The Pauper Prince || Attack on Titan x Male Reader

March of The Defeated

???: H-Help me!

A voice cried out in vain before being silenced by a sickening crunch. The sound of cracking bones and ripping joints echoed in your ears as your ODM gear pulled your tired body further forward. So many lives were lost. These trees served as tombstones more than pieces of nature while the brutal side of nature ate away at the screaming husks of fellow soldiers. Boots meeting the branches beneath you, you could only follow the orders of the superiors you passed. Total retreat. Whatever mission was supposed to happen was a failure. And you were not enough of an ignorant fool to believe it didn't have something to do with that female titan. You wanted to demonstrate anger, sadness, anything except this blank feeling of simply trying to survive. 

???: Oi, (L/n)! Call for your horse, we need to fall back before we are left behind.

Blinking in response, you could only lift your fingers to let out a crisp whistle, echoing other signals coming from the soldiers around you. Of course, your horse Emporio should have been confused by the mixed signals but he honed in on your tone and met you at the edge of the forest to roll out with the remnants of various squads and groups ripped to shreds by the titans that had poured toward the center.

Soldier #1: This isn't... this isn't happening... why...

Soldier #2: H-He's probably just fallen back already... 

Soldier #3: Shut up already! 

The broken whispers and shouts of the soldiers around you filled your heard with nonsensical noise, dampening your already spent mood as your eyes sharpened toward the back of the superior your small group followed. How much did he know... Did he know of this massacre would happen? Your emotions were seemingly boiling over in a pot much too large. It wasn't exactly suppressing your emotions but the disgust, anger, and sorrow building in your chest couldn't find the fuel in your body to be represented. Every muscle in your body ached to some degree, a familiar burning sensation ripping through your chest is a reminder of the last operation you took part in. For now... you simply needed to stare forward and let Emporio whisk you away to the relative safety of the remaining soldiers before your erratic emotions managed to shine through.

Brown eyes scanned the horizon, groups of Scouts shambling in from the direction of the giant trees. The Scouting Legion had suffered major casualties as could be seen by the bodies being accounted for. 

Conny: Worried?

Sasha pulled her eyes away from the distance for a brief moment to regard the shorter male before returning to her own spying.

Sasha: No. I know he will make it. I... I guess I'm just hoping to see more coming. but now...

The girl noted the lack of horses for a moment, the number of soldiers trickling in growing smaller and smaller. Of course, her hopes were immeasurably raised as a larger group of horses arrived. Six or seven at the very least riding in. And her heart could only leap as the tension in her shoulder was relieved by the sight of you hopping off your horse to try and stretch out your legs. When your (E/c) gaze finally lifted, it couldn't be helped...

Your arms opened in time for the girl to fall into your embrace, both of you devastatingly tired from the operation as Conny wrapped his arms around the two of your weakly.

(Y/n): I'm so glad you two are safe.

Conny: Hah... I'm happy you're alive too.

Sasha: When we were all assigned to different squads I got worried. Especially after the news of the right flanks reached us.