It's been three years since I joined the cadets and my motives have changed. I've decided I'm going to destroy all of the titans including the colossal and the Armored. So I've trained nonstop unless it's meal time or resting.
Maggie ended up dying of a disease called colic which was devastating. At the end of this month we are all going to get our own horses
We only have a few tests left until we graduate and they are the hardest of them all.
—Year 850—
"Hurry it up Cadets! Can't you see it's raining?" Shadis voice yells from ahead.
We were doing a 1000 meter run in the rain with rucksacks full of rocks and it was freezing. Annie, Mikasa, Jean and I were up front, behind the commander while the others trailed behind.
Suddenly the commander falls behind us to where Armin is.
I glance over my shoulder to see him yelling at him and Armin seems out of breath.
"I can see the end!" A man named Daz shouts.
He was right, the end was near and Shadis came back to the front of the group. "Good job Cadets! You've all completed you're second last test! The last test will be announced later at dinner. Dismissed!"
After we passed the tree line mostly everyone was doubled over, gasping for air, apart from a few like Mikasa and I. "Man, I'm soaked." I sigh. My clothes were sticking to me and it was irritating.
"Same here." Mikasa says, peeling the brim of her top off her stomach.
"Why didn't he let us have coats like the others, just because were top of the class doesn't mean we don't have feelings." I complain, pushing my soaked hair back.
"Mm, maybe that was also testing us. Like to see if we would complain about being cold or wet." Mikasa looks behind her to see Eren soaked and he has a runny nose. "Oh my, Eren!"
She runs over to Eren and starts talking to him. I laugh at her overprotectiveness and turn around.
Suddenly I was freezing cold. I turn back around to see Cliff, My sworn enemy. "Oh, sorry I didn't see you there." He smirks.
He just dumped a bucket of Icy water over me. I kicked him in the stomach and he fell back into the mud. "Oh, sorry, I kicked you into mud. Oh wait, I shouldn't be sorry, because that's where pigs belong." I snap at him. He was covered head to toe in mud.
"Y-you were born a devil!" He shouts wiping the mud out his eyes.
"Tch, devils aren't born, they are made." I state then walk over to my barracks.
I enter my barracks and peel my soaked clothes off next to my bed then search for a new pair of clothes.
I get changed into my fresh pair of clothes then grab my coat and walk out towards the mess hall.
There is loads of commotion going on inside the hall, people talking with a serious expression painted on their faces and people who look scared and nervous.
"Ezlyn over here!" I looked to my side to see Eren waving me over.
I walked over to the table they were sitting at and sat down on a free space. "What is it?" I ask.
"So, you know how we are graduating in two weeks after this last exam?" He starts with a mischievous smile snaking up his face.
I nod. "Yes? What about it?" I inquire, raising my eyebrow. He leant in closer to me.
"What regiment are you joining?"
Seriously Eren? What's the point in asking that. Eren knows I don't have a choice and that I'm going with the scouts.
"Eren, I don't have a choice, I have to join the scouts." I bleat, rolling my eyes.
"But if you did have a choice what would you pick. That's what I'm asking!" He whines.
"Scouts?" I answer plainly. "What about you?"
He sits up straight and smiles. "I am joining the scouts, because that's what I trained to do, I'm gonna fight for freedom and escape these boring walls." He reply's confidently.
Of course he's joining the scouts, he was obsessed with them when he was a kid and still is now.
"Attention Cadets!" A voice boomed through the hall.
I turn my attention to the Commander who's standing at the door.
"The last test will be announced now, and it will begin tomorrow morning at dawn." He yells. "The last test is camping for a week within the forest with only a partner and you're 3 dimensional maneuvering gear. You'll have to survive for a week by providing you and your partners own food, drink and shelter. Whoever manages to make it back first after the week is over will get the most points, now finish you're dinner and go to bed, you are all up early tomorrow."
Camping? For a week? Oh god... I hate camping.
The commander left the hall and everyone started talking again. "Damn I wonder who's my partner." Eren sighs. He facepalms himself.
"Same here." Armin sighs, taking a sip of his tea.
I wonder who my partner is too. I'm guessing they'll be announced in the morning though.
"Hey, Ezlyn are you excited for the last test because I am." Jean sits down next to me.
"No, I hate camping." I reply bluntly.
"Oh, why so grumpy?" Jean asks leaning forward, inspecting my face. Then he suddenly looks as if he's realised something. "Could it be that the strong and mighty Ezlyn Harper has a fear?" I pouted and looked away.
"No, shut up idiot." I feel my cheeks heat up. I cover my face with my hands.
