Vorwärts Bewegen
(To Move Forward)
前進するには
A young Eren stood there, knife in hand. He was facing the destroyed wooden dummies that were utterly destroyed. Catching his breath, he was about to put the weapon away.
"Oi, you're not done yet, brat."
Eren turned his attention to a taller man, clad in black. His face was hidden, but that's not what he focused on. Lying in the ground next to the tall man was a person, tied up and gagged.
Why did he bring this person?
"Consider this your very first lesson."
"The cadets of the 104th Corps were preparing for a new exercise. This time the new exercise would take them to Wall Maria. While making their way there, three cadets were focused on the fact that they were going home for the time being."
Now the cadets stood before the gates of Wall Maria, some were excited to see the place where the first Titan attacks began, while others were apprehensive, yet excited to be back home. Even if it was for just a little while. Mikasa, despite her blank expression, felt pretty nervous to be back home, Armin showed his nervousness but stood straight and eager to see his grandfather. And finally, Eren...he was calm, but felt a sense of urgency for the gate to hurry up and open so he could visit his own home.
He was finally back—
—after all this time.
Luckily for the cadets they didn't have to wait for very long as the gates soon rose up, allowing them to see the many houses that were rebuilt after the attack five years ago. Finally, after what felt like an eternity...they had come home.
-進撃の巨人-
"Wow, and I thought Trost was amazing, this place feels so homey!" Sasha said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yeah, this was also the place where both the Colossal and Armored Titan attacked." Jean reminded them, as he was walking in between the two.
"Don't forget about the Mysterious Titan," Connie pointed out, "If it wasn't for that big guy coming out of nowhere and saving the day, things could have been a lot worse." Sure some people still died, but the death toll could have been much higher.
"Speaking of which, that Titan used its own body to seal up the gate, didn't it? I wonder if we'll see it?" Marco commented.
Armin turned to him, "You'll see it soon enough. We're stopping in the district the three of us grew up in—Shiganshina." He said with a smile.
"Really?" Sasha looked excited to see it.
"I kinda wanna see it right now." Connie confessed.
Eren stopped walking suddenly, "Then you're in luck, look to your right." He gestured for them to look over.
As one, all the cadets look to their right and see the giant crystal form of the Mysterious Titan. Even after five years have passed the crystal body was still there and showed no signs of fading away, nor did it look chipped.
"Oh, wow…" Krista stared in awe.
Ymir whistled, "Damn, gotta admit that's pretty impressive." It really was an impressive sight to look at.
"And to think that a Titan is the reason Wall Maria is still standing. Truly incredible." Marco smiled, his gaze never leaving the crystallized Titan.
"Hate to admit it, but it really isn't all that bad looking." Jean admitted.
Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie stared up at it in silence.
Connie noticed some people were in front of it and kneeling, "Hey, what are they doing?" He was gesturing to the people currently kneeling in front of the crystallized body.
"They're praying." Mikasa replied.
"Eh, why?" Sasha questioned.
Armin answered, "Because the people here believe that if they pray to the Titan that sealed up the Wall—it will awaken again someday, and protect us." He explained. Seeing the citizens of Shiganshina first do this five years ago he honestly believed it to be strange.
But he understands now.
"They're seriously praying to a crystal statue?" Jean's tone expressed disbelief mixed with incredulously. Why in the hell would people pray to a giant crystal of all things?
Ymir crossed her arms, "And just what the hell do they get out of doing that? To make themselves feel good about the fact that they're still alive and not dead?"
Krista whacked her upside the head for that comment, making the taller girl wince.
"Maybe they are," Armin didn't try to deny it, "The people here are really glad to be alive, and while it's true some people still died...but it could have been much worse." The casualties would have been immeasurable and the devastation even more brutal. They were truly lucky.
Mikasa decides to add her own two cents, "More people would have died had the Mysterious Titan not shown itself and defended us from the other Titans." What still bothered her about the Mysterious Titan was that it felt so familiar. It was those green eyes that resonated with her.
'But why does it feel so familiar? I've never met that Titan before, but those eyes…' Green eyes that showed more emotion that she thought she'd never see from a Titan reminded her of—no, that's not possible.
Or...maybe it is.
"To them," Armin continued, "Praying to their mysterious savior gives them hope and a peace of mind. If doing this helps them feel better, then it's fine."
"Oh, man, I never really thought of it that way." Connie said, rubbing the back of his head.
"So what? They're gonna start a cult that worships this big guy, yeah right!" Ymir snorted at the thought.
…
…
…
Ymir saw the trio hadn't said anything and gave them a look, "You have got to be shitting me." She deadpanned.
Armin nervously laughed.
Mikasa had a blank look.
Eren was looking up at the sky as though it were the most interesting thing in the world right now.
Ymir's deadpanned expression didn't change, "These people are fucking insane…" behind her, Jean was nodding in agreement.
Krista didn't even bother to reprimand her this time.
Sasha looked over and saw some citizens yelling at people in black robes, "Hey, are they fighting?" She pointed.
Armin sighed a little, "The people cloaked in black are from the "Order of the Walls." They're a cult that worships the three walls and believe them to be sacred and untouchable. They sometimes come here to preach about them." In all honesty, he was starting to get annoyed with seeing them here all the time, and so were the citizens of Shiganshina.
"Those guys are a real pain in the ass." Jean frowned at the men clad in black yelling at a civilian.
