Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

Chapter eight- The death of a Dream

AN

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EDEN PROJECT!<3 Play the song

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Chapter eight

I felt something nudging my side and I shifted slightly the soft feeling of bedding moving around me a soft breeze whispered though what I believed was my window. The nudge happened again and I felt myself look over. Mother…? Was she waking me for breakfast…?

I opened my eyes and looked up at a scowling Levi “Napping on the job?” He sneered. I sighed quietly; my red hair sprawled out in the grassy fields. This wasn't my bed at home, my mother wasn't there. I sat up slowly rubbing my eyes spotting the buttercup that was still resting at my side. I stood and felt my leg go and I went down, something grabbed my arm and kept me from face planting into the dirt. The trainee was holding me aloft I struggled to get out of his grip and re-find my footing. I did and stood shaking the grass from my clothing. He raised an eyebrow at me “You shouldn't be sleeping, we spoke to everyone and they told us they saw a 14 meter over in those trees.” He said, his voice low pointing to the collection of massive trees where we had often brought the trainees to practice with their gear.

I rolled my shoulders “Then we go to the trees.” I said to him glaring at the patch of forest in the distance. “Where are those stupid military core guys?” I asked. He shrugged “They already left.” I scowled “We have to beat them, Erwin would be angry if we let a group of military idiots beat the survey core.” I half joked. The cold boy stifled a chuckle as we mounted the horses and took off, the dust flew into the air behind the steeds. “How did a titan get inside the walls?” I wondered aloud. He looked over at me, black hair whipping into his face. “No idea, perhaps they  are just seeing things.” He said. I sighed inwardly but looked forward without another word. We neared the massive trees and skidded the horse to a stop. It was like another world strangely enough, the trees where huge and seemed to streak the sky with green and brown.

I trotted the horse into the forest, removing my swords from the silver holders on my sides. Preparing myself for whatever we would find, the birds sang loudly above us. I listened to their beautiful music. This place seemed to be at peace. I was finding it more and more unlikely that there was ever anything as awful as a titan in these woods. The clop of the horses hooves on the dirt path echoed through the trees bouncing off there thick red bark and into the deep green forest. I sighed quietly, breathing in the scent of the pine. Levi trotted his horse beside me “Can you hear that?” I asked. He frowned slightly and raised his left eyebrow at me in confusion. “Hear what?” I looked over the wind sweeping my scarlet hair back. “The sound of the forest.” He tipped his head and went silent for a while. “No.” He said. I shrugged and said nothing as we continued.

The sounds of voices entered my ears, yelling actually. We neared a small green clearing. I saw Tamaki and his little pack. He was circling the center of the clearing; the blond girl was standing in the corner looking paler then usual. “This is defiantly a foot print.” He said. We stopped the horses and said nothing, waiting for them to notice we were there. “Yeah.” Said the girl in a shaky voice while the black haired one looked up at us from leaning against a tree being uninterested.

“Ah, good of you to join us.” She said, as the other two looked up from there musing. I trotted the horse into the clearing seeing the massive indent in the clay-like dirt. I trotted lullaby around the foot print “Hm. That’s sure as hell a footprint.” I said, there was another one slightly farther away from it. No other ones, it looked like the creature had stood there and then vanished. I dismounted the horse and walked around carefully trying to not leave my footprints. I spotted some human prints going away from the titan print towards the heart of the forest.

They vanished about five feet from where the indent was. I frowned following them, they were two sets. Small ones and then a pair of large ones. A child and an adult, what on earth had they been doing out here. I frowned slightly peering down at the indents. I sighed quietly turning to the others, surprised to find that Levi was standing at my side looking down at the prints. “Interesting…” He said. “It looks like they came out here to see what was going on… perhaps.” He said.

I scowled “Why on earth would anyone bring a child out here to see a titan?” I muttered in disbelief. He shrugged “people are strange some times.” He grumbled, something entered his voice like a hint of pain perhaps…? I opened my mouth to say more but  I second guessed myself and shut it. Tamaki was suddenly there “You are still injured fair maiden?” He said pushily. I felt my eye twitch in annoyance. “You cant take a hint can you?”  I hissed though gritted teeth. The military core commander only smiled like nothing was wrong. “Well your hurt, shouldn't I help you?” I frowned “I'm fine.” I said refusing to show any weakness.

The military core boy shrugged “You'll only make it worse.” I sighed turning to the group “Did anyone get the time when this thing appeared?” I asked. Levi shrugged and Tamaki piped up “During nighttime one woman said.” He said. I looked up into the trees “Then we stake it out, if we get lucky it appears at one time and one time only.” I said revving my gas and latching the strings into the branches rocketing upward into the massive trees and landing without a sound. I sat down away from the others who followed me up and took a look at my leg removing my boot and rolling up my white pants. It was red and swelled.

I gulped slightly, it wasn't broken just badly sprained. Suddenly there was a tap and the blond girl was in front of me she knelt down and grabbed my leg before I could get away. She whapped some white tape around it almost cutting off the blood stream. I fidgeted in complaint but let her do her thing. “The wrap should keep the sprain from worsening.” She said quietly. I nodded but didn't thank her. She just jumped up onto another branch as I crawled sheepishly to the edge of the branch looking down into the clearing and the horses that where hidden in the trees.

 Soon darkness came and nothing happened. We continued to wait, I sighed readying myself to give up when a snap emanated from the pits of the forest and hushed voices. I readied myself as did the others, Levi was standing on the edge of the branch unmoving he hadn't moved for the duration of the night. Then I heard it, a screech… A titans screech.