Attack On Titan: Darkest Days

Chapter 1: The Day Everything Changed.

Year 845, Shiganshina district, late morning

      "Wake up!" A feminine voice yelled out, towards the slightly ajar door of her son's bedroom. She spied a pile of blankets shifting as her son struggled to wake. She gently tapped on the door.

     "Did you forget that Alma and Kai are coming to visit this morning dear?" The person under the blankets suddenly bolted upright, revealing a young boy of about ten years old. 

     "Oh no!" He panicked. "Is that today?" He hurriedly changed out of his sleeping clothes and into the ones he had laid out last night. A simple red shirt and blue trousers. He ran to his place at the dining table and quickly scarfed down a piece of bread with butter.

     "Lucas Rosen!" His mother scolded, running her fingers through his brown hair. "There is no need to be in such a rush! They won't be here for a while yet. Your hair is getting long too, you'll need a trim soon." Lucas pushed his mothers hand away.

     "Moooom... I like my hair the way it is." He reached up to his ear, where the hair had just barley managed to grow past. "And besides, dad is still on that mission with the Survey Corps. So he can't cut my hair, and remember the last time you tried it?" The color flushed from her face, it had been a bad time for everyone. 

     "That's true, but he should be home today. That's why Alma and Kai can come over. To greet him with you!" She said with a smile. Lucas couldn't help but smile. He admired his father, but thought that the Survey Corps was dangerous and his father could be killed. Fighting Titans in their territory seemed suicidal.  A small knock at the door broke him out of his thoughts.

     "Get the door would you please?" His mother asked, she was washing dishes, and had her hands full.  Lucas stood up and opened the door. A boy and girl, the same age as him stood outside. The boy was around Lucas's height while the girl was slightly shorter.

     "Come in!" Lucas smiled, moving to the side and letting them in. The duo stepped inside, taking in the surroundings. The boy looked at the woman doing dishes. "Hello Christina." He greeted.

     "Sooo..." the girl asked, "What are we gonna do today?" Lucas looked at his mother who gave a slight nod.

     "Well Alma, mom said we could go to the market and buy some sweets while we wait for the Survey Corps expedition to return!" The other two kids eyes widened in surprise.

     "Sweets? Wow really?" The other boy, Kai asked. Sweets of any kind where hard to come to come by, unless you knew someone in the market. Luckily for them Lucas's aunt managed a market stall.

    "Well what are we waiting for?" Alma shouted. "Let's go!" she ran out the door, followed closely by Lucas and Kai. "Bye mom! Love you!" Lucas yelled, then he was gone.

     The three had been running for a few minutes, weaving in an out through various streets, trying to get to the market as soon as possible. Lucas turned a corner and ran right into somebody, who seemed to have been going as fast as him. They both fell to the ground.

     "Hey! Watch where you're going!" A familiar voice yelled. It belonged to Eren Jager, another child in the city, and an acquaintance  of the three. He was carrying what looked like firewood on his back. 

     "Oh.... sorry Eren." Lucas sheepishly tried to apologize. But Eren was already gone, being closely followed by a girl. "Eren never slows down... I wonder where he's going"

     "Who cares?" Alma cut in. "Let's go get those sweets!"

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     The trio sat on a few crates near the market, happily eating the sweets they acquired. It was late in the afternoon and Lucas was growing anxious. The scouts should have returned by now! Suddenly the ringing of bells pierced the usual silence of the city.

     "That's them!" Lucas stood up, and watched the gate slowly begin to rise. The mood shifted as the first members trudged into the city. They didn't bear the joyous smiles that the three had once saw when they set out. As more soldiers came inside their wounds were obvious. Bloodied bandages covered many peoples heads and arms. There was a significant amount of people missing as well. Lucas looked desperately for his father, but couldn't see over the crowd. He did noticed Eren and his adoptive sister Mikasa watching as well. A look of admiration was clear on Eren's face. The soldiers kept walking, ignoring the people yelling for their loved ones, or saying the expedition was a waste of life. The last members walked by, leaving a stunned Lucas to wonder where his father was. A hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

     "Come on..." Kai said softly. "Let's go back." The three walked back in a different mood then they had left with. It wasn't possible... He'd just missed him. He'd go home and his father would be sitting at the table, laughing with his mother. But it wasn't the case. They returned in the evening, the sun was just beginning to sink over the horizon. Alma opened the door to Lucas's house, and sitting at the table was his mother, sobbing uncontrollably. Clutching a Survey Corps cloak, Stained in blood. "This is all that's left..." She managed to choke out.

     "No... It can't be..." Tears welled in Lucas's eyes as he ran to his mother. Throwing his arms around her. Nothing could be worse than this. Alma and Kai stood in the doorway, sad looks on their faces.

     "We'll leave you two be" Kai said, and turned to leave. Before he could, a thundering sound resonated from the wall. A bolt of light cut through the air and stuck the ground right in front of the gate. Windows rattled in their panes, and dishes toppled to the floor. Everyone stared in horror as a large skinless hand gripped the wall. A Titan, taller than the wall appeared. Time seemed to stand still as the Titan stood motionless. Then it was raining debris.

     Stones of various sizes rained down on the city, destroying buildings and crushing bystanders. Smoke was already beginning to rise from houses. The gate had been broken, Titans where getting into the city. Then the panic set in. People where running towards the interior, in an attempt to escape. The sound of screaming overwhelmed everything else. Christina stood up, throwing the cloak over her shoulder. "Kids. We need to leave now."

     "But our families!" Alma protested. "Do you think your families will just be sitting around?" Christina yelled. "Now go!" They all ran into the street, and moved with the screaming crowd. Alma gazed in horror at a man who was pinned under a boulder, a woman tried to free him while a child pulled on her dress. People were being eaten behind them, she was sure of it. The four didn't stop, until they reached the gate to the inner city. The Garrison had already set up a cannon blockade, to aid in the evacuation, but were arguing about something. Ferries were being loaded with people, panicked civilians pushed at the soldiers, trying to get past. Some were desperate enough to jump from the dock onto the ferry. In what felt like an eternity they were on board the next one, headed to safety. Lucas noticed Eren with his hands clenched to the railing, tears streaming down his face. He ignored it and faced the sound of cannon fire, when another sound reached his ears. All of the passengers watched helplessly as another gate was destroyed. This time by a Titan covered in what appeared to be armor. People all around them where crying and praying. Some saying it was the end. Christina laid a hand on Lucas and Alma's shoulders. Kai stood beside them.

     "Everything will be alright." She said.

     Somehow they doubted it.

     

     *Magical author's note* So my friend and I where talking about Attack on Titan last night, and this is what happened. It was written at four in the morning so there probably is some typos. But oh well.