"The two cults don't get along at all." Armin stated the obvious.
"Why?" Connie asked.
"That Titan is an abomination that threatens the very safety of our walls!"
"Screw you, you wall loving hippies!"
"Oh…" Well, that answered his question.
Reiner couldn't believe what he was seeing, "Are they seriously arguing about this in broad daylight?"
"Yes, and unfortunately this is normal now." Armin sounded exasperated.
"Both sides have their own opinion about the Titan from five years ago," Eren pipes up, "Even now, they still voice them."
"It gets annoying." Mikasa added.
"Very." Eren agreed.
Krista was starting to get worried because it looked as though things were about to escalate in the worst possible way, "Should we try to stop them?" She asked, anxiously.
There was no need for them to do anything, for some Garrison soldiers finally showed up to get the two sides under control before things got worse. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa recognized the person in front, who was breaking things up—it was Hannes.
"That's Hannes over there." Armin identified the Garrison soldier to the rest.
"For once he's doing his job." Eren commented.
"Surprised he isn't drunk." Mikasa added.
Jean gives the two a look, "Uh, you guys do know that's a Garrison soldier you're insulting, right?"
Eren and Mikasa give each other side glances before looking back at him, "What's your point?" They said in unison.
Jean had no words, but his face said it all.
All the Garrison soldiers gathered managed to break the two groups apart and away from each other. Hannes sighed before looking around and spotting three familiar faces.
"Well, I'll be damned!" Hannes grinned, "Eren, Armin, and Mikasa, welcome back!" The man walked right up to the three in an attempt to give them a hug. Unfortunately the only one he was able to get was Armin as the other two avoided his attempted hug.
"Good to see you again, Hannes…" Armin grunted out, "Can you please let go of me now?" He squirmed in an attempt to get out of the man's grasp.
Hannes pouted a little before letting Armin go, "You kids grow a little and then decide you don't want hugs from your uncle Hannes anymore."
"Because you smell like a tavern." Eren stated.
"You drink too much." Mikasa added her own two cents.
"No offense, but I'd rather you not try to hug us all the time." Armin tried to say it in a politeful way.
Hannes spluttered, "How the hell is it possible that you three have gotten even more brutal?!" He exclaimed, comically.
Behind them, the rest of the cadets were stunned that the Shiganshina trio were addressing a Garrison soldier in such a way. But from the man's words it seems he's known the three for a long time.
Hannes sees the other cadets and greets them, "Hey there, cadets. My name is Hannes—Unit Captain of the Garrison. I'm also a lifetime friend of the Yeager family, so I've known these three since they were little brats." He introduced himself with a grin.
"For real? You guys didn't tell us you were friendly with a Unit Captain from the Garrison!" Connie said, sounding excited.
"That's because Hannes isn't exactly role model material." Mikasa states, bluntly.
"Rude!" Hannes cried out.
Marco smiled at him, "So you knew Eren, Armin, and Mikasa since they were little?" He asked.
"Yup, but I'm more close with the Yeager family than anything." Hannes replied.
"Oh, so you know Eren more personally than Armin and Mikasa?" Krista inquired.
"You got it, little lady! I'm close with the family through Grisha, though I gotta say it still hurts he's no longer—" Hannes started to say.
"Hannes!" Mikasa hissed, glaring at him a little.
Armin's eyes suddenly held sadness.
Krista looked down, her own eyes expressing sadness, but the only one that noticed was Ymir.
Hannes gave Mikasa a confused look before his eyes widened and realized what he almost said. He looks over at Eren, who went deathly silent, standing completely still, not saying a word. Mikasa and Armin also look his way, with the rest of the cadets sensing the sudden change in atmosphere.
"Eren—" Hannes started to say.
Whatever it was, Eren didn't want to hear it as he walked away.
"Eren, wait!" Mikasa called out to him before following right behind him, Armin right behind her.
Krista, surprisingly, also went after them, forcing Ymir and the other cadets to catch up to them. Though some were curious to know what that was all about, they were smart enough to know that now was not the appropriate time.
-進撃の巨人-
In the boy's cabin, they were unpacking all their belongings. No one was talking though as the encounter with Hannes earlier was still fresh in their minds. It wasn't bad at first, but then he started talking about this Grisha guy and things suddenly got tense.
Eren had been eerily quiet, not saying a word after the tense encounter with the old family friend. From what they were able to understand, this Grisha person was probably Eren's father or some other relative.
And...judging by what Hannes was about to imply, something bad must've happened.
But again, none of them were brave enough to ask Eren about it. Armin gave them this look that told them to not even think about it, so they didn't try to ask him anything.
The silence was still uncomfortable though.
Thankfully the silence didn't last for too long, courtesy of Armin.
"Hey, Eren, why don't we go into town and see everyone?" Armin suggested, still a little bit worried.
Holding their collective breaths, the gathered male cadets waited to hear what Eren's response would be. It was a tense moment, but they were willing to wait to hear his response.
"...ah."
Collectively, they all breathe a sigh of relief.
Shiganshina was way different compared to Trost.
For one thing, the people here were not only very friendly, but also open and welcoming. Connie seemed to really like it as it reminded him of his own village, Ragako. Sure it was a nice, quiet little village, but it always made him feel right at home. Kind of like he feels right now. Shiganshina really was one of a kind, and another good thing about this place was that Eren seemed to be doing much better, another plus.
