The Guardian's Tale (AOT fanfiction)

-The Castle pt.3-

After what seemed like hours of burning and slashing Titans, I sunk my fingers into the tower once more, panting and on the brink of collapsing. I saw Ymir get pulled down into the horde of Titans and decided I had to head back down into this hellhole. As I was about to jump, I felt my entire body give out and I fell down right into the horde of Titans. Time seemed to slow and I heard Reiner scream. Was this the end ? Suddenly, Ymir grabbed me and threw me back up into the top of the tower where I lay, inert. I tried to stand up and go back to Ymir but my body felt as though it had been frozen.

"Don't..." Reiner said as he grabbed my wrist. "You're covered in blood, wounds and burns from your own fire...keep on going and you'll burn yourself to a crisp." He started clenching my wrist tighter.

"R-Reiner...let go please...you're hurting me..." It felt as though he was trying to break my bone. "R-REINER PLEASE !" I yelled before his eyes widened and he let go of my hand.

The tower started collapsing as Ymir used bricks to defend herself against the Titans. She propped her head over us and told us to hang on tight. I got up as quickly as I could and hung on to her hair, with Reiner behind me to secure my small frame. The tower fell on the Titans and we were thrown to the ground. Just as we thought it was over, we saw them get up and I gritted my teeth.

"HEY UGLY !" I yelled at Ymir. "I believe we have a job to finish." I said before she shook her head and Reiner grabbed me from behind.

"Wait...NO STOP !" I thrashed as best as I could but he was too strong.

We all watched helplessly as the Titans started eating away at Ymir. Suddenly, Christa ran down to help her, saying she still hadn't told Ymir her name, when all of a sudden a Titan appeared in front of her. Miraculously, Mikasa came down and slashed the Titan's nape.

"Well...look who decided to join the party." I joked, barely able to stand up. "Glad you're not dead after all."

"Don't you look like crap. But yeah...I'm glad you're okay." She retorted. "Now get back, let US take care of this."

Several Scouts swooped down, killing all of the Titans almost in a flash. In the middle of the crowd, I spotted Eren. I broke free of Reiner's grasp and ran towards him.

"The hell happened to you ?" He asked as I pulled him up.

"Very long story..." I saw him about to open his mouth but I cut him off. "Yes I look like shit I know." I sighed and saw him looking at my legs. "Yeah...I hate skirts."

(.........)

We were all gathered in a group, looking at Ymir from a distance. The Titans had cut her right arm and leg off and had damaged her side pretty badly but at least she wasn't dead. She mentioned for me to come closer and I reluctantly agreed.

"I'm....I'm sorry I should've-" She cut me off by shaking her head.

"You did good kid. You did real good." She said as she smiled for the first time in forever. "Without you I'd be dead."

I slowly got up and walked away as Christa finally told her that her real name was Historia. Hange immediately tended to my wounds and burns as I silently stared at Reiner.

"Shit we might have to kill her." I heard him mumble as he stared right at me.

My eyes widened and I suddenly got up. I backed away from him, hitting a piece of wall left behind me.

"Yuki ?" He asked, worried.

"Y-You....no I...sorry I'm imagining things." I said as I sat back down, allowing Hange to finish taking care of me.

(............)

I laid on top of the wall, in too much pain to even move a finger, as they brought Ymir up. She was missing an arm and a leg and her insides were scrambled but at least she was alive. I noticed Reiner trying to pull himself up with one hand and Eren and I quickly ran to help. When he was finally up, he used the fact that he had my hand in his to pull me closer and he placed his lips softly on mine.

"I'm glad you're okay princess." He grinned after he pulled away. 

"U-Uhm..." I stuttered as I became a blushing mess. "Y-Yeah...you too."

"Hey....is it me or is THAT more visible ?" He asked as he pointed at the scar running from my jaw to my shoulder.

"Oh...you're right...I don't mind." I smiled. "It's just...a reminder of why I have to live and...of the day it saved me...." I ran my hand across Marco's handkerchief. 

"You're really attached to that huh ?" He asked with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Yeah...Marco was like a brother to me." I explained as I tightened it. "And I need to kill whoever took him away from us." I growled.

"H-Hang on...you're saying a person did it ? W-What make you think that ?" He asked as his heart started beating faster.

"Think about it. His ODM gear was taken clean off. Titans don't bother to do that." I looked beyond the wall. "Marco wouldn't be careless enough to not tighten his gear. Besides, Annie found it which is more proof it was a person. You don't just find ODM gear from a fallen comrade. And the way he was eaten, in half..." I almost gagged when thinking back at his body. "Titan jaws are strong, his gear would have been found in half as well." I looked at him dead in the eyes. "It was a person and I'm gonna kill the son of a bitch no matter how strong they are."

Eren came to stand beside us, patting me on the back as I winced while he touched one of my burns. I playfully tackled him and placed my foot on his stomach as we both burst into laughter. Bertholdt then came to ask Reiner if he was okay and I felt something was off.

TO BE CONTINUED !