-Counting Stars- An AoT/SnK FanFic

A sad loss but hopeful sacrifice. 23

I was sitting infront of Levi on his horse, considering the fact I transformed twice that day. My arms were limp and my legs only felt pain, but the only thing I could remember was being cut out off the nape by Levi. He was holding onto the lead as he kept feeling his leg that was twisted while he was trying to save Eren.

"Dammit." He said solemnly. "Today was so crappy.. This whole expedition was useless and had no point at all. Only interesting that happened in this whole thing was the sacrifice our soldiers and almost kill you."

I blushed and looked at him, smiling. "Nice to know that you care about me - I thought I was 'the stupid brat' "

"Nice to know you are still yourself." He sighed and looked away. "And matter of fact, you are a stupid brat. Tch, killing yourself like this to protect an idiot like Eren. You need to know it's not good for you to transform so much."

I looked forward with tears in my eyes. "I know... But sometimes I transform without meaning to."

"That's not possible."

"Well, clearly it is! Because my hand moves on its own, and it's first reaction is the blade. Before being able to stop myself, it's cut straight through my wound."

"Wait.." Levi started, shaking his head. "The colossal Titan was the one who bit through that arm, correct? And when it's harmed is when it's triggered?"

"Yeah. That's right."

"That why you're a colossal type, some of its venom must of got into the place where you were injected."

I flinched. "Actually, that might be right. It makes sense after all."

"We will have to tell Hq then." He said before looking around. The environment was quiet and peaceful, the trees were slowly blowing in the wind as the leaves began to blurr due to moving forward. The sun shone through the clouds that spread amongst the sky as the soldiers trailed amongst the field that seemed alarmingly quiet.

That's when thumping was heard behind us, making our necks turn our heads almost straight away. Does that mean they were there the entire time while we were talking?

"10metre class attacking from the right!" One of the soldiers shouted.

"2 abnormals from the left! One is 5 metre the other is 15!!" The other one said.

Me and Levi stared with shadows beneath our eyes as we watched with fear and terror.

"Protect Captain Levi and Eliza Smith!" A soldier shouted as he ordered or them to kill the Titans that ambushed them.

"There's more straight ahead and behind us! We have been surrounded!" Levi shouted as Titans were staring all around us.

"I'm going to have to-" I started, taking out my blade slowly. "It's the only way-"

"No! You will die because your body is in critical damage, and doing another one of those Titan explosions will literally kill you!"

"But we can't afford more soldiers dying!"

"We can't afford you dying, Eliza!" He shouted. "We need to leave this to them."

Just as we finished, the soldiers around us leaped up and glided around the Titans. Each of them were either grabbed and eaten whole or stomped on before being galloped down the Titans stomach.

"It's just us, Levi! We need to do something! You injured so you  can't do  anything!"

"But you are on the brick of dying and are a whole lot more important !"

I turned and grabbed his shoulders, smiling. "I'm not gonna die, I promise!" I smiled. "It's the only way."

I jumped off the horse, but before I grabbed the blade, I had already began to transform. Whilst in my Titan form, I felt weaker than what I normally do and  thought I had less power. But I found out I had more than usual.

Levi bowed down as a giant explosion spread all around me, once again burning the flesh from each and every Titan as bones that once stood there collapsed and smoke began coming out of them, as they started to disappear.

Levi tried to get up so he can rip me out of the nape, to realise he was incapable to even move seeing the injury got worse.

There was only one thing to do and that was to do it myself. I fidgeted and tried to unwrap myself from the wires that I was connected to, but each time I moved the more pain was shot through my body. The only choice was to say and wait for a soldier to save us, but I knew after ten seconds nobody will come on.

I had to get out - there's so much I want to do and to explore, and the only thing to do was to save myself despite the pain. I groaned and roared as I ripped my arms out of each socket, making me scream with pain as my back leaned over the nape, the wind blowing at my bloody face as I tried I take my legs out of the cables. I looked at Levi with my sorrowful eyes as he tried to run forward but ended up tripping forward on the way.

It was at that moment that I realised what I did - I had tired myself out too much that no energy remained. All what was left of me was pain. I suddenly felt that I became loose and began to fall, but I couldn't move at all. My vision was blurry and only slight muffles was heard that consisted of, "Eliza!!"

I looked down at the floor to notice everything became white and I didn't land with a thump - I felt like I landed safely. My bloodshot eyes began to open slowly to notice Levi had catched me with his weak arms bridal style as he stared at me with a slight tear down his cheek.

We stare at each other, surprised that the fact we were so close but felt far apart. The world around us was no longer the original, just a white world that only remained as us two.

"Levi.." I said faintly with hardly any breath. "You.... You are crying..." I smiled and placed my tired pale hand against his wet cheek as he stood, overwhelmed as I smiled back at him all the way through.

"Eliza..." Was what he said.

"I promised I would stay alive, correct? Sometimes you should really believe me, stupid." I giggled a bit as he smiled at me.

"Yeah, maybe I should."

We looked at each other with lovey eyes as we leant in a bit closer.

"Captain? Sorry to break the moment, but we have to start heading back to Rose." A soldier said to us we returned to the real world.

I leant back. "Yeah. I need to go... Before..." I grabbed on to my waist when another shot of pain ran up my body, making me faint in his arms.

"Eliza!!"

I woke up in a cart as the wheels were going forward, making it jump every time it ran over a stone or a rock. I sat up. "Levi?" I turned round to notice he was no longer near me. My back stretched up making me squeal and go back to my original position. I felt my waist to notice a bandage wrapped round my wound and a cast once again over my arm. I had a leg turned the other way, bandaged and cared for but still hurt.

I looked around to see Eren in a cart behind me, too passed out with Mikasa beside him. I turned to each side to notice we were being trailed through the village with people staring with their fearful eyes.

I looked out trough the lines of soldiers that was all injured to see Levi at the very front. I was about to shout out with him, before a man walking upto him. I slouched back, feeling alone. My head turned from one side of another to notice everyone was at least a few foot away. Why is everyone so far from me? Are they scared?