They were walking through the market area of the town and got to see many vendors selling all kinds of things—from food, to clothes, and even children's toys.
"Great walls of Maria! Eren Yeager, and Armin Arlert is that you?" An elderly voice called out to the cadet.
Stopping, they saw a kind looking woman walking in their direction, carrying a basket full of food in one hand, and using a walking cane in the other.
Armin's whole face brightened at the sight of her, "Miss Adaleigh!"
"My, it seems like forever since the last time I saw the two of you." She said, approaching them.
"We've been away for quite some time," Armin admitted, "But we are learning a lot of things."
She smiled, "I see, just be sure not to hurt yourselves too badly."
"We won't." He promised.
Exchanging a few more greetings, they moved on, but not before bidding the kind woman a farewell.
"So who was that?" Jean was the one to ask.
"Oh, that was Miss Adaleigh," Armin replied, "She runs a local food market, her produce is very good."
"Maybe I'll pick some up and send them back home." Connie said. His mom would probably like the fresh produce.
They were just about to pass another vendor when someone called out to them again, "Eren, over here, dear!" It was another female voice, but she sounded to be in her mid age.
Eren looks over to see the kind lady that always gives him and Mikasa apples every time they pass by. She's a very kind woman.
"Just look at you, all handsome and tall," she gushed, "Those girls must be fawning all over you by now."
Blinking, Eren tilts his head a little, "No, I don't think so." He said, honestly.
Jean smack his hand against his forehead, and Connie does the same, 'This dense dumbass!' Jean inwardly growled.
His answer didn't seem to bother the kind woman if her giggling was any indication, "Of course, you have eyes for only one girl." She teased.
Now that got an interesting reaction. Eren averts his eyes downward a little, his cheeks coloring slightly.
This didn't go unnoticed by Jean and Connie, who whispered to each other.
"Hey, Jean, did he just—?" Connie whispered.
"He did!" Jean whispered back with a hiss, "Son of a bitch actually blushed! What the hell?!" On the inside, he was screaming that there was no way in hell that Eren of all people could be blushing over a girl.
"How is Mikasa? I haven't seen her yet." She asked.
Armin answered, "She's here with us, too. But I think she and the other girls are walking around someplace else."
"I see, well then I won't keep you boys—oh! Before you go…" She hands Eren a bag of apples, "Here, on the house!"
Eren bows his head before walking away along with the rest of the open mouthed male cadets. How in the hell did Eren manage to snag some free apples?!
"Dude, I'm so jealous! I want some free apples, too!" Connie complained, only to jerk back a little as Eren shoved an apple in his face, "Oh, thanks." He takes it and takes a bite before his eyes widen, "Holy shit, this is so juicy!"
Silently, Eren offers the rest to everyone who willingly took some apples before saving the last two for both himself and Mikasa. From the looks of it, they all seemed to enjoy the apples very much.
"Damn, that was good." Jean said, sounding satisfied.
"We should ask for some more before we go back." Reiner suggested.
Bertholdt nodded in agreement.
"So, guys, where should we go next—" Connie was speaking to Armin and Eren, but was cut off.
"Hey, is that Arlert over there?"
Armin stilled before relaxing, having recognized that voice. There's no way he'd ever forget it, of course they'd still be here. Three boys approach them with smirks on their faces, Jean instantly wanted to punch their lights out, same for Connie. Everyone else was on guard, but there was no need for that.
"So it is you, I'm surprised you're still training. Thought you'd have dropped out by now, heretic." Their leader smirked.
Armin gave the boy an unimpressed look, "Is that so? As you can clearly see I'm doing just fine, and you three also appear to still be the same." His tone was dry the whole time he was speaking.
The leader sneered, "Don't get cocky just cause you know some military stuff, heretic."
Connie frowned, "Hey, don't go calling Armin names." He said, stepping in front of the blonde.
"Huh, what's it to you, cueball?" The boy standing next to the leader frowned.
A tick mark appeared on the side of Connie's head, "The hell did you just call me?!" He yelled, angrily.
Jean grabbed his shoulder, "Calm down, no need to get so worked up over these three idiots." He said, trying to be the mediator.
"Shut up, Horse Face." The other lackey insulted.
…
…
…
It was at that point, Jean snapped.
Grabbing the lackey by his shirt collar, he proceeded to get right in his face, "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that...now then—" the smile on his face was terrifying as a vein appeared on the side of his face, "You wanna repeat that?"
Understandably, the lackey didn't dare say it again.
"What happened to not getting worked up?" Connie questioned, dryly.
Both Marco and Armin looked so done with everything at this point.
"Enough." A stern voice demanded.
Eren made his presence known to the three bullies and gained quite the reaction. The two lackeys started shaking in place, their faces pale and eyes widening in either fear or terror. Possibly both.
"S-Shit, Eren's here, too!"
"Crap…!"
Their reactions didn't go unnoticed by the others as they looked back and forth between both Eren and the three bullies.
"Somehow I'm not surprised." Jean said, dryly.
"Same." Connie added his own comment. He knows from first hand experience just how scary Eren can be...and brutal. These guys probably had first hand experience.
"Y—You…" the leader of the two trembled more than the other two, even started to sweat.
Connie raised a brow at him, "What's wrong with you?" This guy's reaction was worse than the other two. Why?