"Oh, what are you scared of? The dark?" He teases.
"Shut it, horse face." Eren snaps from beside me.
They begin to argue, giving each other crappy insults and mocking each other.
"So what if I have a fear." I finally say after being silent. "Isn't it normal, if I didn't have a fear I wouldn't be human, I'd be like one of those mindless titans. Yes I have a fear but it's more like a worry."
They sat there and stared at me for a moment. I had just calmed down but I felt my cheeks heat again. "What is this worry-like fear then?" Jean asks, breaking the silence.
I let out a sigh, I'm just about to tell them a weakness of mine. I hope they don't judge me for it. "I'm worried I'll lose more of my friends, because I'm only here to join the scouts. I'm worried that my friends will follow me there then die, and I'm left with the heavy burden of becoming friends with them and leading them straight to their death."
I noticed everyone at the table had heard what I just said. Armin, Mikasa, Marco, Reiner, Bertholdt, Eren, Jean all sitting there, staring at me with a concerned look spread across their features. I tasted a salty substance fall into my mouth then my eyesight began to blur.
Was I, crying?
"I-I'm sorry." I mutter, wiping away the tears. They wouldn't stop falling out my eyes, it was like a river.
"H-Hey it's alright Ezlyn." Marco mutters, sitting his hand on mine.
I pull my hand out from under his and shake my head. "No, it's not. I'll go calm down now."
I stand up from the table and walk away.
"Oh no, Ezzy-wezylyn is cwying." muses a familiar voice.
I turn to see Cliff and his pathetic friends snickering at their usual table.
I glare at them and wipe away the tears.
"Oh, is ezzy-wezy missing her mummy and dwaddy." He continues in a child-like tone.
"How, would you know." I hiss, turning myself to face them.
"Oh because I know you, very well." He smiles.
My hands balls into fists. "You may know me, but, you have no idea who I am." My fist connects with his ugly face sending him into one of his minions.
He recovers quickly and launches his body onto mine. We fall over onto the ground and he wraps his hands round my neck choking me. "You can't fool me like you done last time, there's no escaping." He chuckles.
I splutter, as I feel my blood going to my head. "B-, but, I-I c-can." I spit. He's purely driven by rage at the moment and isn't thinking about his actions. I knee him in the stomach as hard as I can and he yells out in pain and releases me from his grip. I stand up quickly and wobble. I caught my breath and kicked him in the face hard and he goes flying.
I that spluttering again so I cover my mouth. I notice something on my hand so I inspect it. Blood.
"What the hell." I murmur. He stands back up and launches himself towards me and I dodge and kick his back. He falls to the ground face first.
"Ezlyn! Stop!" Armin yells at me.
I glance over at him and he jumps back. "I can't, he's driven me past my breaking point, if you don't want him dead, go get Shadis or another instructor." I answer blankly.
Armin Pov-
Her face is void of all emotion as she kicks Cliffs back, and he falls to the ground face first.
I need to stop this.
"Ezlyn! Stop!" I yell at her.
She turns around to face me. Her face is holding only one emotion. Angry, Bloodlust, she's broke.
"I can't, he's driven me past my breaking point, if you don't want him dead, go get Shadis or another instructor." Ezlyn answers blankly.
I was shocked. I've never seen her this angry in my life. She was a role model for me and I want to be as strong as her. But now I realise, she used her strength for good all the time, but now she's broke and turned inside out. She seems like a criminal at this moment.
"Armin!" Eren yells behind me. "Go get the Commander!"
I move my feet as I hear a crash and see wood splinters flying everywhere. I run out the hall door and run across the grounds as fast as I can towards the Commanders office.
I arrive at the office and knock on the door frantically. The commander answers the door. "What is it Cadet?" He asks.
"T-theres a fight between Ezlyn Harper, and Cliff Suzukaze, but it's one way!" I pant, out of breath.
His eyes widen and he sprints towards the hall.
Ezlyn told me she knew the commander before she signed up for the cadets but I think the commander knows more about her than she knows herself.
Ezlyn POV-
I smash Cliffs face into the wooden pillar and he's crying. But I don't pity him.
Stop it.
What is that, stop talking to me.
Stop it Ezlyn, you're better than this.
Cliff goes limp and I drop him to the floor. Is he dead. I kneel down next to him and sit my finger in front of his broken nose to see if he's breathing.
There was small cold breeze on my fingers. I stood up and there was a few gasps. "Shut it, he's not dead. By the way He started the fight and I finished it." I state.
I glare down at Cliffs unconscious body and cringe. "Tch, what a state you got into."
