The Turquoise Cure (Eren X Reader)

Chapter 2: A Soldier's New Hope

{shortly after the fall of Wall Maria}

Your narrow neck allowed your head to bobble helplessly as the boat swayed and pushed through the canal. You would occasionally awaken when you felt a sharp jolt that threw you from your sleep. Somehow, the nightmares hadn't started yet. That was to come later, once the day's events had been ingrained into your mind, confirmed to be true.

The last interruption that caused you to awaken was the last. You and the fellow refugees, most of whom had woken up by now, glanced around at your new surroundings. The night had come on, and the darkness that seemed to swallow up the sky made the mood uncomfortable and anxious. The only person that you could see still sleeping was lying his head on poor, little Armin. If it was the dark, you couldn't quite tell, but it looked like a sliver of shining drool wound its way out of a sleeping Eren's mouth. Surely, Armin was too nice to wake him. You, however, felt a vacancy for patience, and felt that it was time for the four of you to find out what you were expected to do in such a circumstance as this.

"Eren," your croaking voice managed to mumble out. You hadn't realized how sore your throat was until now, and you certainly hadn't realized how small the voice that escaped you was. This voice sounded nothing like the soldier that your mother had trained. This was the voice of a weak cow, one that would watch as the world walked past it, paying no attention to the changes needed to be made.

He woke up quickly and with a start; likely his nightmares had already begun. "Sorry," he said, his voice sounding choked up. Maybe I'm not the only one who has lost my inner soldier. A loud voice caught your attention as Eren was preparing to say something else. You shushed him, quickly apologizing for your unintentional rudeness. When do I ever act like this scared little girl? You soon realized that you had never been required to be around anybody other than your mother, brother, and doctor. This whole "speaking to others and fearing sounding rude" thing was quite challenging.

"Some if you refugees will be sent to cropping plantations to work. Others will be sent directly to the Survey Corps for the necessity of their fight and the reconnaissance of Wall Maria, which has fallen. Children who are too young for the Cadet Corps will have to serve on plantations until they can do so at the appropriate age of 12. Those who are able-bodied and of appropriate age will be sent to fight. Armin gave a curt look at his grandfather sitting across from him, who held out his hand to squeeze it.

Armin may not have lost someone to the titans today, but it didn't take a genius to see that he soon would. You felt a sympathetic tug at your heart for the blonde-haired boy. You wouldn't wish what he was about to go through on anybody.

"We will be identifying all individuals on this boat and dividing you into your determined work spaces," the voice concluded. "We will have each of you exit this ship one-at-a-time, and give us your correct name, age, and prior experience for work." Then, the man said something that immediately caught your attention. "Only the best of you will have a chance to survive this."

You rat bastard. Everyone on this boat has lost everything, and you feel the need to specify how helpless we all are? How our sacrifices that we're being forced to make are going to be in vain?

A warm surge of tears streamed past your eyelids and made their way to fall on your cheeks, then slipping onto your neck, dribbling down your shirt- still bloody from earlier. You gripped your courage, clenched your fists together, and started to stand up. Perhaps it was the best or worst of luck- you'd never know- that you fell right on your ass, stars spinning around your eyes. The instant wave of exhaustion hit you rapidly, and you soon felt yourself losing consciousness. Before your eyes managed to shut completely, you could hear the trio next to you scramble over to pick you up. "Why are you being so nice to me?" you croaked out, your tears still streaming. You never did remember what they said. The unconsciousness that encapsulated you was far too compelling.