(Long chapter, feel free to skim through it.)
It was such a long time ago. So many years had gone by since then, and yet you remembered it like it was yesterday. It was always at the front of your mind, such a happy memory. You were young enough to think that your happiness would never end.
Young enough to not realize that it was just the calm before the storm.
Year, 834
Shiganshina District
The sound of laughter filled the air as you ran to your hearts content, your little legs taking you as fast as you could go. A smile on your face as you chased a child you knew around the clothes lines.
The two of you were playing in a grassy backyard, a clothesline with your mother's hanging their clothes up nearby. Your mother's friend, Maria, was kind enough to let your family hang their clothes here, especially when you kept her son company.
A high pitched scream escaped the little boy's mouth as he looked back and saw that you were getting closer. He giggled and kept running toward the field of grass.
With one last push and a grin on your face your small hand pushed up against the little boy's back. "Got you!!" You screamed.
The two of you stopped running and the boy turned around. "You cheated!" He screamed. "Girls aren't supposed to catch boys!"
"Well, you're the one who wanted me to be IT!" You yelled back, saying the last word more forcefully.
An angry pout formed on the boy's face, tears pricked his eyes. "MOM!" He ran towards his mother, throwing himself in her skirts.
Maria; still in the process of hanging up a wet shirt, glanced down at the boy. "Yes, Leo?" She was quite used to her son acting like this.
He sniffed taking his face out of her skirt before looking up at her. "Sh-She," he stuttered.
"Use your words, honey," she coaxed.
"Y/N'S NOT PLAYING FAIR!!" He whined.
Maria sighed before casting an embarrassed glance at your mother. Adelyn only laughed in reply, she looked to you holding out her hand in a beckoning manner.
With a smile you ran over to her immediately clutching her hand. "Why don't you help me with the laundry?" She whispered. "Five years old is old enough to help your mother out, right?"
You nodded fiercely, eager to help.
Maria crouched down next to Leo. She patted the little boy's head before giving him a stern look. "Is Y/n not playing fair? Or did you lose?"
Leo looked away in shame. "I wouldn't have lost if Y/n wasn't cheating," he grumbled.
Maria clicked her tongue. "Go apologize, to Y/n, you shouldn't be treating a young lady like that," She scolded.
Leo folded his arms in a pout. "I don't wanna," He refused.
Maria stood up in a huff, turning back to her clothes, "If that's what you want."
Leo stopped pouting.
"But, y'know Leo, only gentleman get dessert," she said.
Leo gave his mother a confused look. "I am a gentleman, Mom."
Maria raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because gentlemen apologize when they've done something bad. Like being mean to their friends."
Leo's face paled, realizing what his mother meant. He slowly turned to you, "I'm sorry, Y/n. Girls can catch boys."
Maria, and Adelyn laughed at that.
You handed your mother a pair of socks before turning to Leo. You smiled. "I akpect, your apowogy." Your small mouth couldn't quite pronounce the words but your mother was glad you tried. "But next time. You can be It."
Leo's eyes widened."But-" A sharp glare from his mother cut him off. Leo's shoulders slumped. "Fine."
"Good," Maria patted her son's head. "Now why don't you go get some of your toys for you, and Y/n to play with."
With a grin you and Leo headed off to play with his toys.
~✵~
Holding your mother's hand tight, the two of you walked through the busy streets of Shiganshina on your way home. Your house was near the neighborhood market, which made shopping quite easy. The two of you leisurely strolled around stopping at several booths to look at their products. Occasionally you'd see something shiny and pull your mother away from a conversation just to look at it.
As you were pulling her towards a new shiny you saw, your mother accidentally bumped shoulders with a stranger.
"Hey! Watch where your walking!"
Your mother turned around an apologetic look on her face. "I apologize, my little one here is just in a hurry," she let out a nervous laugh.
The second the strange man saw your mother's face his rude scowl and flushed face full of anger turned into a disgusting smirk.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Aren't you a pretty thing," his eyes looked Adelyn up and down sickenly lingering on her chest.
You hid behind your mother's leg, the aura coming off this man scaring you. He was fat and ungroomed, to your child mind he resembled a pig. You didn't like the way he was looking at your mother.
The sad thing was, that's this had happened before, several times in fact. Men tended to approach your mother with disgusting thought when they found she wasn't married.