Backing away slowly, the leader didn't take his terrified eyes off of Eren. As for Eren, he narrowed his eyes at the reaction to his presence. It was as if Eren wasn't being reflected in his eyes, but someone else.
'He's going to run.' He thinks.
And sure enough, Eren was right.
Screaming, the leader turned and bolted away quickly, not wanting to remain in the area. Surprised by the sudden action, the other two went after their leader in both worry and concern.
"What...the hell was that?" Connie was the one to say what was on everyone else's mind.
Armin frowned, 'That wasn't the reaction I was expecting. Normally whenever they see Eren all they do is curse and try to run far away from him. But that reaction...it was pure terror.'
"The hell did you do to him?" Jean questioned Eren.
Eren didn't say a word and simply watched the three idiots run away, but in his mind he found the reaction...concerning. Though a part of him had his suspicions as to why the leader freaked out suddenly.
"Eren?" Armin called out his name in concern.
"I'm heading back." He turned and walked away, but didn't get very far. Reacting quickly, he jumped away as three knives were embedded in the ground where he was just standing.
"What the hell was that?!" Connie exclaimed.
Marco looked down at the three weapons, "Knives?" But who in the world would target Eren?
Reiner was looking around, "Who threw them?!" He demanded.
"It looked like someone threw them from high up…" Jean comments before looking up, "Up there!" Pointing upwards, he saw a person cloaked in all black looking down at them.
"Who is that?" Bertholdt questioned, feeling a little nervous by this unknown person's presence. For some reason the individual felt very familiar.
Eren's gaze was focused on the hooded individual. The figure smirked, jumping down the rooftop and charging at Eren once they landed. He responded in kind with a roundhouse kick that clashed with their kick.
The two moved back, skidding across the pavement before charging again. Eren picked up one of the embedded knives and clashed with the individuals.
"What the hell is going on?!" Connie didn't know whether to be impressed by the fight or not.
"Shit, is Eren being targeted for a reason?" Jean cursed.
"We need to help." Reiner was about to step in but Armin stopped him.
"No, wait!"
"Why?" Reiner questioned.
Armin turns his attention back over to the fight, "Eren isn't in any real danger, if he were then he would take this much more seriously." He can honestly say he prides himself on being observant. And his instincts were telling him Eren wasn't in any real danger, hence why his friend is holding back.
"But still! We can't just stand here and do nothing!" Reiner persisted.
"What would you have us do? If we just rush in to help him, we'll only hinder Eren as he'll be focused on making sure we're aren't killed." Armin tells him.
Reiner grunted, but said nothing to refute him.
"Go, Eren!" Connie shouted in support.
Jean whacked him upside the head for that, "Dumbass! Don't just suddenly yell, you'll distract him!"
Connie rubbed his head, "Geez, I was just trying to be supportive…"
"I really don't think this is the time right now…" Bertholdt chimed in.
Armin turned his attention back to the fight. Eren was on equal footing with the assailant, but he had this nagging feeling in the back of his head. Something was telling him he knew who the hooded person was, but he was drawing a blank.
"Armin!"
Snapping his head to his right, he flinched when he saw Mikasa running in their direction. And she wasn't alone, either as the other female cadets were right behind her.
Not good!
Mikasa will try to jump in and help!
He had to make sure she didn't try.
Unfortunately she reached them too quickly for him to think of a way to dissuade her from joining the fight. Mikasa saw Eren was engaged in a fight with the mysterious individual, but strangely didn't move to try and get involved herself.
'If she's not trying to help Eren, that means the hooded person is someone familiar…' Armin's eyes widened slightly in realization, 'Could it be—?!'
While he was busy debating on the identity of the hooded individual, Eren managed to get the upper hand by pinning the assailant to the ground. The knife in his hand was pressed against the attacker's felt like time had stopped as none of the Cadets said a word and made a move to approach them.
"Ahahaha!" The pinned assailant laughed suddenly. Another thing to note was how relaxed they looked while being unable to move. Armin knew that laugh from anywhere, not to mention Mikasa already picked up on who the person was from the beginning.
"So you have improved. And here I thought being a cadet would have made you lazy." The person teased in a lighthearted manner.
Eren huffed, "That's not the real reason you attacked me out of nowhere." He said it as a fact.
"You're right, it's not. But I'm not telling you my real reason." The individual said.
"I know."
"Hmph, not even going to try and ask? No fun at all." The person pouted.
"That's fine with me."
Jean, who looked really confused at this point, decided to break up their little banter, "Hold on, what the hell is going on here?! Do you know who this is, Eren?" Now that the uneasy feeling was gone, it was now time for answers.
Eren didn't answer him, instead helping up the person who attacked him, "Have you had your fun?" He asked them.
"I'm satisfied." The person then addressed the rest of the cadets, "Good evening, everyone. Sorry for scaring you so suddenly, but when I heard my adorable brother was visiting, I couldn't resist playing with him."
It took them a moment to understand what the person in front of them just said. But once their brains finally started working, all of them spoke at the exact same time.
"Brother…?"
Armin sighed as he recognized the person's voice, and he knew who this person was. Then again, he should have picked up on it after Mikasa didn't move to intervene and instead looked irritated.
Smiling, the person removed their hood and revealed their face to the now flabbergasted cadets, "It is a pleasure to meet all of your acquaintances. My name is Erena Yeager." She politely greeted them.
