The Guardian's Tale (AOT fanfiction)

-Bystander-

I looked up at the sky and sighed. I couldn't believe it had already been 2 months since Historia's coronation. No matter how many times I apologized to my clan...it didn't make a difference to me. They had died in vain and just because of someone's gluttony. Jean's hand came and placed itself on my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Slacking off are we short stack ?" He asked with a smug grin.

"Oh shut up !" I exclaimed, punching him lightly in the stomach.

"Did you just hit me ?" He asked, amused. "C'mere you brat !"

 I let out a small squeal as he attempted to grab me. It felt nice to be like this again, to be able to laugh and not have to worry about when the Titans would attack again. Except..we still had to work but this time with children. You see, Historia now ran an orphanage where she gathered all the orphans and needy people she could find. Before I could sink too deep into my thoughts, Jean caught me and tackled me to the ground, rubbing the top of my head with his knuckles. 

"Slacking off again huh Jean ?" Historia asked. "It's getting dark you know !"

I laughed at Jean when he went off to grab a crate. He then caught me by surprise by grabbing my hand and grabbing me along with him. I whined for a bit but eventually went along with it and grabbed a bunch of bags laying on the ground. As I walked silently next to Jean and Armin, I caught a bit of Eren and Historia's conversation and I froze. She asked him what he would do if he had to face Reiner and Bertholdt again.

"I guess I'd have to kill them...no choice." He simply replied.

"There's always a choice Eren...we don't know why they're doing this...yet somewhere along the line we decided that we knew enough to punish them with death...in reality. We could be devils in their eyes." I said before catching up with Jean.

As I looked at the children running around, I thought about how much progress we'd made. Thanks to Eren and I's hardening abilities, a powerful anti-titan weapon had been made which Section Commander called 'The Executioner from Hell'. It had taken a hell of a lot of energy for Eren and I to be able to form that much crystal and to control it but...at least we were getting closer to beating the Titans.

My nose started bleeding and Jean gave me a concerned look as he handed me a handkerchief. I brushed him off and explained that it was just because making crystals was one thing...but making this much and having to control them to make a proper shape was another.

(.......)

We all sat in the Mess Hall as Marlo, the newest Scout Regiment member from the Military Police, shared his excitement with us. Wow, he was really confident that these new weapons would make killing Titans a piece of cake.

"You're so excitable..." I sighed after taking a small sip of water. "You should know better than to be THIS pumped about joining the Scouts."

"That reminds me...didn't Hitch try and convince you to stay in MP ?" Sasha asked. 

He looked at us, confused and asked why she would. Sasha, Connie and I exchanged mischievous looks, trying not to laugh. He really couldn't take a hint huh ?

"Because she's a thirsty girl...and she thinks you're a tall glass of water." Sasha said which made us all burst into laughter. 

He said he didn't follow but he did recall her trying to convince him to not be a soldier and how he told her he was wrong about her. Jean, Armin, Sasha and I all sighed and commented on how thick-headed he was but apparently Eren didn't understand what Marlo did wrong. Of course he couldn't. The day that boy would take a hint, Titans would start eating grass. 

"Well anyway..." Jean said, steering the conversation back to work. "You should notice that the only people as you are the new recruits with no real battle experience."

"Give me a break." A man with what looked like bird nest on his head spoke up. "You think you're some kind of hardened veteran now ?"

"I know I am, compared to YOU at least." Jean retorted.

"That's rude." The man said, walking up to our table with a couple other recruits. "We were in the 104th, same as you. Besides, we're not the only ones excited. Everyone in the Walls is, we're taking Wall Maria back ! We're finally winning !"

"You think so ?" Jean spoke up again, staring at him coldly.

"Well...you guys DO seem a little different now." Bird nest remarked. "There's something about your faces...what...exactly happened ?"

"Wanna know ?" I asked coldly, looking at him dead in the eyes.

When he finally left, Connie got up and said he was going to visit his village in the morning. He said he might find something new there. Sasha remarked that it wouldn't be possible to make his mom human again after he left and I agreed.

"Like a nightmare..." Eren mumbled. "So much has happened that I haven't had time to question it. Who do YOU guys think that it is we're fighting against ? The thing is...I've always hated the Titan. But what if they're just people being tormented by some nightmare ? For a time at least...I was one of them myself."

Before he could wallow too deep in his depressing speech, Mikasa snapped him out of it and told him to finish his food. Jean also complained about Eren's morose mumbling and I agreed.

"You know what you SHOULD be focusing on ?" I asked. "That guy you saw from the memories you were given. When Rod Reiss and Historia touched you. You said you saw a Scout that must've know your dad right ?"

"Yeah but didn't you see them too Yuki ?" Jean asked.

"I did but...It was blurry." I then let out a small nervous laugh. "Contrary to what you think, my Titan isn't all mighty and powerful you know ?"

Eren then noticed that the man seemed familiar and that he had a feeling that he'd met him somewhere. Jean then joked and told him that maybe he needed a headbutt from the Commandant instead of holding hands with Historia, which made me place a hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing and to stop myself from spitting any water out. After Jean's comment though, Eren's face turned pale and he slammed his hands on the table, saying that the person he saw with his dad was Commandant Sadies. 

TO BE CONTINUED !