That's My Cadet (LEVI X OC)

The Fall of Shiganshina

Third Person Perspective

"Sakura, tell your mother that I'm the best uncle!" Kaiyo said, tossing his niece in the air a few times, listening to her soft giggles each time. 

"Uncle Kai is awesome!" Sakura laughs after Kaiyo places her back down into her mother's lap who's sitting under a small tree in the middle of the small field. She lightly grabbed a strand of her mother's long brown hair. "Mommy your hair is so pretty and long! You look like a princess!"

Ichika softly giggled, "You're the only princess here, blossom."

Ichika was in love with the sight. Her daughter was absolutely perfect. She had short, wavy brown hair like her mother, but hazel eyes like her father. That was the only trait she took from her father, and Ichika was glad. 

She hated being reminded of a man that she could never love again. He said he was "beyond the walls" and could never raise a child. She knew that he was full of shit, and she could happily raise Sakura on her own.

Her daughter was happy without having a biological father, she had her uncle to support her and her mother. After he left, he rambled that he couldn't stay forever with her and it was better if he just left. Ichika never understood why; she never really feared the titans coming through. 

She, unlike the rest of the people of Shiganshina, believed in the Scouts. 

She was amazed at their bravery, her mother being one of them. Although she passed away years ago on an expedition, Ichika continues to tell the stories her mother told her to Sakura.

She told her child how fierce her grandmother once was, using her ODM gear to get her fellow scouts out of trouble. She would kill titans when it came to saving her teammates, but she always put her team first, hence causing her to be consumed by her selflessness.

A loud bang made Ichika snap out of her thoughts, Sakura screams when she saw it.

A giant titan. 

He kicked a large hole in the wall, letting its army of much smaller titans seep through it. Ichika did the most reasonable thing, she wrapped her arms around her child, grabbed her brother by his arm, and went to search for their father. 

"We have to find dad!" She ran towards the direction of the house. Her grip on her brother loosened to wrap both of her arms around her daughter, making sure she was secure.

When she saw that she was too late. He was crushed under a large rock that was flung from the kick in the wall.

"Where's grandpa?" Sakura whispered into her mother's ear. Ichika pulled her daughter's head into the nape of her neck and began to run towards the other side of town with Kaiyo. 

"Momma, what's going on?" As a three-year-old, of course, you'd question this situation. 

"Just a game of tag blossom, but if we really don't want to get caught this time." Ichika mumbled that lost part and watched her brother as she ran to find safety. When she turned the corner, that's when her life flashed before her eyes. A titan, at least 7 meters tall, was heading their way. 

"Let's go the other way." Kaiyo pulled on her arm as they turned the other way. After running, Ichika pushed her brother into a small alley after seeing a titan on the end of the road.

"Ichika what are you-" Before he could finish, Sakura was placed into his arms by his sister. His sister bent over, putting her hands on her knees and lightly panting.

She assessed the situation in her mind, thinking of what the best thing to do in this situation was. Sakura and Kaiyo were the two things she valued most in this cruel world and she was going to make sure they got out alright.

"Take her and run towards the boats, you can run faster than me and my legs might give out soon. Please Kaiyo, you're the one who can keep her safe."

"I am not leaving you here! You will get there safely and raise her as a great mother-"

"Kaiyo, please. Do it for mom." Kaiyo looked at his sister like she was crazy. Why did she have to bring her up now when they were running for their lives? He gave his sister a sigh and a nod, beginning to run with his niece to safety. 

It hurt him inside that he had to let his sister do something selfless yet stupid. 

She ran in the opposite direction to try and pull the titan away from her family. She thought her mother was looking down on her, giving her a blessing. Ichika saw a dead scout member on the ground meters and away and ran straight towards it.

Ichika never knew how to use ODM gear, but her mother always told her about it. Use the triggers to shoot the grapples and that the blades could cut through titan flesh. When she got to the dead member, she began trying to figure out how to take off the gear. She began slightly yelling in anger, not being able to unclip the gear. 

She heard heavy footsteps and began to panic. When she couldn't figure it out, she grabbed an extra blade from the side, letting the blade cut through her fingers the tighter she gripped it. She then began to run in the opposite direction of her daughter, trying to distract it. The titan reached its hand out to grab her, she slipped away. But, her hair didn't.

She hissed in pain, feeling her scalp being pulled. The ends of her hair were just caught in between its fingers. It raised her up closer to it's mouth, ready to devour her

"I'm sorry blossom," She gripped the blade hard, leaving her hand all bloody. She held the blade above her head, slicing through her long hair. 

When she dropped to the ground, she ran in between houses towards her family. Ichika had small tears in her eyes, from the pain, and the thought that the hair her daughter loved was gone. 

But, Ichika needed to see Sakura again. She ran as fast as she could, hearing ODM gear grapples above the rooves of houses. She might be lucky enough to live another day.

After what felt like years of running, she finally made it to the boats. She saw her brother and her daughter on the boat, ready to board.

"Ika!" Kaiyo ran to the edge of the boat, holding both of his up and waving them to make sure she saw him.

She needed to be there for her daughter. She pushed off of the feet and bolted towards the boat. She pushed through many people as the boat slowly started to move. She panicked.

"Jump!" Her brother shouted with his hand out. Her eyes widened but her feet never stopped. She pushed for her daughter, her brother, and the lives that were going to be ahead of them. She needed to push to be there. Once at the edge of the shore, she jumped with all her might.

Ichika stuck both her arms, doing her best to reach him. It felt the world was slowing down as she got closer and closer to her brother, anxious as if she'd reach him. But when her fingers grazed his wrist, he held her hands and made sure not to let go.

"Thank the walls you made it." Kaiyo pulled her into the boat. She immediately embraced her brother, crying into his shoulder and he squeezed her tighter.

"Mommy, what happened to your hair?" Ichika immediately let go of her brother and dropped to her knees to see her daughter. She scooped Sakura in her arms and squeezed her tight, crying into her hair. 

"Why are you crying, mommy?" She looked at her in the eyes and smiled.

"Because I get to see my princess again."