The Birth of Freedom

57th Expedition

"I've told you already! Old Lowell thinks I'm great!" Aurora exasperated as she pointed a ration bar like a weapon at Gunther and Eld who both held their hands up to surrender.

"That best not be what I think it is Sparhawke!" Section Commander Miche's voiced rang through the small crowd that had gathered as he approached Aurora with an eyebrow raised, and I cringed as I waited for the inevitable ass-kicking she was about to receive.

"Not at all, sir." Aurora smiled mischievously as she lobbed another bar at Miche and catching the object, the tall man sniffed the bar before shrugging and stuffing the rations in his pocket as he moved on without hauling Aurora's ass over the coals like he damn well oughta.

As if she just got away with that!

"Oooh, thanks" Petra cooed, drawing my attention back to Aurora and her smuggling circle.

"See that's the appropriate response." Aurora chided as she gestured to Rian and Eld, "Your very welcome Petra, here have another one for such good manners."

Aurora tossed another bar to Petra before she stuck her middle finger up to Rian and Eld, making both men burst out laughing as she moved off with her sack like she was a gift-giver during the holiday.

She sure is in a good mood, in fact I haven't seen her this happy and hopeful in the last 5 years combined!

"Heeey!" Oluo complained as he followed Aurora and her bag of ration bars towards where Armin, Jean, Bertholt, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha and Reiner were gathering in preparation with their horses.

"You nervous?" Rian asked as he moved next to me and watched with amusement as Aurora was swamped by Sasha and her never-ending appetite.

"Itching for action," I swallowed nervously though I tried my best not to show it.

"That's not what I asked" Rian scoffed as he ruffled my hair with his bare hand and the hairs on the back of my neck shot up on edge.

********

Steam began to rise over the rubble as the last of the Titans fell to their death, and Armin, Mikasa and Rian furiously scrambled over boulders and debris in search of mismatched Grey and Green eyes and wild red hair.

"AURORA!" Rian bellowed as they all searched frantically for his twin sister, though she was nowhere to be found.

"SHES OVER HERE!" Armin's voice boomed, and Mikasa and Rian took off in the direction his voice had come from. Slipping and sliding, Rian battle his way over rocks and steaming Titan limbs to where Armin stood pointing, his face drawn in concern and as he made his way over to where he was standing it was easy to see why.

Not ten feet away, Aurora was knelt upon the ground clutching a severed arm bearing the wings of freedom to her chest as her whole body shook with her quiet sobs of anguish.

"No..." Rian lamented as he slowly made his way over to Aurora, tears springing to his eyes and falling to his knees before her, Rian gently pulled the limb from his sister's hands and carefully placed it on the floor like it was the most precious thing in the world before pulling Aurora into his arms and breaking down.

One by one, the surviving scouts came to stand and bear witness to the mournful cries of two of their own, some had tears in their eyes, others had faces of cold rage for their comrades' pain.

"There was nothing we could do" Connie whimpered as they all watched the redheaded twins comfort each other in their heart-breaking grief.

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