The cadets were stunned into silence as they saw an identical face to that of their fellow cadet Eren. Same face, eyes, colored hair, and everything. Holy Maria!
"No way…hey, Eren! You forgot to mention to us you have a sister, dude!" Connie exclaimed, a little freaked out by how identical they look.
Erena smiled at her brother, "Huh, is my younger brother embarrassed to talk about his older sister?" She teased, poking his cheek.
"You're wrong. I just never brought it up." Eren grabbed her wrist and moved it away from his face.
"Not being very sociable towards your fellow cadets. That's always been a problem for you, no wonder you only have Armin and Mikasa for companions." She reminded him of his lack of interaction when he was a kid.
"Armin and Mikasa are enough. You've never made any friends here for a reason, and Armin doesn't count." Eren shot back at her by bringing up her lack of friends at all.
Erena's smile widened at the jab, "Eren, do you have something to say to me?"
"I said what was needed." Eren responded.
The cadets were now feeling uncomfortable with the sudden hostile atmosphere between the two siblings. When you think of sibling fights, this isn't what comes to mind. This is scary.
"W—Wait, you two! You can't have one of your fights here or you'll mess up the street like last time!" Armin was quick to intervene before they could even think about it.
Jean whipped his head in Armin's direction so fast, his neck nearly snapped, "Mess up the street?! How the hell did they manage to do that?!" Actually, he could see it. Eren's got some monster strength all on his own. He can just imagine what his sister is like, even if she doesn't look like much.
Erena's attention shifted over to Armin. Her sudden hostility vanished at the sight of him, "Armin!" She embraced the smaller boy, "You look well, Sunflower."
Connie snorted at the nickname, "Sunflower?" He almost laughed.
Sasha grinned, "It suits you, Armin!" She complimented him.
Armin blushed.
Erena pulled back so she could see his face, "Look at you, those boyish looks of yours will be gone very soon. I look forward to that day." She leaned in, voice low and sultry.
Armin was now red as a tomato. How she can say things like that without feeling any kind of embarrassment was truly something.
"Is she seriously flirting with Armin right now?" Jean didn't know whether to feel jealous or not.
"Guess so. Looks like Eren's sister has a type." Connie observed.
"Poor guy looks really embarrassed though. Look how red his face is. Kinda reminds me of Bertolt." Reiner commented, throwing the other under the bus.
"Reiner!" Bertolt hissed, face red.
Erena's eyes shift over in Mikasa's direction. Both girls stare at each other, not saying a word. Their gazes weren't exactly friendly, either. Unknown to the rest of the cadets, these two girls used to get along. With the Keyword being "used to."
Neither Eren or Armin could understand why there was such animosity between them now. Thankfully they can be cordial enough to each other and resort to physical blows…
…at least not yet.
"It's been awhile hasn't it, Mikasa." Erena was the one to break the silence.
Mikasa responded in kind, "You look well, Erena." Her tone was neutral.
"What an unhappy face. Why so mean? We used to get along so well." Erena said, smiling.
"You must be mistaken. I'm very happy to see you again." Mikasa replied, dully.
"Are you really?" Erena looked doubtful, "Both your expression and tone say the opposite."
"That's just your imagination." Mikasa casually waved off.
Connie went over by Armin and whispered, "Hey, what's going on between them? They look ready to rip each other's throat out!" He wasn't wrong in his observation. The two girls may be speaking in a civil manner, but that was only on the surface.
"They weren't always like this. Back then the two of them got along, but I guess something happened." Armin would like to know what went on between them, but knew they wouldn't say.
Ymir thought their little banter was hilarious, "This is like a case of a sister-in-law being petty against the wife." She snickered.
"Ymir!" Krista hissed, shushing her.
Erena and Mikasa continued to have their stare off. One was smiling while the other showed no emotion at all. Eren decided to stand in between them to put an end to their little standoff.
"Erena, don't start picking a fight with Mikasa." He scolded.
"Picking a fight? I'm not doing that at all." She denied.
"Don't lie."
"I'm not. It hurts that you would doubt your older sister like this." She faked being hurt.
"You don't seem that bothered by it to me." Eren wasn't falling for her little trick.
"How would you know?"
"I do."
Jean's eyebrow twitched, "Talk about a different kind of family." Is this really how Eren acts around his sister?
"I'm kinda surprised she's the older sibling. Eren looks like he'd be the older brother type." Mina commented.
There were a minute of agreements.
Erena smiled in their direction, "Since you've all been walking around so much. Why not come to our home and eat?" She suggested.
"Seriously? Thanks!" Connie grinned.
"Will there be meat?!" Sasha was already drooling at the mouth.
Ymir scoffed at her question, "You really do have meat for brains, don't you?"
"Of course." Erena wasn't fazed by Sasha's question, "There's plenty to go around."
That was all they needed to hear.
As they were being led in the direction of the Yeager twins home, the cadets used that time to try and get to know the older sibling.
"So, Erena, what is it that you do?" Marco was the first to ask.
"I do many things." She replied.
That wasn't what he was expecting her to say and it showed on his face, "O-Oh…" he said, nervously.
"But not telling you would be pretty mean of me, wouldn't it?" She said.
Jean's eyebrow twitched, "Is she just messing with us?" He couldn't believe she and Eren are even related. Their personalities were so different that it's honestly hard to believe they're siblings.
