I watched as Eren's head grew a spine and a colossal quake came from the walls, which cracked and crumbled until the Titans beneath were revealed.
My hands went to my swords, but they didn't even look at me, or anyone residing within the rubble that were once our grand walls. They turned and began walking.
Towards the ocean.
They followed the spine-like titan that had emerged when Gabi shot off Eren's head, so I jumped down from my perch on the roof as Connie and Jean made their way somewhere else.
When my feet hit the ground, I heard a voice.
"Hear me, all subjects of Ymir."
I stopped and looked around, recognizing it as Eren's voice. Then, again.
"My name is Eren Yeager. I now speak to all the subjects of Ymir by way of the Founding Titan's power. Every wall of Paradis has been unhardened. All of the titans buried within them have begun to walk. My goal is to protect the people of Paradis, who bore and raised me."
"But the world desires the extinction of the people of Paradis. They surely will not stop until they have killed every one of the subjects of Ymir."
"Over countless years, their hatred has grown beyond this island. I reject their desire. The titans of the walls will trample and rumble all the lands beyond the island."
"Until the lives there are eliminated from this world."
I could move once again and I spared no time to try and find Zeke amongst the dust and debris.
But alas, I couldn't.
There was not a single breath, ragged or otherwise. Not a voice. It was like he just disappeared.
Again.
"Captain!"
I heard one of my subordinate's voices and I stopped.
He arrived in front of me with another. "What do we do? The walls are gone and there are titans all around!"
I was silent for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts.
"Right... sorry-"
"Wait." I took a deep breath. Please let this be the right decision. "Only the titans that were making up the walls seem to be controlled by Eren," I motioned to the ones breaking into houses and reaching in. "so..."
It felt like the wax seal that Isa gave me was flipped once again, but this time, it didn't matter what it landed on, because it would be my decision.
"...bring and civilians underground. There are bunkers underground, but be cautious when entering." Mainly because they used to be used to monitor targets close up, but I doubt there's an assassin in there with the current state of affairs. "Just look for houses with their door frame painted white."
"Yes ma'am."
I watched them leave. For a moment, I kept questioning myself. All the times that I had made a bad decision, made a wrong turn, it all came rushing into my head.
Then I remembered a decision I made myself, a long time ago.
One I knew I'd never regret.
A bird rested in my hands as I hummed to it, trying to distract it from its broken wing it had gotten from being run over by a cart.
From the side of my eye, I saw a little girl staring at me from around the corner, red-brown hair falling over her wonder-filled green eyes.
I thought it was another one of my hallucinations that I could never truly pin to a memory, but when I turned and she didn't vanish, I knew she was really there.
I thought no one would be able to find me, but even thought I tried to hide, she found me.
"Hello," I said in the gentlest sounding voice I could muster, even though I think even the bird in my palms could sense the blood that once drenched my hands. "are you going to keep watching like that or will you come sit with me?"
She slowly dragged her feet towards me. For once, I made eye contact with someone who didn't seem horrified by me, as if watching their shadow stop following them and begin to attack.
"My name is Isabel." She immediately introduced herself. "What's your name?"
"I don't have one."
With that, she took the liberty of naming me. It wasn't a name one would ever actually have, but I was fine with it.
Songbird.
I stared off into the distance, where a flock of birds joined the clouds in the sky, and thought of the bright eyed girl I saw that day. Or night. It's not like I could tell.
Yes, that decision was fine, I concluded.
My unsureness couldn't resurface in the midst of battle if I wanted to live past this.
I needed to live. I needed to live for Mike, Moblit, Erwin, Isabel, Furlan, even those I couldn't recall the names of. I needed to live because they died. What good are those deaths if the living don't live?
Yes, I would live through this. Not survive through it.
"Y/N!" Cinder came running towards me and held my arms. "Are you alright? I couldn't find you after the walls collapsed!"
"I'm okay. But I think we should go back to the forest where Hange and Levi are. Not only to check if they're alright, but to think about what to do next."
