A Sinner With A Smile // An AOT Time Travel AU

Sacrifices For Humanity

A week later, the expedition ended, and the remaining members of the Survey Corps arrived back to Shiganshina, heavily injured and carrying many corpses in a small carriage in the back. The interior of the carriage was covered in a white cloth, yet Eren could clearly spot the corpses located in it, the shaking of the carriage as it moved forward moving the cloth and allowing him to see the outlines of the deceased bodies.

He remembered the last expedition he had seen before Wall Maria had fallen, a time he had been childish and ignorant and had refused to see the truth behind these expeditions, and why they saddened people so much. The fact that their children died hadn't caused him melancholy at all, after all, they had given up their lives for humanity's future. It was a great honour, so what was there to be sad about? Why were all these people around him crying as if their hopes were shattered?

Now, though, after losing every single one of the comrades he'd had for many years, he knew exactly what they felt: it couldn't actually be called sadness, more like an empty void. The thought that you would never be able to see a person precious to you made one's breath tighten, fists squeeze to the point of bleeding and eyes darken with pain, the agony of losing someone you loved torturous for every single second of your life. It never truly disappeared, the pain of this rip in his heart, irreparable, yet also so easy create. But whatever they did, the dead would not come back.

Eren had been lucky. Lucky enough to hold the Attack Titan, lucky enough to have its abilities, lucky enough to time travel. If not, he would be the most miserable person in the world, all alone, having nothing to live for. Comrades' blood staining his hands, bodies beneath his feet, not a single sound left in this silent world but the painful beating of his heart.

His eyes shone with determination, hands fisting unconsciously, and he gave all the lives lost this time and previously a deep bow, pouring his heart into the posture. He did not cry, he did not need to, to show his sad yet proud feelings, and he could only hope they achieved peace in their demise.

"Eren?" asked Armin uneasily from his side, watching his friend give a deep bow towards the Survey Corps in confusion. His friend heard his voice and tilted his head to the side, allowing his glowing green orbs filled with solemn respect to meet the blond boy's, and smiled softly.

"I am paying my respects to all of those who sacrificed their lives for this mission," he explained.

Armin's eyes widened in surprise, and he hastily copied him, his eyes filled with sadness. His heart beat faster at the thought of all the dead bodies hid beneath those thin white sheets, their families mourning, tears rolling from their eyes as their hearts broke, never to fully heal again. He knew what death was, he had, ever since he himself had lost his parents to unforeseen circumstances, so he knew what losing people felt like, even if he didn't understand what losing someone precious to you after loving them for years. His memories of his parents were already blurred, his young mind wiping them already, and he could do nothing and wait as the warm images of them disappeared, never to be recovered. His heart clenched, but he gritted his teeth and ignored the acute feeling of grief that enveloped him at the thought of his parents.

"May they find peace in their ultimate rest," whispered Armin, shedding a few tears for the soldiers who put their duty before their lives, feeling admiration for every single one of them. He unknowingly mourned for his own loss too, the loss of the people who birthed him, who he had forgotten so quickly, making him feel like he had betrayed the people he loved the most.

Seeing his tears, Eren patted him in the back, straightening his posture.

"Do not feel sorry for them. They completed their duty as soldiers, and they deserve respect, not tears. They did not sacrifice their lives to cause grief, but to contribute towards their loved ones' futures. So salute them, yet do not pity them."