The Guardian's Tale (AOT fanfiction)

-The Basement-

My Titan form was looming over me, holding up a mirror. When I looked at it, the marks under my eyes were burning red and the Commander was standing behind me, a dark look on his face.

"You could have saved me." He said. "After everything I did for you, you couldn't save me."

As I turned around, everything disappeared and I was standing face to face with Reiner. I stood there, frozen as he brushed his fingers under my eyes, a tear rolling down his eye.

"My love...you really are a monster." He then grinned darkly. "You tried to kill me and now...these marks will remind you just how inhumane you are."

Before I could answer, he drew his blade and I heard someone to the same behind me. When I turned around, the Commander had his blade up, ready to cut off my head. "How could we have associated ourselves with such a monster ?!" They asked in unison before bringing their blades down.

"NO !" I yelled, springing upright, holding my hand up in front of me.

I then realized that I was laying down next to Jean, panting and sweating. Hange and Captain Levi both turned to me, startled and Jean handed me a bottle of water, saying that my injuries were quite severe and that I couldn't get up just yet. I brushed him off and I slipped on a shirt, when I realized that the only things covering my chest were bandages and my jacket. So...it was just a dream...I grabbed a blade on the ground and when I looked at myself, the markings were still there. I placed a hand over my eye as Jean came up behind me and placed his hand on the top of my head. 

A few minutes later, we all gathered around Armin as he asked what had happened since Bertholdt's transformation and what had happened to my eyes. I looked away, not wanting to remember. Seeing my face, Levi ordered Eren to bring him up to speed.

(..........)

"We won...But of the Scout Regiment, there are only 10 of us left alive...the 10 of us." Armin said.

"Yeah...that's what it looks like." I replied. "The fighting ended 4 hours ago...they've been searching for survivors but no luck."

"So...to be clear..." Armin spoke up. "We resealed Shiganshina's gates, securing Wall Maria. Reiner and the Beast Titan escaped along with the quadruped. You managed to capture Bertholdt and then...with both the Commander AND me wounded...you had to choose which of us to give the injection to. And you did...I transformed into a Titan and ate Bertholdt. I...ate him."

Just as he was about to vomit, I handed him a bottle of water and rubbed his back to reassure him. When Armin asked why he was given the injection, I turned to Captain Levi and he imply answered that Mikasa and Eren were willing to draw blood to save him.

"You'll certainly be disciplined for your insubordination." Hange warned Mikasa and Eren. "But getting punished isn't the same as making amends."

Captain Levi then added that it all came down to him in the end. He said that he chose this place to be the one where the Commander died. Hange admitted that she thought saving Erwin would have been a better choice but the Commander was the one who was entrusted the injection to Captain Levi in the first place and the decision had already been made. She then added that the life of Commander Erwin and the power of a Titan both rested on his shoulders.

"I almost forgot...since fath-...he's dead Hange's the new Commander now..." I pointed out while putting on my cloak. "So in a way...you're in the same position."

(..............)

As we walked through Shiganshina district, I noticed a familiar piece of fabric stuck under a rock. I picked it up, and froze as I realized why it was so familiar. It was the ribbon my brother used to tie his hair. After all this time...it was still here. I hesitated for a moment then placed it in my pocket and caught up with Hange, Levi, Mikasa and Eren. When we walked past my old house, I saw my brother and I running around as kids, him chasing me and me with my beloved plush in my hand. I turned away and kept walking, this wasn't the time to get caught up in memories.

When we finally got to the house, Eren showed us the hatch to the basement and we cleared away the debris that was blocking it. We all headed down the stair but when Eren tried his key, it didn't open the door at the bottom. Before I could burn down the door, Captain Levi kicked it open and we walked into a room that looked like a normal doctor's study.

"If we assume these are all labeled accurately...most of these are widely available." Hange commented as she put down a bottle. "And all of the books on hand relate to medicine. There isn't a single thing here that would rouse my suspicion. As I'm sure your father intended."

Captain Levi agreed and noted that if you wanted to hide something from the Interior Police, you had to be sure not to give them any leads. As I looked around, nothing seemed suspicious. 

"Eren...look I found a keyhole." Mikasa called out.

Eren tried his key and to our surprise, the drawer opened. But when it did, it was empty and I realized something. I pulled up the bottom plate to reveal 3 books sitting perfectly at the bottom. Mikasa and Eren opened the first one and found a portrait of a family attached to the first page. 

Curious, Eren took it out and Hange asked to look at it. When I looked closer, I noticed that something was wrong with it.

"Hange...this is way too detailed to be have been drawn by a person." I pointed out.

Mikasa pointed out that there was writing on the back and when Hange flipped it over, she read it out loud.

"This is no illustration, it was made by gathering the light reflected off the subject and burning it into an image on special paper. Looks quite nice, right ? Where I'm from, there are many amazing technologies like this. Man kind isn't gone. Beyond the Walls, countless humans live in comfortable refinement. I pray the person who finds this book would be a fellow patriot."

(.............)

We all stood atop the Wall as the citizens cheered us on, Hange holding the 3 books we had found. I looked down at the people's happy and relieved faces. Would they cheer like that...if they knew what had really happened back there ? Would they cheer like that if they knew how much all of us had lost ?

TO BE CONTINUED !