Allies and Enemies (AoT Reader Insert)

Chapter 30: Reunion

Arc 8: Ghosts of the Past

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It is often said that memories are one of the most precious things in the world. An animal's memory often helps them navigate the large world they're born into. The memories of the world are written down in books and kept as a record of existence. As for the memories of humans? They're often considered fundamental building blocks that shape the people we are and have become.

Humans can do so much in a single day, yet not every moment is remembered. Only certain experiences, moments which elicit strong emotions, can be recalled vividly.

Past traumas, fleeting moments of joy and long periods of grief are many of the first things to come to mind when one brings up strong memories. It's these kinds of memories that apply rose tinted lenses over everything we see and do. Even a realist falls victim to their own preconceived notions and opinions of the world.

How did the world ever come to be a place this cruel?

Annie Leonhardt grew up in a world where she was a second class citizen. She was raised in an environment where mocking stares and subtle whispers followed her every step. She never cared for any of it, or rather, she didn't know anything besides that way of life. To be honest, she hadn't cared for much when she was a child. Being abandoned after birth only to then be raised by a father who only showed concern about his own gain made her that way.

No one ever showed much care or concern for her, so she never felt like she had to do the same back. For the longest time, she went through the motions of life without much care about herself or others. And then, at the age of five, she met (Y/n).

Annie's interest in (Y/n) didn't pique because they were expected to interact as Warrior Candidates, but because (Y/n), despite the smile she wore, reminded Annie of herself.

It was common knowledge that (Y/n)'s father was the holder of the Crystal Titan before (Y/n) herself, but not many people knew the implications of what that meant. There were speculations that (Y/n) only made it into the Warrior program because her father was a Warrior. Annie had always been aware of these rumours, but she had never really cared about them.

While the young (h/c)ette may have fooled the other Warrior Candidates, Annie knew the weight of carrying someone else's expectations - she knew what it was like to work hard because someone else expected you to. When someone carries such a burden, they're bound to isolate themselves from something or other. Sometimes it would be the people in their lives, other times they become isolated from themselves.

For four years, Annie was trapped in darkness. She couldn't sense or feel anything - not even the beating of her own heart. She questioned whether she was alive more times than she could count, let alone wonder why she was still living.

Even so, Annie had become familiar with isolation from a young age. Oftentimes she even considered herself as someone who preferred to be alone over mingling with others. So when Annie found herself lonely, she couldn't help but wonder why. The Shifter certainly longed to return to her father, but that was far different from being lonely. As a matter of fact, Annie had never gotten lonely before she met (Y/n).

Simply meeting (Y/n) did not change Annie's view on life. It takes a lot more to change someone's notion of the world than a generic greeting or two. However, someone's view on life is bound to change when you're trapped alone with nothing but your own thoughts and memories for over four years. The only things that kept the Female Titan Shifter company were the voices of all too familiar people and the memories of the girl she met when she was five years old. It's only fitting that the first people to interact with the stoic blonde after four years of darkness to be the very people who kept her company for so long.