Your mother knew immediately what he was thinking, she was disgusted but she kept her kind smile on her face. "I apologize, I hope you have a good day, sir."
Still holding your hand the two of you turned away.
"Hey!" He quickly grabbed Adelyn's wrist with his grubby hands yanking her back. He smirked at your mother, his breathing heavy and his cheeks flushed.
"You dirtied my clothes, I think you're going to have to make that up to me," He licked his lips; greedy disgusting thoughts going through his mind.
An expression mixed with annoyance and panic appeared on your mother's face. "I apologize sir, but we really must go." She quickly dug for her coin purse and pulled out a few copper coins. She held them out for the man.
"This should be enough to pay for your clothes." She smiled at the man, but the kindness didn't reach her eyes. There way something else there, a twinkle of something that made the man shiver.
He scowled and grabbed the coins before storming off grumbling about how women these days don't know how to treat a man.
Adelyn let out a sigh of relief. She glanced down at you still clinging to her leg. "Let's go home," she smiled sweetly.
~✵~
Cutting your shopping time short the two of you made your way home quickly. You ate dinner, and soon it was time for your favorite part of the day. Story time.
With an excited squeal your mother chased you into your bedroom and helped you into bed. You cuddled up under the sheets, your little head poking out, excited for the stories your mother would regal you with today.
Adelyn situated herself on the bed and gazed down at you with a gentle smile filled with warmth and love.
"Well, Darling? What story should I tell you tonight?" She asked.
"The Fallen, Momma! Tell me about the hewos!" You asked excitedly.
It was a story you had heard several times, but you loved it anyway.
Your mother sighed. "Again? Aren't you tired of this sad story, yet?" She questioned. Adelyn was slightly worried with your particular interest in this story, it included more death than she would have liked.
You shook your head vigorously. "No! I wanna hear it again!" You demanded.
"Okay, okay. Just because it's you, love." With a soft smile, Adelyn gently caressed your hair as she started the story.
"Your father was a brave man, so brave indeed that when he heard of the dangers outside the walls, he refused to stand by and let the people live in fear. Him and lots of other brave people decided to venture outside the walls, and fight for humanity. This was before you were born, love, but he knew he wanted his future children to live a life without fear.
It was a great battle, no humans had left the walls in a long time, your father was the first of his kind. But when the people had ventured out of the wall they were immediately attacked by the dangers, they put up a fight, in the name of humanity, but very few made it out alive. The only one that survived was your father, and he returned as a hero."
You nodded along, knowing that your favorite part was coming up.
"And the people that didn't return were remembered as heroes too. And do you know what we call them, love? We call them the Fallen Ones."
Though you had heard it before you liked to play along. "The Fallen?"
"Yes. See, the Fallen, are the brave warriors that sacrificed themselves so that we might have a chance at living. So that we could live without fear. For they were the ones that tried to defeat the danger, when no one else would. So remember the Fallen, and everything they stood for, they are heroes in their own right."
"The End." You said.
Your mother nodded. "The end. Now go to sleep it's getting late." She gave you a quick kiss on the forehead, and just as she was about to give you your usual goodnight, she froze.
Something flashed behind her eyes, as a child you didn't know what it was. Your mother abruptly stood up, and froze again. Her head inclined toward the door like she was listening for something.
Adelyn's expression went from frightened to hard in a few seconds.
"Momma?" You whispered.
As she glanced at you, her gaze became warm. "Hey, love." She whispered, crouching down next to you and patting your head. "Let's play a game before you go to sleep, okay? This is a special game, you have to be quiet and you have to do as momma says, alright?"
Your instincts kicked in, you could tell something was wrong. With a nod, you quietly climbed out of bed.
Adelyn smiled. "No talking, no matter what, alright? Come here." She gave you a quick hug before ushering you inside the wardrobe.
"Stay in here, and if you don't talk, you win, okay?" She asked.
You listened obediently. "Is the danger coming, Momma?" You whispered.
Your mother bristled but she could only utter one word. "Yes."
"Now be a brave warrior for, Momma, and stay quiet, okay? I love you." And with that she shut you in the closet and left the room.
That was the last time you saw your mother alive. That was the last time you could ever remember being whole and happy.
~✵~
I'm sorry that this is such a long chapter. But I wanted to get the back story and plot set in this one chapter, this is the prologue after all.
-S.J.