Shingeki No Crystal

Prelude

I remember that day. The day we had a rude awakening to the fact that our world was not ruled by humans, but by the titans.

Shiganshina was my home. Where I would play in the meadow just outside the town square with other children. I would often watch over my little cousin Eren and his adopted sister, Mikasa. When Aunt Carla was a bit too busy to handle them, I would take them to gather wood or go for a picnic.

I stayed into the evening most days, reading my books and sketching the sunsets as I sat against a white willow tree. The switches above me would sway around me in the light breezes that always seemed to wash over the fields just before nightfall.

  "Celine!!!" My father would call. "Celine, my darling, we must go now!!!"

He would hold his hand out for me as I gathered my things neatly in a basket to go home.

We were happy. I grew over the years I grew 'in grace and beauty', my father would tell me. And it was a peaceful, normal life. Until that day.

I remember looking up to see massive pair of eyes looking over Wall Maria. Red skin and pure white teeth shone in the sunlight.

My father, being the smart man he was, ran. When everyone else was busy staring at the titan peeking over our precious wall, he took my hand and ran.

Red. Everything turned red as the titans entered our wall and guzzled down our citizens.

I remember my father telling me not to look and cover my ears. But I didn't.

He ran. I was jostled when he took my arm tighter, my head whipped round, screams and gasps catching my clouded vision beneath the heavy footsteps below me.

I heard the screams of the people as they were devoured. I listened to the crumbling of our city, and the crunching of bones beneath Titan teeth.

I looked quickly over my shoulder to see a beady eyed, grinning creature chomp a man in half.

And then I felt it.

The gigantic booming of the footsteps. The sudden loss of gravity.

I was dropped to the ground, hearing and seeing my father screaming for me to run. To run to the boats and not to look back. But he couldn't run. He was clasped tightly by the filthy fingers of a monster, trying and failing to gain freedom.

"Run Celine!!!" He screamed. "Run, love, run!!!"

My body wouldn't budge. I was seventeen. And my father had drug me through half the town, and was being held by a titan, about to be eaten.

I watched as the titan stared down at him, grinning its awful grin. He shook my father around as if to get him to stop moving before lowering his lips to his hand, and biting down on my fathers torso.

Blood sprayed from my fathers body, covering my face and dress. I was showered in the crimson liquid as I stood there, quaking. The warm sensation of the stuff seeking into my pours.

I don't remember how I got to the boat. But I did. And I was places next go three smaller children. A boy with teal green eyes, a girl, orient in nature, and a blonde. Eren. All I could do was take his and Mikasa's hands, all of us staring at the slats of the boat.

How had we come to this? The three is us, sailing away from our home, leagues away from everything we knew. The only thing left of our family was us.

"Are you alright?" Asked the small blonde boy. I didn't answer but he kneeled in front of me anyway.

He began wiping my blood stained face with a rag as I stared into nothing. I hugged my knees closer to myself until he finished cleaning my face.

I was snapped out of my trance when he took my hand. "If you want to go downstairs we can wash your hair ."

I nodded silently and followed as he made his way below deck.

He took me to a small room where a few women were tending to children. He brought me to woman who looked me over.

"I'll be back with a bucket. Lanna, get her a proper dress!" She called, cupping my cheek in sympathy.

The small boy took my hand again and led me to another small room. He let the woman take me in and close the door.

She was kind enough to wipe me down and dress me in a different dress. If was low cut and black, corseted along the outside.

"I hope its not uncomfortable. Its all we had!" She said taking my hand.

"Thank you," I whispered. I walked out of the room, blood free and clean.

The small boy of about nine was still there, waiting for me. I had now recognised him. He would run through the village with Eren and Mikasa, the only other child to like to play with my odd cousin. His blonde hair and massive eyes were somewhat hypnotic. You could tell he cared for others, like it was second nature to take care of them.

"I'm Armin," He took my hand as he led me back to the main deck. I hadn't noticed until now that the boy's eyes were glazed over, almost as if his mind was just going through the motions, blocking out all emotion he held.

"Who are you?"

"Celine." I said simply. "Celine Avery."