Well this took ages to finish...I'm so sorry! Don't worry, I'll work harder to get the next chapter up sooner. (The picture is Eren as as a Hunter.)
----------------------------------------------
"There is that smile again, cruelly taunting me, flickering just at the edge of my buried memories."
----------------------------------------------
Eren woke up to a glass of cold water being dumped over his head. Spluttering, he sat up and turned to see Connie and Jean sniggering.
"What was that for?!" He snapped, rubbing sleep and water from his eyes.
Connie was still laughing, "You seriously overslept and shaking you didn't do any good so I had to pull out the big guns." He tapped the side of the water glass. "Besides, we have to report and get our assignments in half an hour and Mikasa was outside insisting that you be woken so you can eat something beforehand."
Eren groaned and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, dropping to the floor. "Fine, fine...tell Mikasa I'll be out in a few minutes..."
Jean immediately straightened up and turned towards the door. "I'll go tell her right away!"
Eren smirked at Jean's eagerness. No matter how many times Mikasa rejected his affection Jean kept trying to win her over. It was a never ending source of amusement for all of the initiates to gossip about. Many wagers were going as to how long it would be before Mikasa silenced Jean's pestering once and for all with a well aimed punch to the mouth.
Rolling his neck on his shoulders to relieve a slight stiffness that had settled in, Eren walked to the end of his bunk and started back in surprise as Armin tossed a bundle of clothes at him. Eren caught them quickly and tucked the bundle under his arm.
"Sorry Eren," Armin said, "I thought you were more alert."
"No sweat, Armin," Eren said cheerfully before examining the clothes with interest. "Are these...?"
"Our official uniforms, we were given them early this morning while you were still asleep. Hurry up and change now before what's left of breakfast will be cleaned up!"
Eren ducked into the changing room and quickly donned his new clothes, admiring himself in the mirror. Tight black pants with a wide leather strip running down the side of each leg disappeared into black lace up boots that rose to mid calf. A white, short sleeved shirt clad his torso, but was covered by a long sleeved black shirt that was slightly longer and had a high collar. He hung the cross he had received at the initiation around his neck, the weight resting right over his heart. Armin poked his head around the doorframe and looked Eren over with an expression close to awe.
"Eren...you look as though you were always intended to wear that uniform! I'm glad Mikasa didn't talk you out of signing up for the training, you were made for this."
Eren grinned a little awkwardly and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Thanks Armin. I'm just glad you decided to join up with me."
"Who else would help you make friends if I didn't?" Armin said with a soft laugh, "You got into a fight with Jean the first day! Not exactly a great start. Now hurry up and go outside to Mikasa before she decides to break the rules and come in here to drag you out herself."
Grinning, Eren strode out of the room and towards the door.
"I'll pack your bag for after you get your assignment since you won't have time to do it yourself."
Eren stepped out of his barracks just as Jean brushed past him looking slightly defeated. Rejected by Mikasa again by the looks of it.
"Eren."
Turning, the brunet saw his adoptive sister standing a few feet away, her black eyes gazing steadily at him. She wore the same uniform that he did but deviated from the dress code by wearing a soft red scarf looped around her neck. The article of clothing was a gift from Eren's mother and was one of the few things of hers that remained in the siblings' possession.
"Morning, Mikasa," Eren said with a smile as he started towards the dining hall. His sister fell into step beside him.
"You slept for a while."
"Yeah well we had a late night."
Their footsteps echoed in the mostly empty courtyard as they crossed the cobblestone ground to a small door leading to the kitchen. They would enter the dining room through there so as to avoid attention. Eren pushed the door open and let Mikasa enter before he did. The kitchen was hot from the large fire in the even more massive fireplace and Eren broke into a sweat almost before the door closed behind him. Weaving their way through tables piled with all manner of dishes and cutlery, Eren and his sister quickly crossed to the other end of the room and let the comparatively cold air wash over them.
Sliding into an empty bench at an unoccupied table, Eren helped himself to the remaining cold bacon, biscuits, and black tea. The latter was an unusual choice for most, but Eren found it familiar in a way that felt soothing whenever he was stressed. Even cold tea could have that effect and he took a deep breath, inhaling the scent.