"Ezlyn! You're-" Jean was interrupted.
The door bursts open and the commander rushes in with Armin behind. "Cadet Harper! You're coming with me! Someone take Cliff to Nurse Valorie!" The Commander grabs my sleeve and drags me out the hall.
"Harper, why'd you do that? You could've killed him!" Shadis ranted as he dragged me to his office.
"So, he's the one who mentioned my mama and papa, which you know triggers me." I add.
I start coughing again and more blood comes up. More than last time though. A searing pain goes through my gut and I fall to my knees. I feel where my hip is and an object is sticking out of my stomach.
"Shit, Shit Shit." I wail, as I stand back up. My knees wobble underneath me and I fall back over.
"Ezlyn!" Jean and everyone who was at my table were running towards me.
I panic and grab the object that is sticking out of my stomach. "Ezlyn, when Cliff started choking you he stabbed you at the same time. We need to get you to the nurse, or even a hospital." Marco breathed, kneeling down next to me.
I'm confused, why aren't they scared of me. I almost just killed someone, yet they are still worried. "Why-," I started spluttering again. "Why aren't you frightened?" I ask.
"We're you're friends and that fight won't stop us from being friends, you made a big mistake that's all." Eren chuckled dryly.
I gave a weak smile then my vision blurred. "No! No! Stay awake!" Jeans voice sounds.
My eyes close then it's just black.
***
Where am I? I look around and I'm in a flower field.
"Ezlyn! Over here!" A voice shouts beside me.
I turn to see Mama standing in front of me.
Mama runs up to me and pulls me into an embrace. "Oh, how I've missed you." She sobs. My shoulder begins to get wet. "I'm so sorry on how I treated you. I want you to know I love you so much." She cry's.
"W-Where am I?" I ask as she releases me.
"Somewhere only special people can go." She reply's, wiping a strand of my hair off my face and behind my ear.
"Special?" I inquire. Quirking my eyebrow.
"There's no time to explain, you'll find out soon though." She sniffles.
"Wait-"
She places a finger over my lips.
"Shh, you need to go back now. They need you, the world needs you. Eldia, needs you." She cracks a smile through tears.
The field around us starts dissolving into nothing. The flowers turning black. "Wait, what is Eldia?!" I cry. As Mama starts turning to dust.
Mamas gone. Everything is gone. Just... black.
***
"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, Ezlyn you're alive!" Someone wraps their arms around me.
I open my eyes and I see Marco with his hands over his mouth, and he's crying. But who's hugging me. My shoulder is soaked by this person crying. My eyes flick over to some movement. Armin, Mikasa and Eren are staring at me with teary eyes.
Reiner and Bertholdt sat on a bench looking relieved.
The person that was hugging me let go and sat down on the bed. Jean. "I thought we lost you." He laughs.
I opened my mouth the speak but my voice wouldn't come out.
"The nurse will be here in a moment, Commander Shadis went to get her when we lost you." Marco stutters, wiping away his tears.
I died? I know it's irrelevant and I almost killed him, how is Cliff? "Cliff, how." I splutter. The words were weak and croaky, and didn't come out as I intended.
"Oh Cliff, he's alright, you gave him a few injuries but other than that he's okay. It's quite weird how you want to know if he's okay or not, you literally beat him to a pulp an hour ago." Eren walks up to me along with Armin and Mikasa.
Suddenly the commander and a nurse rushed in. "She's awake now." Reiner says to the nurse.
"Ah yes, I see. Can everyone please leave now, I have to change her bandages." The nurse says.
They all let out a small sigh and left the room but the commander stayed back.
"Harper, as you're punishment, you are not allowed to participate in the exam tomorrow so you will not be graded. Get well soon Cadet." He leaves the room finally.
Seriously, no exam. That's like the best thing ever, because I hate camping. I hope I still have a chance of getting a high grade for graduation otherwise I'd be pretty sad.
The nurse finish's doing my bandages and walks out and turns off the light for me to sleep.
I exhale and slump down under my covers. The phrase mama told me replayed in my head over and over. 'Eldia needs you.' I don't know what that means or who Eldia is but she said I'd find out soon.
I let my eyes close and I fell into a deep sleep.
(——-———)
A/N; Hello~ I just read the final chapter for AOT and I'm crying.(A lot) but they are happy/sad. Don't worry I won't spoil it. Anyways this was a small filler chapter and the next one is going to start getting better, like it's going to be set in S1 episode 4 (the night of the graduation I think it's called. Idk)
Anywaysss, have a fulfilling day/night and cya soon. Sayonara.