Chapter Text
Previously on Red is the Color of Fate...
I looked up to see Eren's face and saw a look I never want to see on his, Mikasa's, Armin's, or anyone who I hold dear's face.
It was the face of a broken soul...
We had been running for a while. Mikasa had her arms wrapped tightly around my neck as I held her to my chest. Her tears had dried up a while back, but... Eren was still in a state of shock. His eyes wide in horror at what he had just witnessed.
As we passed under a stone arch, Eren's shock wore off and he turned on Hannes, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as he punched Hannes' head.
"Eren? What?" Hannes asked.
"We could've saved Mom!" Mikasa turned her head to look at Eren, "Why the hell would you do that!? We could've saved Mom!" he said bringing down his elbow to strike Hannes' head.
I winced. Ouch... that's gonna leave a mark.
"Cut it out." He threw Eren off his shoulder and onto the ground.
"Eren!" Mikasa wiggled out of my arms and went to help Eren.
"Eren..." Hannes began to walk towards the two of them. Eren turned and glared at him, "You couldn't help your mother because you're weak." he said getting down on one knee.
His statement caused Eren to lash out once again. He screamed, aiming a punch at Hannes' face, but Hannes caught Eren's wrist mid-punch. Eren struggled in his grasp, trying to take back his fist so he could attempt to punch him again.
Hannes's eyes stared at the ground, "I... I couldn't face the Titan," he looked Eren in the eyes, tears streaming from his eyes, "because I was scared!" Eren stopped his struggling, his own tears streaming from his eyes.
Hannes stood, taking Eren's hand as well as Mikasa's and began to walk in the direction of the ferries, "I'm sorry." he apologized to us, but mainly to Eren and Mikasa. Eren began to silently sob as he was pulled along, trying to keep as quiet as possible.
I followed behind them in silence. I noticed Mikasa hold her head in slight pain.
"Are you okay Mikasa?" I asked in concern.
"It's nothing. I'm fine." she replied.
"... Okay."
I looked to Eren and saw he was still silently sobbing.
"Please take care of them for me, my daughter." she said with a smile on her face.
A new wave of tears fell down my face, "I will."
I picked up my pace to where I was standing right behind Eren. As he turned to look at me with teary eyes, I picked him and held him to my chest, much like I held Mikasa earlier.
For a moment, he was still in my arms, but he soon succumbed to crying once again. My once pristine white cloak now soaked in not only our mother's crimson blood but Eren's heartbroken tears...
By the time we had reached the ferries, the place was already packed.
Figures. I told Hannes we should have run.
Hannes pushed through the mass of people, making it to the front holding Mikasa by the hand and me following him with Eren still in my arms. He had stopped crying a while ago but had gone back into his state of shock. He had his arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders while his hands clutched my once white cloak in a death grip.
He probably took notice of the blood in my hair and on my cloak. There's nothing I can do about it at the moment. With a sigh, I ran my fingers through his hair as a form of comfort while Hannes convinced the Garrison in charge of the evacuation to let the three of us on.
I looked to my left and saw Armin standing on the ferry with his grandfather sitting next to him. I smiled at this.
Good job, Armin.
Once the three of us were on the ferry, we went to sit against the wall with Mikasa on my left and Eren on my right. I had an arm wrapped around each of their shoulders as a form of comfort. Eren's face was still a mix of horror and shock. All around us, we could hear people praying to God to save us and the such.
Suddenly, there were collective screams of fear and disagreement. I looked up to see that the two Garrisons on board with us were drawing up the bridge. One of the Garrisons that was holding back the crowd shouted out for us to go. But... that didn't stop a select few from breaking through their human barrier. Some of them tried to jump onto the ferry but ended up losing their grips and fell to their deaths. We had to listen to them fall to their deaths over and over and over again.
It was madness.
In the distance, we heard the thundering sound of what I could only guess could be cannon fire. We could hear the grating sound of the heavy gate of Wall Maria as it came down slowly. But none of these sounds were as frightening as what came after these two sounds. The most frightening sound was the sound of a Titan breaking through the gate of Wall Maria.
The Titan came barreling through the gate, sending large pieces of rock and debris flying along with the Garrisons that were in its way. It came to a stop once it had completed it's 'job', letting out a huff of steam.
Unlike the first Titan that broke the wall around Shiganshina, this one was covered in bone like armor and had short pale hair on top of its head.
I brought a shaky hand to my mouth in horror at the sight of the Titan calmly standing straight up and looking down at the humans left at the dock.
This can't be happening!