Cloaked Lust

The Fall

Astraea, the ancient greek goddess of innocence. She was titled the "Star Maiden," after she abandoned the corruption of humanity and instead immortalized herself as the constellation we now call Virgo. It was almost ironic that a child would be given such a name. Innocence didn't exist in this world. At least not in Astraea's world. She longed to feel the freedom of the sky, but cattle don't fly. And that's all she was. After all, she knew in her heart, home was a pen. Humanity, cattle.

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Astraea groaned as she picked herself up off the forest floor. 'Damn it,' she thought looking down at her jammed ODM gear, the cause of her fall. She sighed as she unbuckled the gear and checked the damage further. Thankfully it was just rust, but the girl didn't want to risk it seizing again so she decided it was best just to walk. Astraea sighed running a hand through her silver hair finding new knots near the ends due to the high speeds of her gear. She sighed again as she walked, grumbling about the inconvenience her hair had become now that it nearly reached her waist. But deep down Astraea knew she could never bring herself to cut it. She made a promise long ago that she would leave her hair long. And after 12 years, she had no intention of breaking that promise.

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The walk back to the edge of the forest was only 45 minutes, but the pain she felt due to her tumble made it feel like an eternity. She sighed, finally approaching her horse, Luna. She was a beautiful chestnut mare and a gift for Astraea's 10th birthday from her father. It was rare for civilians to own horses, but thanks to her father's work, they were able to afford such luxuries. She stroked her dark brown mane before climbing onto the low branch she had tied Luna's reins to. Climbing onto the branch for height, she mounted the horse. Such measures had to be taken, after all, the child wasn't even 5 ft. Making her way back to Shiganshina took no time at all. Her house was at the edge of town, and closest to the district's forest. Astraea had many fond memories of the forest, she spent many days training with her father in the seclusion of the trees, swimming in the small lake on warm summer days, and zipping through the trees with her ODM gear. Although, she wasn't always as graceful as she was now. When her father first introduced the gear to her last year, the clumsy girl broke her leg just trying to balance. She chuckled at the memory as she approached her house, thinking to herself how much she had changed since then.

Unlocking the door, she was greeted with an empty house. Her father had been on a "work trip," for the past four days. Astraea knew that his "work" entailed illegal activities in the Underground, but she turned a blind eye. If her father being a criminal meant never going back to that place, then she would support it. However she still worried from time to time, about her father's, and her own, safety, as she knew her dad had enemies. From a young age, Astraea's father had been teaching her self defense. When the girl turned 8, her father started tutoring her in defense, then progressed to offensive moves. Then at 9 knives were introduced. At 10 guns. And finally when she turned 11, she was to train with the contraption that allowed soldiers to fly. The gear was made for the sole intention of killing titans, but Astraea couldn't help but crave the freedom it brought her. A temporary distraction from the thought of humanities self-imprisonment.

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Later that evening, Astraea found herself with her three best friends, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin watching the sun set. While Eren and Armin discussed the beauties of the lands beyond the walls, Mikasa filled in Astraea. Apparently, earlier that day the three ran into some bullies that Mikasa scared off, and Eren got into some trouble at home for wanting to join the survey corps. I could see why Mikasa would be so concerned about Eren joining, after all, many soldiers don't return to the walls. She's always had this protective instinct over her friends, especially Eren. But Astraea couldn't blame Eren, since they shared the same goals. It was always her plan to be a scout, and she and Eren spent many nights discussing all the ways they would help rid the world of Titans and save humanity. It was their little secret, a dream that they kept from their friends and family so they wouldn't worry. Although Astraea would never say it out loud, she was slightly hurt that Eren told Mikasa something she thought was private to the two of them, something that she thought made them closer. She got lost in these thoughts as her deep blue eyes gazed towards the wall. Her silver hair that had been idly twirled around her index finger suddenly fell still. Her gaze was directed towards something so horrific she nearly choked. It was a titan, peaking its giant head over the wall. She watched in terror as the titan kicked a hole in the gate sending debris everywhere. And then everything went black.

[A/N: Alright so first chapter down! This chapter was mostly about introducing my OC which is the main perspective in this story. Let me know how you like it, doves!]