He nodded and I ran towards where the wall used to be and whistled, summoning the horse I had brought to my side. "I knew making you learn maneuvers was worth it," I muttered as I got on his back and Cinder behind me.
I was going to Levi and Hange. They probably got that strange vision as well since Eren was addressing all subjects of Ymir. If that's the case, then it would be best to go to them since Hange would likely already have a plan, and Levi hates sitting around and doing nothing.
Since I already saw Jean and Connie, I knew the cadets were safe; at least, two of them were.
There was no point in staying in that place. It may as well had been a graveyard. Destroyed buildings, the scent of blood, dead bodies either in a titan's stomach or sprawled out amongst debris.
I fixated on the Colossal Titans in the distance and shook my horse's reins.
•••
"Hold on," I yanked at my horse's reins, "do you hear that?"
"Yeah... someone's talking."
I slowly dismounted the horse and pulled at his reins so he'd follow me.
And I heard a familiar voice, strewn with annoyance.
I let go of the horse, ignoring Cinder's calls to me, and ran towards the sound. There was no mistaking it - of all people, I'd know. It was Levi.
If Levi is alive, then Hange must be as well!
The sound of heavy footsteps running towards me stopped me in my tracks and I pulled out my swords, my head snapping to the disturbance.
The Cart Titan was running towards me, eyes set on me like I was prey.
My ODM gear pulled me into the trees and the Cart Titan gripped onto the trunk and started to climb.
I adjusted my grip on my swords and fixated on the nape of her neck until I heard Hange.
"Wait, stop!"
Both me and the Cart Titan went still and she came running onto the scene.
"That's a friend! Y/N is a friend!"
My grip on my blades loosened as the Cart Titan returned to the ground. I jumped down and ran to Hange, taking her into my embrace.
I am not a very hopeful person. As a matter of fact, I lost all hope in humanity moments after my birth. But still, my hope replenished when I realized that whatever higher power there was had mercy on me and let Hange and Levi live.
"Thank goodness..." I whispered.
"Oh, Y/N!" She pulled away. "Levi will want to see you."
My eyes lit up, yet I was more anxious than I had been before.
Cinder arrived, panting while holding my horse's reins as tight as he could as it was trying to run off without my presence nearby. I held out my hand and he came trotting to me, burying his nose into my palm as Cinder brushed leaves off of his clothes.
"I don't know how you do that."
"This horse has known me for years. Besides, with other horses, they were just too scared to defy me."
"Only to learn that you're a total softy?" Hange put her hand on my head with a playful grin. "Come on, we'll lead you to Levi. Let's go, Pieck."
"Pieck?"
Hange motion to the Cart Titan and repeated the name, "Pieck."
"Oh, the Cart Titan's name is... Pieck." I bowed my head and quickly followed Hange.
Why is Hange with the Cart Titan?
I followed her to a clearing, hearing rushing water and quiet talk I could only pin to Levi.
"Levi, we're back!"
He looked up from the rippling water that he was watching and his eyes widened, catching me in his gaze.
"Levi..." I breathed. Whether it was a sigh of relief or a gasp of excitement, I couldn't quite tell.
For some unbeknownst reason, he tried to stand and I rushed to him before he could collapse and hit the ground. I felt his arms wrap around me and I shut my eyes, burying my face in his shoulder.
"You're okay..." He mumbled, pulling me closer. His tone was like he was thanking the gods.
"I wouldn't die without know that you're okay." I pulled back and put my hand on his bandaged, face, tracing my thumb on the uncovered part of his cheek. "I'm so glad you're alive..." And I smiled.
He put his hand on mine. "Did you just... Did you just smile?"
I placed my hand on my cheek. "Did I?"
"Do it again." He put his hands on my cheeks. "Do that damn thing again."
"W-Why?"
"You're so beautiful."
Hange and Pieck, who was seated at the nape of her titan body, both placed their hand over their mouth.
I stared into the eye that was visible, which was suddenly filled with more light than I had ever seen before, and I laughed, pressing my forehead against his and saying, "I'd follow you to the ends of the earth, you know that?"