The Crimson Harmony (Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan fanfic)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

   H-how? I reached into my pocket with my trembling fingers as I pulled out the charm. Holding it by the leather strap with my pointer finger and thumb, I compared it side by side with the charm on the table.

   “I – It’s the same,” I gasped, puzzled. How could this be? There was only one charm that Erik gave me and I had in in my hands but there was still another. It didn’t help that the duplicate charm was in an isolated house, in titan territory.

   “Ria, look what I found,” Erik whispered, gesturing me to come where he was standing. I walked with my stiff body, seeming almost mechanical because of the shock. When I reached Erik, my eyes widened in terror and of remembrance. My past all started to come together in bits and pieces: the puzzle was almost complete. The key to my memories was what was lying on the shelf. On the shelf, there were multiple serums, notes, and a whip.

   It all came back to me… I was my father’s helper in his experiments. If I disobeyed or wasn’t able to fulfill his wish, I was beaten. There were multiple tests I had to undergo and multiple items I had to steal. One of tasks I had to do was break my friendship with Clara and tie her up. I heard that Clara’s father wanted to experiment on her too but did not want to create hatred between him and Clara. Therefore, he decided to use me and have Clara make a grudge against me. It was probably so that Clara would be willing to do experiments to have revenge against me. One day though, I witnessed Clara’s father steal some mixtures from my father’s experiments. I told this to my father and communication between us and Clara or her father was gone.

   I remember now that my father wanted to create a mixture to be safe from the titans. He ordered me to take some titan blood but in order for me to do that, I had to join the Survey Corps. I had to disguise myself to hide my father’s whereabouts and his identity. So he pretended I was a man. Thus, the name Arthur, was given to me. It’s quite ironic that I knew Lukas before and in fact was his best friend. Maybe that’s why we were able to get along. My father had told me that this was his last request and that if I fulfilled the task, I wouldn’t have to go through anything again. This was my motivation through training and I knew that if I was the top and got the titan blood, I was to never see him again. My tragic past continued in that way and I got the titan blood and returned to give it to my father. However, he created a new mixture and injected it into me. I had forgotten the explanation but I remember it now. The mixture allowed me to befriend the titans and fit in with them because it made the titans see me as one of their own. In the titan’s eyes, I was not a human but a titan or an ally.

   I returned to the Survey Corps but on the next expedition, a titan grabbed me. I don’t recall what happened next, but I can assume that from that point, I lived outside with the titans. It made more sense on how I knew the 3D Maneuver Gear and how my memories were triggered by certain events. Clara probably got the injection as well so that titans were her allies as well. The shot she gave me most likely nulled the previous effect of the shot my father gave me. I could now no longer be allies of titans. But it confuses me because my father is dead. He was executed after being in trial for mysterious activity. If he was dead, how could he write letters? Did he know I was coming?

   “Ria!” Erik yelled while shaking me, forcing me to return back to normal.

   “I… I remember now,” I forced out.

   Everyone curiously stared at me, expecting an explanation. I declined because there wasn’t time to waste and it would be too long. Then, something dropped from a shelf. I leaned over and picked it up but as I realized what it was, my breath was caught in my throat. It was yet another letter from father.

Dear Ria,

   I see you found the house. Why don’t you come… a little further outside the walls? In fact, come outside of Wall Maria. What you really seek lies there. Do you not believe me? I do recall that I made a promise not to bother you again after those experiments. If you disobey this last wish of your father, don’t expect your friends to live. I saw that you made plenty friends: Levi, Lukas, Erik, Eren, Armin, and others. You seem to have a wonderful life right now but I’m sure it feels like you’re missing… something.