"She's playful while Eren's stoic. Is that what you mean?" Marco questioned.
"Yeah."
Erena looked up at the setting sun, "Let's see, I mostly do my work outside the walls." Which isn't a lie.
"Eh? What sort of work do you do outside the wall?" Armin didn't know she was doing any kind of work outside the walls. And with the Titans out there, no less!
"I'm sorry, Armin. But I'm afraid that's classified." She said, apologetically and actually meaning it.
"Oh, I see."
"What about you, Eren? Do you know?" Armin asked Eren instead.
"I don't know." He replied, bluntly.
Erena rubbed the back of his head, "I can't get over how tall you've gotten. Even if it's just an inch." She teased.
"I'm still growing." He grunted.
"Yes, yes." She chuckled.
Krista smiled at the interaction, "They really are close. Makes me a little jealous." There was a longing in her gaze that Ymir noticed but said nothing.
"Shiganshina has changed since the attack," Erena lamented, "The people here look happy, but behind those smiles is their fear."
"Fear?" Reiner questioned.
Suddenly, she was standing before Reiner. The smile she gave him sent shivers down his spine, "You know, don't you? About what happened here five years ago. Suddenly a Colossal Titan appeared and kicked a hole through the wall without any sort of hesitation. Many Titans came through the hole and started killing anyone they could get their hands on." She stepped closer, forcing him to take a few steps back, "Another interesting Titan came crashing through the gate and tried fighting the only Titan that decided to protect the citizens of Shiganshina."
"Only for that pathetic Titan to be crushed into the dirt then tossed outside the wall." Her tone was mocking, gaze not moving away from Reiner at all.
Reiner felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. His whole body wouldn't move for some reason. Was he afraid of her? Or was it something else?
"I'm honestly jealous I didn't get to see it myself. To be so easily defeated and tossed aside like waste must have felt so infuriating. But even so, the citizens still have fear within their hearts. They know it isn't over yet." She moved away from a relieved Reiner. Bertholdt and Annie were tense as she walked away. The rest of the cadets felt intimidated by her sudden mood shift.
Eren didn't say a word as he walked next to his sister. He doesn't expect the others to be comfortable around her for this is how she is now.
'No, she wasn't always like this.' He remembered a different Erena from his memories.
"Hey, Eren."
A younger Eren looked over at his sister as they were sitting in a field of flowers. They were by themselves but watched closely from afar.
Erena was holding a flower, "We should go see it for ourselves someday." She said.
He was confused by what she meant, "See what?" He asked.
She turned to him with a smile, "Father's homeland."
Eren had almost forgotten about it.
He never told their father of the conversation they had in the field of flowers. It was a private moment between two siblings, and nothing else.
Maybe she was curious about why their father never talked about his birthplace while with them. He never asked, either. The sorrowful and regretful expression on his father's face told him plenty.
"Here we are." He came back to reality when his sister announced they'd arrived at their home.
Home…
"Wow, your house is pretty big." Sasha said in awe. The house actually wasn't that big, but Sasha lived in a village so she isn't used to seeing houses that are bigger than the shack she lived in.
"How kind of you to say, Sasha." Erena said.
Before anyone else could say anything, the door opened. Eren felt a rush of excitement at the sight of his mother walking outside the door. The moment she spotted them, her eyes lit up with joy.
"Eren, Armin, Mikasa. Welcome home." Carla Yeager greeted them. The cadets got a good look at the twins' mother, and needless to say, some of the boy's may or may not have developed a crush. Carla still looked beautiful, with her another pale skin and blue eyes.
"Wow…Eren's mom is really pretty." Sasha couldn't help but stare at Carla.
"You can tell they both get their looks from her." Ymir observed the facial features of both Carla and the twins. Both of them take after her a lot.
Eren immediately hugged his mother, beating Erena, Mikasa, and Armin to the punch. Carla was surprised for a moment before returning the hug, "I missed you, too. I'm glad to see you taking care of yourself." Looks like there really was no need for her to worry, but she can't help it. Motherly instincts took over.
"Come over here you three." Carla gestured for Mikasa, Armin, and Erena to hug her. Which they did. Eren moved out of the way so they could get a hug, too.
"Why don't you all come inside? You must be very hungry." She invited them all inside to get some food in them.
The inside of the home was just as beautiful. Even the kitchen had a lot of room to fit them in. Another plus side to this was the good food! Sasha didn't bother to show any table manners as she gobbled up the food like a wild animal.
Carla didn't seem to mind it though. In fact, she was flattered that the girl enjoyed her food so much. Feeling the warm hearted atmosphere in the air made the cadets feel at ease. Before anyone knew it, it became like a family gathering. With the atmosphere the way it is, slipping away without being noticed was easy enough.
Erena gestured for Eren to follow her outside at the back of the house for a chat. The two siblings were alone now, and with the others distracted inside there was no one to bother them.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself. Is it because of them?" Erena spoke first.
Eren didn't answer her inquiry because he had a question of his own to ask, "What did you do?"
"Hm?"
"We ran into those three while looking around. One of them looked at my face and screamed before running away." He elaborated.
Erena just smiled. She didn't answer his question, and Eren wasn't expecting her to. The smile on her face told him more than enough. Whatever mental trauma she caused was severe enough to make the other boy run in sheer terror. Since they were little he's always known his sister was different.
