Vengeance Of A Human

Battle of Wall Maria: Homecoming

That night...

"Sorry you're stuck with my horse."

"You're supposed to be saving your energy."

"Yeah, I know."

"She's right. Rest up, Eren-Ow!"

Shaking my hand from the rough contact with Conny's head, I chastise him. "Don't say his name, idiot."

"Oh...yeah. Sorry."

"Assume this place is swarming with enemies," Jean says. A second later, he's shouting, "Titan on the left! Everyone halt! Light up the area!" We hold our lights to the Titan slumped on the side of the road, but he makes no movement.

"It's all right," Hange says. "He's fast asleep. This lad must not be one of those new types that moves at night. That's too bad. Let him be."

I look to Hange. "You sound disappointed, Section Commander."

"This moonless night must be protecting us. Light from the moon is reflected sunlight. The new type of Titan, you know we think they use that minuscule amount of reflected light to move. Using the new moon was the right move. There's no guarantee we won't have a repeat of before. That lad may be one of those "Moonlight Titans' for all we know. Hope we capture one someday!"

"Yeah." I look around, trying to get a bearing on our surroundings. It's been five years, but the scenery hasn't changed much. Having lived inside the inner gate, not actually within the walled town, I've become accustomed to the land outside of Shiganshina within Wall Maria. "I think we're close. Not much further out these woods, anyway."

Moblit nods. "How are you feeling, Joshua? To be back home after so long…"

I drop my head. "To be honest, there's not a single word to describe how I feel. I'm happy to be home, but I'm sad that, no matter what, to enter the town I must pass by that spot where my parents were crushed. That incites my anger at Reiner. Yet, the part of me that feels fear is also present because if we fail here...there's no hope at all. For the first time since Annie, I'm deathly afraid."

"I see. Then it is good to know you are human in some ways." He leans a little closer to my ears. "You haven't been influenced by Hange too much." I think this is the first time he calls Hange by her name without her title. I laugh as he straightens up. "But no matter how you feel, you should be proud that you made it this far. I know Hange and I are. You've grown since that first mission you had beyond Wall Rose."

"It's thanks to you both for seeing my potential before I actually graduated." Looking forward to the path, I begin to sing a tune to break my less than sunny thoughts in my head. "In the trail where bows and arrows fly through, spread your wings even if you have to hide away your burdened heart. It's too early for the dawn of requiem to arise as the sun has yet to set. Keep going beyond the endless moving waves."

"I can see the foot," A Scout shouts. "There's signs of a trail."

"It's so close," Eren says to Mikasa, Armin, and me.

"I can hear the river."

"Finally, we're back."

"The first time since we fled from here… Back to our hometown..."