard as she wiped the sweat from her brow, "A nightmare" she whispered not wanting to wake anyone in the dorm, this wasn't the first time it had happened and didn't want a repeat of that first time.
She'd gotten back quite late, most had already gone to sleep, and others were drifting off; as quietly as she could she'd changed and slipped into her own bed, annoyingly her bunkmate was one of the ones already asleep, so she had to manoeuvre around her without waking her up forcing Annie into a question time from Mina.
She looked down at the girl who slowly turned in her sleep mumbling something incoherent that Annie couldn't be bothered to figure out.
Her breath hadn't slowed, and she felt incredibly hot; deciding it might be best to get outside before she collapsed or threw up, she again manoeuvred herself over Mina and climbed down the ladder, she peaked into the bed below to see Sasha basically falling out of the bed the only thing holding her up was a piece of bedsheet which had knotted itself around her arm meanwhile Mikasa was sleeping with more grace as far away as she could in the corner.
Annie rolled her eyes before making her way to the door and exiting out of it as quietly as she could.
Once outside she walked along the outside of the cabin before sitting on the ground and resting against the wall, taking in large cool breaths and enjoying the cold air cooling down her skin.
She sighed as she looked up at the stars above feeling better than she did, but she wasn't able to shake the images of her nightmare out of her head, "Why is it her of all people, she is the only clear one, every time…" she whispered.
"What's this about?" a quiet yet cheery voice said from beside Annie shaking her from her thoughts, she looked to her right and saw Mina standing there with the cover of her bed around her shoulders, "It's freezing out her y'know, what are you up to?" she questioned moving to sit next Annie before she could protest.
"Why are you here?" Annie scolded looking to the stars not wanting to look at the girl whom she found to be infuriating, "You can't just leave me alone can you…" she muttered.
"Well, you woke up and I heard you mutter something about a nightmare, I turned to ask you what was wrong, but you just ignored me and left" She looked to her, "I was worried about you Annie" she gave her favourite bright smile.
"You were worried?" she asked with a clear confusion in her voice.
She tilted her head putting on her own look of confusion, "Yeah, it's not like you to get freaked out about something, of course I was worried" her smile returned, "You're my friend after all so it's my job to look after you, I'd like to think you'd do the same".
"I'm not your friend!" Annie coldly snapped glaring towards her making Mina reel back a bit, "I can never be your friend!" she continued her eyes boring a hole into Mina.
"What do you mean by you can never?" the smaller girl questioned looking back to Annie noticing the way in which she spoke and from the look on Annie's face Mina could tell it was a slip of the tongue, "Is something stopping you?".
"No… I…" The blonde trailed off annoyed at herself for slipping up, she reeled back setting herself back against the wall and pulling her legs up to her chest, "It's nothing just leave me alone Mina, that's how I want to be…".
"Want to or have to be?!" Mina snapped a bit harsher than Annie expected.
"Why does this matter to you?!" Annie snapped back.
"Because I want to be your friend Annie, how many times do I have to tell you" Mina snapped taking Annie completely off guard, "And I think you want me to be too".
"How've you figured that?" she questioned narrowing her eyes.
Her smile returned as she took on a softer approach, "Cause I'm the only one you talk to and don't end up hitting" she smiled brighter, they both knew it was true, but Annie became again confused when a sly grin spread across her lips, "Although I do think you hit Eren cause you like him" she teased giving her nudges into the side.
Annie only rolled her eyes knowing Mina was trying to get her wound up, "You just don't understand Mina…".
"Then help me too"
Annie looked at her and saw a complete sincereness in her eyes, she really did want to know about her, "There's no point in making friends, I'll just lose them all in the end" she sighed looking back to the stars, "After this training is done, chances are I'll never see any of you again so there's no point".
"You really believe that?" Mina asked scooting closer to Annie who didn't bother to move, "Who cares about the future, is that's really what's wrong" she laughed as quietly as she could not wanting to wake anybody up, the walls weren't exactly thick.
"Of course, I do, don't you!" she sapped getting extremely irritated.
