The Guardian's Tale (AOT fanfiction)

-Declaration of War-

"Hey. It's been four years, Reiner." Eren spoke up, his face resembling a blank canvas due to the lack of emotions.

The blond male froze, a look of horror and realization painted on his face as Falco just stood there, looking up at us with clear confusion reflected through his expression. I turned back to Eren, my glassy eyes reflecting the flame of the oil lamp set next to us.

"You guys are old friends aren't you ?" He asked as I could feel the level of nervousness in his voice rise. "You are, right Mister Kruger ?"

"Yeah. We've got a lot of catching up to do." Eren plainly responded as he extended his hand to the chair in front of him. "I don't even know where to start. Have a seat, Reiner. This is a great spot, don't you think ? You can hear everything that's happening onstage. And this building right above us is a residential complex. It doesn't offer a great view from behind the stage but it's teeming with ordinary people waiting for the show to begin."

My eyes widened as I realized that he was holding the lives of these people hostage and from the look on Reiner's face, he had understood that if he made one wrong move, all these people would die as quickly as candles on a windy night. When Eren pointed upwards, I noticed a bloody cut across his hand that I hadn't seen before and so did Falco.

"Eren...did you hurt your hand ?" I asked, fear lacing into my voice.

"Yeah, it's just a scratch. Reiner, sit down." He coldly ordered.

Reiner let out a long breath in an attempt to calm himself down and sat down on the chair, before placing me on his lap and wrapping his arms tightly around my stomach. I could feel his whole body shaking and, without a word, I gently placed my hands on his. Eren...just what were you planning ?

"Well, I should really be heading back now." Falco finally spoke up, his eyes reflecting the fear that had begun to fill all of our hearts.

"No, Falco. You should stay and listen to us." Eren's voice sounded strangely menacing despite his lack of emotions...and that terrified me.

"Falco, do as he says." Reiner softly ordered as he sensed the boy's hesitation.

A heavy silence filled the room, deepening the already rising tension, as music started playing above us. Eren's emerald eyes stared right into mine and I saw a small glimmer in his eyes which revealed that he wasn't here to catch up with Reiner but rather tear him apart. He only had Falco stay because...he knew that what he was about to say would break the boy's trust. This realization made me press myself further back into the blond's figure in an attempt to get away from the murderous tension oozing out of Eren.

"Eren, Yuki." Reiner's deep voice echoed through the room. "How did...Why are you here ?"

"Same as you." Eren's simple words had Reiner bury his face in the crook of my neck, looking as if he was on the edge of a breakdown. "Don't you get it ? We're the same as you. We don't have a choice. Sounds like the curtain's up." He noted as people started clapping. "Let's hear what he has to say."

Reiner's grip around me tightened and I reassuringly kissed his cheek as Mister Tybur started telling the public a story. Approximately one hundred years ago, the Eldian race ruled the world with the power of the Titans. Between the appearance of the Founder Ymir and the present day, Titans have stolen the lives of so many people that the present population of the world could die thrice and still not compare. Because of the Titans, an extraordinary number of races, and the cultures and histories thereof, have been stolen from the world. As we listened closely to his speech, I looked into Eren's eyes once again, only to find a blank and emotionless look.

According to Tybur, when the Eldian Empire ran out of enemies, it turned to killing its own kind and thus began the Great Titan War. Houses holding eight Titans shed blood in combat among themselves as the tenth Titan slowly faded from this world's memories. In these desperate times, one Marleyan saw a path to victory. His name was Helos. By artfully waging an information war, he led the Eldian Empire's biggest threats to turn against and kill one another.