Mikasa watched him impassively for a few moments then said calmly: "You're tired."
Eren shrugged, "Maybe a bit."
"You shouldn't be, you almost slept until noon. You should be wide awake," Mikasa looked down, her fingers lightly moving to rub an edge of her scarf between them. "Unless you stayed awake longer than is permitted."
Eren gazed into the rippling surface of the tea as if it were the most interesting thing he had ever seen. He remained silent.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Mikasa asked, a rare tone of gentleness in her voice. She knew that Eren suffered from strange dreams for years and fussed over her adoptive brother almost to the point of embarrassing him whenever she suspected him of having one. Eren flinched slightly and Mikasa frowned,
"What was it about?"
"That night." Eren whispered. He didn't need to say anything more and Mikasa immediately looked down, her fingers clenching into a fist around her scarf.
"I see. You visited the grave then."
It wasn't a question and Eren nodded, sipping the tea slowly.
"No wonder you look so tired, you've been up crying all night."
Eren's hands tightened their grip around his cup. "Do you mind not fussing over me right now? Cause that's not what I need."
Mikasa frowned, "I'm only fussing because you aren't taking proper care of yourself."
"Taking care of myself doesn't matter right now, not when there are vampires to kill."
There was a long silence, then Mikasa said softly: "It wasn't your fault, Eren."
The bench Eren sat on made a loud screech as it scraped over the flagstone floor when Eren stood up. His abrupt motion upset his cup of tea and the contents streamed across the tabletop. Eren was trembling, his eyes narrowed in rage: "Shut up! Don't try and make me feel better, don't try and calm me down, don't try and stop me from carrying out my plans to kill the monster that killed our mother! I can't ever rest until I fulfill the promise I've made and renewed with every visit to mom's grave: I'll kill that vampire."
The low, mournful tolling of a bell rang out in the still air and Eren turned away from his sister.
"Let's go get our assignments."
He left the room before Mikasa could even stand to follow him.
Eren's heart raced as he stood before the long table bearing weapons and sealed envelopes containing his first assignment as a full fledged hunter. The other initiates were filing into their places with agonizing slowness and it took all of Eren's self control to not tear open his envelope then and there. He clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides, fixing his emerald gaze on the windows and the clouds drifting in the blue sky beyond the panes of glass.
"Initiates, you may now open your envelopes and learn of your assignments. Your belongings and new weapons have been loaded onto the horses you will ride to your assigned locations. Congratulations on having made it through your training successfully."
Eren looked up to see a woman with silvery-white hair and wire-rimmed glasses standing behind a podium at the front of the room. Despite her hair color, the woman looked young, perhaps in her mid thirties, and Eren felt as if he had seen her before...
Shaking his head, Eren quickly turned his thoughts from the woman to the envelope in front of him. He reached for the silver letter opener laying on the desk before him and slowly slit the wax seal. His hands trembled with eagerness as he removed the stiff paper from the envelope and unfolded it. The top bore a simple crest of two swords crossed and entwined with ivy while dark blocky lines of script marched uniformly across the page. Eren's eyes scanned the page eagerly, reading:
Eren Jaeger,
Congratulations on having graduated from an initiate to a full-fledged Hunter. You have truly shown yourself worthy of the position you have been assigned. Because of your deep concern about the safety of the defenseless it is an honor to assign you as a member of the Stationary Force located in the village of Trost. Humanity thanks you for your service.
~Erwin Smith, senior hunter
Eren's face slowly fell and he stared numbly at the page. This wasn't right; there had to be a mistake. He had graduated near the top of his class, he was the most driven Hunter of them all, he was supposed to be made an Elite Hunter, to be given a specific vampire to hunt down. This couldn't be his future, to remain in a single town fighting off lower strength vampires until he died or grew too old to fight anymore. A new thought struck him and Eren felt his knees go weak with horror: as a stationary guard it would be impossible for him to seek out the vampire responsible for the death of his mother. If Eren remained a member of the Stationary force then he would be forced to break his promise.
His grip on the paper tightened and the page was stretched taught almost to the point of tearing. This was wrong, wrong, wrong! He could would speak to the Senior Hunters about this. Shadis had always seemed to approve of him, but would he be willing to go against one of his fellow committee members? No, he would, he had to. Eren couldn't be forced into a position like this, he just couldn't!
