Attack On Titan: Zero

Season One: Chapter 27

ARMIN'S POV
It's going for Y/n!

"Where the hell is that thing headed for?" Ariel asked, keeping pace with us, but also looking back at the Female Titan.

"It's... It's going towards the center rank..." I said as the others gave me a surprised look.

"It's going after Y/n?" Ariel asked.

I slowly nodded, disgusted and hateful towards myself. I could have helped out to stop it more and now it's going after him because I couldn't do anything, "Y- Yeah..."

"Shit... And we only have a horse or two..." Ariel trailed off before gasping and pointing at a secluded covered up area, "Let's go there! We can stay there and call for help!"

The four of us looked at each other hesitatingly, before giving each other a nod of assurance, "Right! Let's do it!" Reiner shouted, speaking for all of us.

Quickly making our way over to the secluded spot, Reiner put me down as Jean and Ariel took a seat next to me, "I'll patch you up. You seem to be bleeding quite a bit." Reiner called his horse, the galloping of hooves getting closer to us, before finally stopping and letting a small cloud of dust breeze past us. Reaching into the bag on the side of the horse, Reiner pulled out bandages and walked over to me, crouching down and slowly, but tightly wrapping the bandages around my blood covered forehead.

"Two horses. Shit." Jean said as he continuously tried to whistle for his horse, but the only result was saliva spilling from his mouth onto the floor, "This isn't working!"

"We could share, but I don't think I'm sharing my horse with any of you." Ariel chuckled before swiftly lifting her arm up and firing off a purple smoke signal.

"I forgot we had those! Thanks, Ari-" I winced in pain a bit, the tightening of the bandages giving me a small headache.

"Yeah, whatever. You're welcome, I guess." Ariel galled and looked away.

"You know, I don't think you are who you say you are. You don't seem like the type that hates people. You care about others, you just don't want to show it because to you, it's a sign of weakness. You've been through things that have changed you. You're not that full on nice girl you are when you first joined, but you're not heartless like this either." I said to Ariel, ignoring the headache and the lightheadedness that came with it.

Ariel's eyes widened and she gulped, stuttering her words, "I... N- No, I don't care... It's not my problem..."

"What's your past? We've never heard anything about you." Jean said. He had given up on whistling and was now waiting for someone to arrive, hopefully.

"I'm from the Calaneth District in Wall Rose. If you've been there, then you'd know there wasn't much to do there. To have some sort of fun for myself, I bullied some of the other kids, I stole from the markets, and I stayed out late at night, even though I knew it was dangerous. I made it like a game for myself, tryifk to see when, even if I would get caught. I rarely went home, but when I did, it was pretty quiet. Except for one day, where everything changed. I was visiting Shiganshina with my parents because they wanted to go and couldn't leave me behind, so I had no choice, but to join them. Everything was pretty calm, until I got bored once again and decided to do the usual stuff I do. Turns out, I would get caught, and it would change everything."

ARIEL'S POV: Nine Years Old
"How could you steal from all these people, Ariel?!You've been doing this stuff this whole time!?" Mom shouted at me as I just stood there. My head dropped and myself full of guilt.

"I- I know. I just got bored! I never meant to-" I tried to protest and defend myself, but mom cut me off.

She scowled and crossed her arms, her tone was now cold and strident, as if she didn't care about my feelings at all, "I don't want to hear it. I knew I shouldn't have had you. You were just a mistake." Mom said, giving me a sharp glare, "You used to be such a nice young girl and now you've changed into this, this thing. What even are you anymore?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to fight them back, but they fell and fell, the moisture going all the way to my cheeks and leaving dried up tear marks, "Y- You don't... You don't mean that... Right?... Mom?..." I repeated her name over and over again, but didn't get a response.

"You're never home and you never talk to us. You've been doing all this stuff that you know is wrong." Dad said, his expression was cold and his voice was uncaring, "We've wanted you gone for a long time."

I glanced over at him and shook my head, wiping away my tears, "I don't need you two! I'll do everything on my own! Like you're worth shit anyway!" I shouted at them, hatred and rage in my voice, but also, sadness. I didn't want to end up alone, but it's not like I had a choice. I ran off from the two, quickly making my way over to a nearby boat. Boarding it, I sat down and sniffled, before the boat took off, separating me from my parents.

ARMIN'S POV
"A few days later, I met a boy. Black hair, dark brown eyes, and his hand stretched out towards me, offering me his help to stand. He helped me live. He did everything for me. He told me that I shouldn't have to change to please others, I should be who I am. He spent a year and a half with me, but then, the day Shiganshina was breached... He disappeared... I was alone again... But when I joined the military again, I recognized someone that looked just like the boy I had met... Rayvon Rouge..." Ariel paused, "Anyway, my parents died and now here I am." Ariel finished with a sigh, tears filling the corners of her eyes a bit.

"But then you started to act nice to others so you could prove to yourself that you had changed and didn't need to rely on others. You wanted to help them instead of receiving help. But it wasn't easy lying to yourself, so you went back to the way you used to be. It did get you this far after all." Reiner said as Ariel's breath hitched, her figure shaking slightly and her hands balled into fists.

"Ariel..." I trailed off.

"Well, that's something you shouldn't have had to go through." The four of us overheard a voice say. We looked up and were met with those dark brown eyes and that familiar black hair.

"Rayvon!" The four of us simultaneously shouted as he gave us a small smile.

Ariel quickly got up and engulfed him in a hug, burying her face into his neck and whimpering silently, "Why... Why did you leave...." Rayvon gave her a confused look, before sighing and making her face him, "It was you... W- Wasn't it?... The one that helped me long ago..."

Rayvon looked reluctant, he looked like he didn't want to tell her, but he did anyway. He gave her a small nod as she hugged him tighter, "Yeah, that was me."

"You idiot! How could you leave?! I didn't even get to thank you! You just left!" Ariel shouted as she cried even more, "Why did you leave?..."

"I had to. There was... Something else I had to take care of." Rayvon said as Ariel hid in the crook of his neck again, silently crying to herself once again.

"Where'd you come from?" I asked as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Looking behind me, I was met with a small blonde haired girl and those crystal blue eyes, "Krista!"

"We saw the purple smoke and came over. I'm glad you're ok. All of you." Krista said, her lips curved into a huge grin. We were so focused on Ariel, we didn't notice they were here. I looked over at Reiner and he looked starstruck, as if Krista was the prettiest thing he had seen, "And Ariel," Krista made her way over to the weeping girl, quickly grabbing her hand, "I'm sorry to had to go through that, but we're all here for you. Rayvon's here for you now too." Krista's eyes were caring and friendly, but they were blurred by tears. She felt others' pain, even if she didn't experience it herself.

"We shouldn't waste anymore time." Rayvon looked down at Ariel, "Let's... Get going..." Rayvon said as we all nodded, Ariel reluctantly getting back on her horse as we all then got on the extra ones Krista and Rayvon brought.

"Where to now?" Jean asked.

"We're going to the center rank." Rayvon said as he looked back at us, determined to find Y/n, "I'll be her leader for now. Just stay behind me... And don't get hurt." Rayvon said, glancing at all of us, giving Ariel one more look, before turning back to face forward.

We'll find you, Y/n.
___________________________
Chapter 27