It was like that back then and it's the same now. She's changed, they both have. Since that day, neither of them have been the same.
"I'm sorry, Eren…!"
Wincing slightly, he decided to get to the point, "What is it?" He questioned.
She handed him a folded piece of paper in response. Taking it from her he unfolded it and read the contents. As he was reading it, his eyes dulled, "So it's them." He said.
"That's right. The Order of the Walls." She confirmed.
Eren crumbled up the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. He'll make sure to burn it later, "Why start moving now after being quiet for five years?" When they were younger he would see some of them lurking near the wall or praying. Then they'd start preaching about offering prayers to the untouchable walls. Unknown to the rest of the citizens of the three walls, the true purpose of the church is to protect the secrets of their organization.
That also includes the true knowledge of the world.
"I wouldn't say they stayed silent, just decided to conduct their business secretly. Their attention has mostly been focused on finding two potential targets instead of just one now." Erena explained the motives of the church.
Eren's eyes narrowed, "So they haven't given up searching. And this other target you're talking about is most likely…" He trailed off, but already knew who the other target could be.
The smile on her face widened, "The identity of the "Mysterious Titan." In other words, you." She tells him.
He wasn't surprised. In fact he had a feeling they would be trying to find out the identity of the person behind his Titan. Trying in vain to search for him for five years in order to make sure he was properly dealt with. What a persistent bunch.
"So? You want me to take care of the ones on the list. And the hideout?" He asked for more clarification on his now assigned task.
"Leave it be." She clarified, "Make it look like they decided to do a self-sacrificial ritual. Since everyone knows the members talk about doing nonsense all the time they won't question it. Neither will the Garrison or Military Police." Both will just assume some members decided to show their dedication to the Walls in their own way by killing themselves as proof of their loyalty.
"Understood. Anything else?" He asked.
She moved a strand of hair from behind her ear as a soft breeze made her hair move, "Nothing you don't already know. I trust my brother can handle this without my assistance." She said with confidence.
"How kind of you." He said sarcastically, but there was no real bite to it.
She suddenly touched the side of his face, "I'm sorry. Normally something like this would fall on me, but I have other tasks to deal with." Her apology was sincere and not fake at all.
He responded by rubbing the side of her head, "You take on too much already. I'll take care of this, focus on whatever it is you need to take care of." Erena hides behind a smile. Her true emotions hidden away behind a mask of her own creation. There are times where he understands what she's thinking, and other times he doesn't. But right now, this moment here shows her dropping the mask and expressing some of her true self.
A genuine smile appeared on her face, "Good luck." And she meant it.
All of the cadets were now in the dorms, getting ready to sleep. Well, all except one, that is.
Eren was getting ready to go out and made sure he had everything. There was no need for him to sneak outside, it wasn't close to curfew yet, but Shadis preferred if they stayed in the dorms regardless. So that leaves him with just 30 minutes to deal with everything and come back on time. Well, should something go wrong, he could have Armin explain to Shadis that he wanted to check on his mother again and lost track of time.
Speaking of which…
"Armin." He called out to the blonde, getting his attention.
Armin looked up from the book he was reading, "What is it?" He questioned.
"I'm going out. If I don't come back before curfew tell Shadis I went to check on my mom." Eren requested his friend lie for him.
Armin was surprised by the request, "S-Sure, I don't mind, but why? Where are you really going?" He asked.
Eren patted down his pocket, double checking he had the necessary equipment, "There's something I need to take care of. Don't worry, it shouldn't take long but just in case it does tell Shadis that I went back home for a bit. You got it?"
"Okay…" Armin was still worried but if Eren said it was okay, then things should be fine, "Be careful." He said.
"Ah." Eren left the dorm and headed off into the wooded area. Once he stepped through the foliage of trees and bushes, he put on a black cloak and mask. It hid his eyes so that no one could see them. Stepping out of the forest, he took to the skies before landing on one of the rooftops, but not too loudly. Last thing he needed was to alert the residents of someone jumping on their rooftop.
He started running on the roof of houses then jumping high in the air to land on the next one and repeat the process. He had only one clear goal in mind and nothing else. The good news was that his destination soon appeared and jumped, landing on the roof of the church. Carefully, he moved closer to the edge and spotted three individuals talking. Looking at their faces carefully in the dark, he recognized they were the three on the list Erena gave him. It had both portraits and names, and these three were listed at the top.
Meaning they have higher priority as opposed to the other four.
Coming to a stand, he descended from the roof and behind the three. The three noticed his presence too late for them to try and retaliate. With blinding speed, the three men were gone from the world.
Inside the chapel, the other four were conversing about something different than what their comrades outside were discussing. It was about the same topic they've talked about for five years.
"There's still no word on that bastard child or Shifter?" One of the men asked his comrades.
The bald one replied, "No news on either. I must admit these past five years have been quite the headache. Had we killed her when we first learned of her existence then this situation would be resolved by now." He sighed.
"Has there been any word from the scouts we sent? They must have found something." The short haired one inquired.
"There's been no word. I'm afraid they may have been discovered before they could start their mission." One of the tall members answered.
"Curses! Just who dares interfere with us and our mission?! So long as that child continues to breathe she'll taint the members of the royal family! And there's been no news on the Shifter from five years ago?" The leader questioned.