"Eren?" Mikasa's quiet voice broke into her brother's tumultuous thoughts and he gradually realized that she had been standing beside him for some time now, her hand resting on his shoulder. Eren looked at her, and his determined outrage dimmed and was replaced by a numb and hopeless expression.
"I've been assigned a post in the village of Trost as...as a member of the Stationary Force..." He said softly in answer to Mikasa's questioning look. For a moment, Eren thought he saw relief in his sister's dark eyes, but it vanished behind a mask of sympathy so quickly that he thought he had imagined it.
"I'm sorry, Eren. I know you really had your heart set on becoming an Elite Hunter..."
Eren just nodded, feeling Mikasa's gently tug his shoulder to guide him into the aisle leading to the door. It was only then that Eren looked around and realized that he and Mikasa's were the only two left in their seats, the other initiates streaming out the large set of double doors to go to their new posts. Quickening his pace, Eren pulled away from Mikasa and stepped out of the cool stone building into the hot afternoon sunlight. He squinted, and held up a hand to shield his eyes. The cheerful chatter of his friends rang through the air as they said their goodbyes and congratulated each other on their new positions. He watched as a proud Armin crossed to stand among the ranks of the Hunters responsible for devising new battle strategies. To his right the new Elite Hunters milled about their new horses and weapons. Among them were Jean, Sasha, Bertholt, Annie, and many more of his friends. He stood rooted to the spot, not wanting to turn or even glance towards the wagons that would take him and the other new members of the Stationary Force to their respective villages. To do so would make this real, would crush the last hope he had of avenging his mother. He clenched his hands into fists and stared at a spot just above the heads of the Elite.
"I think your mother would prefer you safe, Eren, even if it means you can't avenge her." Mikasa said, cupping Eren's cheek and making him look at her. "But I'll do my best in your place since it means so much to you."
Even though he knew his sister was trying to make him feel better, Eren felt a pang of disappointment stab his heart again. Mikasa killing the vampire just wouldn't give the same satisfaction as it would if he were the one to destroy the monster. Nevertheless, Eren managed to force a smile.
"Thanks, Mikasa. That would be great."
Mikasa gave him one of her rare genuine smiles and then stepped back, "Go on, stay safe."
Eren turned slowly and walked towards the wagons, holding his head high and his expression confident and proud. He could hear the hush fall over the initiates as he went, then a few scattered murmurs broke out and Eren felt shame rise up in him as he heard Jean say in a loud whisper: "Not so high and mighty now is he? Jaeger was so confident that he'd get a good position; looks like he can't back up all his talk with actual skill worthy of being a Hunter."
Eren felt his cheeks flush a little as he made it to a wagon bearing a label indicating that it was going to the northern villages, where Trost was located. Hoisting himself up, Eren started to climb into the wagon. A hand entered his field of vision and he looked up to see Marco's freckled face looking down at him, smiling warmly.
"You're heading north too?"
Eren nodded glumly, taking Marco's hand. The other young man pulled him into the wagon and he sat down hard, leaning back against the wagon side and closing his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for talking and, after what seemed like ages, he felt the wagon jolt then start moving. He and Marco sat in silence for a long time, then Marco asked:
"So which village are you going to?"
Eren sighed heavily and opened his eyes. "Trost."
A wide grin spread across Marco's face and he turned to face Eren. "Really? Me too!"
Eren smiled a little then looked away, shoulders slumped. He didn't feel up for talking. Marco seemed to sense that and hesitated, opening his mouth to speak once or twice but always stopping the words before they came. Finally Marco seemed to get up the nerve to speak.
"Um...I can tell that you're not that happy to be here, but...well I'm honestly really glad that I won't be alone up there."
Eren looked at Marco in some surprise and skepticism. Then he saw the honest happiness in the dark haired boy's face and his heart softened a little. Marco noticed the change in Eren's posture and held out his hand.
"It's an honor to be able to fight by your side, Eren."
A slow smile spread across Eren's face and he reached out, clasping his friend's hand tightly: "Yeah, same here, Marco."
----------------------------------------------
Comment your thoughts please!