"Don't get me wrong Annie, I do worry about the future too, but I don't get bogged down in it" she smiled her sweet smile, "I know after training we'll likely all go our separate ways, but you can't let that effect the here and now".
"Like look at it this way, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Milieus and Thomas will be going to the Scouts, while I'm set on the Garrison, chances are I'll hardly ever see them again but I'm not afraid of it" she smiled.
"H-How can't you be, you do realise right that they could die just as easily, chances are that they in fact might" Annie retorted feeling that Mina just didn't understand.
Mina leaned in against Annie's shoulder, "I know that, and I do worry for them, but the thing is those you love and care about will never truly be gone, you'll always have the memories of them, and they will last you forever" a single tear streaked down her cheek, "But I don't for a second believe they're going to die, in fact I have faith they'll come home one day".
Annie looked down at the girl shocked as she looked up, "So you shouldn't be afraid of the future, no matter what we can't predict what will happen, so you've just got to live in the here and now" her bright smile came back, "So you can create those memories that you can treasure forever until the day you see them again".
Annie was speechless, in her mind she just wanted to dismiss the girl again and throw her off, but her heart was saying a different story, this must be the gift that Eren was referring to, no matter who you were this girl could worm her way into your heart and make you come to see things differently.
Annie just started feeling that she didn't care anymore, she hated being lonely and couldn't bare to deal with it anymore, she'd already spent a year dealing with it, "But who then, who can I create those memories with" she muttered looking to the ground her reality facing her down.
"Me of course, at least to start with" Annie immediately shot her head back to look at the girl who was smiling sweetly.
"H-How can you still want to deal with me after how I've been to you?".
"Because, who cares about the past, as I said we've got to live in the here and now and right now, you need a friend" her favourite smile was pointed right towards Annie who couldn't help but let a tiny one spread on her lips.
A small shudder escaped Annie's lips as the cold became more freezing than cooling, but as she began feeling annoyed that she hadn't brought her parka with her she began to feel warmer, looking back round she saw Mina had actually wrapped her arm with part of the cover around her shoulders, which Annie for once, gratefully accepted.
They stayed there for a little while in silence just watching the stars, till Annie was the one to break it with three simple words, "Thank you, Mina".
Mina giggled getting a confused looking Annie to looked down at her, "Y'know that's the first time you've said my name nicely, but you're welcome" she smiled again before they let the silence return eventually returning back inside the cabin.
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As the sun's light began to cast itself over the training camp, the cadets slept relatively peacefully inside their cabins.
But just as they began to slowly peak their eyes open the respective doors where kicked open and the instructors poured in shouting and screaming at them, waking them up and yanking those that didn't immediately move from their beds.
After being yelled at to change into their uniforms they were almost thrown outside and made to form up on the drill grounds where two figures were ahead of them with a cart, one a man and the other a woman.
The man who leaned up against the cart had regimental slick backed brown hair and held a serious expression while the woman who sat on the cart with her arm on her knees had long brown, messy hair which was being kept in a ponytail with her bangs parting down the middle to frame her kinder looking face.
However, the key fact about the two of these individuals was that they were the regular instructors, on the backs of their jacket were the blue and white Wings of Freedom.
"6 minutes 44 seconds, what a pitiful display!" the man exclaimed inspecting them all as the other instructors lined up around the cadets, "Some of you aren't even dressed properly!".
The woman smirked at her comrade before inspecting the cadets herself, "We'll be doing this every morning until you lot are ready in a reasonable time, and we'll still probably do it after that" she grinned jumping off the cart, "I'm Lynne and this is Henning, and today cadets, your real training begins, The Commandant has given us command over you lot for the next few months, but he'll still be watching so don't think you can get away with anything".
"As for your training we'll be teaching you the main equipment of the three branches of military, ODM Gear" Henning indicated to the back of the cart which was lined with multiple sets of the equipment.
Sounds of excitement and confidence murmured around the cadets being Lynne swiftly regained their attention, "Now some advice for you lot, this is where it gets deadly, pay attention and do what we say, and you might make it through".
They both took one last look around the cadets before nodding.
"Let's begin".
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Next time, training begins.