JDthebeast's Beauty and the King

Chapter 5: A New Reality

Y/n couldn't really remember what happened. The last thing he saw was his caretaker, who looked after him since he was young, Whenever the rest of his adopted family ventured beyond the wall, strewn across the streets. Her intestines decorating the cobblestones like some gory, horrific painting.

Tears clouded his eyes for most of the journey in his uncle's arms. All he could do was cry and cling to Levi. He was weak.

Y/n: (Thoughts) Why? Why did she have to die? Why did anyone have to die?

As he closed his teary eyes, a foggy image came to him. It seemed far away, yet close enough to feel like he was there. He could just manage to make out a woman with H/c hair. It seemed like she was crouching in front of him, saying. . . something. The screams of people and the dreadful sound of the massacre that was occurring all around them drowned out the words. Her lips were moving. She looked frightened almost. But Y/n couldn't quite tell. But as soon as this image came to him, it vanished when he opened his eyes. He tried closing his eyes once more, but the woman was gone.
It was then he realized they had passed the Inner gate and into the interior of Wall Maria. He pulled his tear-soaked face away from his uncle's scout rain cloak. All around them, chaos reigned. A horde of people was trying to get onto the ferry that was stationed at the riverside. It was their only escape from the Titans that lay just beyond the wall that separated Shiganshina and the rest of Wall Maria.

Levi didn't stop. He continued forward. His onyx eyes flicking and searching for something or someone. After pushing past several citizens, the survey captain found who he was looking for.

Levi: Erwin!

Y/n turned his head and spotted his father and his aunt atop their horses, looking through the large panicking crowd. When Levi shouted, Erwin's eyes immediately flicked to their location. Y/n could see the worry that was present upon his face. But when he spotted Y/n, it morphed into one of relief. As they exited the crowd, his father jumped down from his steed and rushed to their position.

Erwin: Y/n!

The new commander took the ten-year-old boy into his arms, looking down at him with a fatherly expression.

Erwin: Are you okay!?

Levi: He said he hurt his chest, but other than that, he seems alright.

Erwin: Good. Now let's ride to Trost.

As his father turned and moved towards his horse, Y/n spoke up.

Y/n: B-But my friends.

Erwin: I'm sorry, Y/n. We can't help them. We have to keep moving forward.

His adopted father lifted Y/n onto the horse, making sure he was secure before swinging up himself.

Erwin: Hang on to me, Y/n. We're going to ride hard until we reach Wall Rose. We can't have you falling off.

Y/n weakly nodded, clinging to his father. Erwin positioned the horse to face the path that would lead them towards Trost. Levi swung up onto his own horse that was being tended to by Hanji. The Commander nodded to his friends and comrades, who all nodded back.

Soldiers: Shut the gate, now!

Y/n looked over at the half-closed gate. Several frightened garrison soldiers rushed through, looking petrified. A soft thumping started to reach his ears, managing to get through the wall of noise that were the town folks screams of terror.
Soldiers: We're being charged!

Y/n: W-what do they mean by-

Before the boy could finish his sentence, the inner gate that separated Shiganshina and the rest of inner Wall Maria burst open. A large Fifteen-meter titan with what appeared to be armour covering its body had managed to breakthrough. The debris from the now destroyed gate landed on several people.