The bald one shook his head in the negative, "We weren't able to find out anything, I'm afraid. All of the citizens we interviewed five years ago all said the same thing; a mysterious light was seen, then the Titan appeared and saved their lives." He reported.
"Blasphemy! How dare that Shifter believe themselves to be the savior of Wall Maria?! We must find them and the bastard child before they taint all that we stand for!" The leader declared.
"Yes!" The others agreed with him.
Suddenly all of the candles went out at the same time, spooking them.
"What?"
"The candles…"
They were now in the dark unable to see a thing. Even their hearing felt blocked by the darkness surrounding them. Hearts beating fast in their chests as they had no other choice but to anticipate what may or may not happen.
"Arghb!"
"W—What was that—agh!"
"Heek! Someone's here—!"
The last one standing froze in place, unable to move a single muscle. Someone actually dared to attack them? What sort of fool would…?
The candles were lit up again, but the man wished he didn't have to see the sickening sight before him. Surrounding him were the bodies of his comrades, all of their throats were slit, but what was strange were knives in each of their hands.
Almost as if it were made to look like…
Someone grabbed his forehead from behind, the blade of a knife head to his throat. Before he could retaliate such rough treatment, the blade was pressed closer to his neck, drawing a little blood.
"Don't move or make a sound, Pastor Michael." The assassin ordered.
Pastor Michael cursed inside his head. He let his guard down and now this assassin has a hold on him, dammit!
"You've been too active these past five years. Trying to find the illegitimate child and the Shifter. Unfortunately your actions have caught the attention of those who are keeping them hidden." The assassin explained to the man.
What?! Someone's protecting them?! Who?!
The assassin suddenly grabbed the top of the Pastor's head, hair and all. They made the man look them in the face, "I'll show you one last thing before sending you off." Taking off their mask, the pastor saw the assassin's face.
His eyes widened as the face was very familiar. He's seen the exact same face before, in a family portrait of the…
'It can't be…' His eyes widened even further as he realized who this boy really is.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. A clean cut to the neck ended the pastor's life, and the assassin was true to his word.
Seeing his face was indeed the last thing he saw.
Armin perked up when he heard the door open and was relieved to see it was Eren.
"Are you done?" He asked.
Eren looked down at the ground then faced the blonde, "Yeah, did Shadis come?"
"Not yet. You got back just in time." Armin assured him.
"I see. Thanks, Armin." Eren sincerely thanked his best friend.
Armin smiled, "You're welcome. Did everything go well?" He asked out of curiosity.
Eren paused for a moment and thought about the lives he took today. It reminded him of his very first kill when he was a kid.
Eren didn't understand why his teacher wanted him to kill this man. He said it was his very first lesson, but what did that mean?
"Don't look confused. Titans aren't the only things you'll be killing." The tall man kicked the bound and gagged criminal over to a confused Eren.
"But, why do I have to kill him?" He asked innocently.
"I just told ya, brat. Titans ain't the only ones you'll be dealing with. Humans will come at ya so they can kill you." He explained.
Eren still hesitated to kill the men in front of him, and really didn't want to. But he thought back to the words his grandfather told him and tightly gripped his knife.
With a new firm resolve, he approached the now terrified criminal. The man tried squirming away from the child, but that proved to be pointless. Eren was already on top of the man and raised the knife above him then brought it down.
Closing his eyes, he faced Armin and answered him, "I took care of it." His best friend doesn't need to know yet. Neither does Mikasa.
'No matter how many times I have to kill. I'll keep moving forward, that's my vow.' He inwardly declared.
"I'm sorry, Eren…!" His father hugged him tightly, tears streaming down his face, "I know I don't have the right to ask this! But, please!"
Eren changed shirts, eyes unfocused as he replayed the memory from the past.
"Please, promise me…that you'll protect yourself…"
Placing a hand in the mirror, Eren stared at it for a moment, 'I'll keep that promise.' No matter what.
'No matter who my enemies are…I'll keep moving forward!'
A vow he will never break.
They remained in Walk Maria for a while during their training. Soon it was time for them to leave. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin already said goodbye to Carla and Armin's grandfather.
Hannes came to see them off and apologized to Eren about what happened yesterday. Eren wasn't upset by it anymore, but told Hannes that if he didn't stop drinking he would be sure to let his mother know. Much to the cadets amusement, Hannes spluttered at the threat but took it seriously.
"Oh, right! I know this sounds kinda morbid, but we found some members of the church dead this morning." He revealed.
"What? Were they killed?" Armin questioned in utter shock.
Hannes shook his head, "Nah, just the opposite. Crazy bastards killed themselves in some sick ritual. I swear I'll never understand these nuttjobs." He sighed, not wanting to talk about it anymore, "Anyway, the Military Police can take it from here."
"That's really scary. Why would they do such a thing?" Krista wondered, horrified.
"Who knows? But didn't I say those guys had a few screws loose? Guess I was right." Ymir scoffed, not feeling sorry for them at all.
Eren didn't show any reaction to the news, his expression remaining stoic, "See you around, Hannes." He bid the man farewell as did the others as they left Wall Maria.
Erena was already off to deal with her own assigned task. No doubt news will reach the higher ups in the Order about the deaths of their members, including a pastor.
Whether it be Titans or humans. He'll keep fighting.
No matter what.
Erste Schlacht—Der Kampf um den Trost (First Battle—The Struggle For Trost)