Attack on Titan: A Blacksmith's Tale

Chapter 55: A Blonde's Tragedy

"So, it was a complete failure," Levi summed up as he read the results.

"Well, I wouldn't call it a complete failure," Hanji replied, trying to look on the bright side. "Annie was able to harden her entire body."

"But it didn't stick," the captain pointed out, slamming the notebook shut. "Four times with the same results. Without Leonhart inside, the Titan collapses."

Hanji hesitated to ask the question, but she needed to know. "You're not thinking of-."

"I'm not stupid, Hanji," he interrupted. "We need her alive, not trapped inside a crystal prison for the rest of her life."

She felt relief knowing that Levi wasn't considering that an option. It seemed that he really did manage to work through his issues. "Sounds like it's time for Eren to give the hardening a try."

"And how will the results be any different than hers?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Eren is the Coordinate, so... it might be different," she hoped before she quickly elaborated on something. "I'm not giving up on Annie. She's closer to figuring this out than he is. We just need to solve this problem."

Levi sighed in annoyance. "Keep working on them, Four-Eyes. If we're lucky, I won't have to tell Erwin tomorrow that the plan is a bust."

Hanji chuckled at that. "You might be surprised. By tomorrow, we'll be able to figure this whole thing out."

"In the meantime, it's high time we had a chat with Historia," Levi said. "Nick said she was the key to all this. Let's find out why."

There was never a more awkward moment than when the massive squad of Scouts ate together. With everything that's been going on with the government, and the spectacular failure of Annie's attempt to keep her crystalized Titan from disintegrating, morale had taken a plunge. It didn't help that Historia was placed at the head of table, ensuring that all eyes would be on her. Already, she could feel the weight of the world on her shoulders as the moment of truth approached. At long last, her friends would finally know who Historia Reiss really was.

Before anyone could ask a single question, the blonde began her story. "I was born on a small farmstead in the northern lands of Wall Rose. It was owned by the noble Reiss family. As long as I can remember, I've been helping on the farm." She could smell the fresh, clean air only a farm could provide. Sunburns on the back of her neck whenever she worked for hours. They were marks of a real worker, like badges. "But my mother always did the same thing: sit under a tree and read books. She didn't care to work and no one cared to make her. Most nights, someone would come for her in a carriage, and she'd go off into the city wearing fancy clothes. I was never able to go with her. She barely acknowledged my existence anyways." Every time she looked at her mother, the woman would have a look of disgust before turning away.

"For me, that was life as I knew it, but when I learned to read and write, I started picking up books to imitate my mother. It was the first time I was taught how alone I was. In every story I read, parents cared about their children. They talked to them, hugged them, scolded them, tucked them into bed, told them they were loved. I never experienced any of those things. One day, out of curiosity, I decided to try hugging my mother. I guess I just wanted to see what kind of face she'd make. I threw myself onto her, and she shoved me away." The ground came at her hard when she landed, fresh blood pouring from her nose as a result. "Aside from telling me what chores I had to do, it was first time she acknowledged me, so it actually made me happy. Then, she said that if she wasn't so cowardly, she would've killed it. That's what she saw me as: an it."

The majority of the cadets couldn't believe what they were hearing. It was hard to fathom the cheerful girl they knew in the Cadet Corps grew up in a loveless environment. To others, it made more sense when they viewed "Krista" as a mask. For a few, they were fantasizing killing Historia's mother above all else.