Work Text:
So, now she is a member of the Survey Corps. Nanaba remembered her first day, stand in line as the new recruits were given their new jacket and cloak with the blue and white wings of freedom emblem on it. Chills ran down her spine as she accepted and held the garments in her arm. That brilliant dark blue and white on a field of grey really looks beautiful in person.
The first assignment she did as a Survey Corps member is to clean the stable. She remembered that she chuckled inside when the assignment was given. Of course, new recruits will always be given the most menial, gross jobs many don't want to do. She didn't mind, at all, being put on stable duty, with those magnificent creatures? Nanaba just loved working with them.
Two weeks in, Nanaba finally witnessed first hand on what life as a Survey Corps member is. An expedition to outside the walls is planned for next week, all the new recruits were to help in preparing all the logistics needed for the expedition. Every supply cart were double checked to make sure they were all in perfect condition, every horse made sure they were in top health and physical condition, every blades counted for every members deployed and spares, every gas tanks thoroughly checked and refilled for each members and spares also, food supplies also being brought in from the city.
Early morning of the day of the expedition, Nanaba and the other recruits were given a half an hour, ahead of everyone, early breakfast before they begin to prepared the horses and other logistics for the expedition. Nanaba and four of her fellow recruits were in charge in feeding, giving thorough check on their horseshoes, birdling and saddling them, starting with the Commander and Officers' horses. After Dieter Ness check and approved on their work, they continue with other member's horses. The other recruits were preparing the supply cart. Each cart loaded with crates of rations, spare blades, gas tanks, maneuver gears and flare guns with the different colours shells, so that if they were to lost one cart they won't lose an entire logistics for the expedition.
*****
The expedition squad returns on the morning of the second day, with ten soldiers in body bag. The brutal reality of being a member of Survey Corps starting to sink into Nanaba's heart. Still on stable duty, she started to collect the horses as their rider dismount and lead them to their respective stall and remove their saddle and birdle afterward. Several recruits climbed into the cart carrying the dead bodies to the building in the back to help process them before funeral procession. Nanaba watched in silence as one soldiers suddenly broke down in tears behind the stable, apparently his brother was one of the soldiers killed. Dieter tap her on the shoulder, signaling her to stop staring, continue her work and told her to get used to the scene of people dying, having a mental breakdown, or both.
The next morning, Nanaba was called to Commander Shadis's office with two other recruits. They were tasked to deliver a formal letter issued to each family of the fallen soldier. Other than official words of condolence and appreciation of their service from the Survey Corps, the letter also contain information of the date of when the funeral in military cemetery will take place and a carriage will be sent to the families to take them to attend the military funeral and back home. Personal belongings of the soldier will also be returned that day. They were briefed to also ask the families if they want to have the deceased to be buried in the military cemetery or the family burial plot. Should the family decided to have the deceased buried in family burial plot, Survey Corps will make an arrangement to deliver the deceased along with their personal belongings to their respective homes on a different date and their immediate Commanding Officer will escort and attend the funeral.
That was one of the worst order she's had so far. Sitting alone in the carriage on her way back to the headquarter, her brain replayed the scene of a mother who screamed, after she explained her arrival to that house and on the condition of her son's death, blindly blaming her for her son's death. Next is of a father who dropped to his knees at the sight of her standing on his front door. Apparently, family members of Survey Corps soldiers all know what it means when out of nowhere an unknown soldier appear on their front door. On the last house, the door was open by a lovely seven year old. She was smiling ear to ear when Nanaba told her that she was from the Survey Corps and looking for her mother. The little girl's eyes lit up at the word Survey Corps, and asking her if Nanaba knew her father and go on to chatter about how she admire her father and she too would like to join The Survey Corps when she grow up. For ten minutes Nanaba sat with her on the doorstep, waiting for her mother to return from the market. The little girl suddenly stand up and called out to her mother coming from a distance, Nanaba followed with her eyes and immediately stand up and give a salute to the woman. Her face went white when she saw Nanaba, her groceries fell from her arm, sending fruits and produce scattered on the ground. The little girl ran to her mother, Nanaba followed and help the woman up, signaling the carriage driver to help collect the woman's groceries and bring them inside the house.
*****
Winterbreak is approaching, Nanaba found that a lot of the more senior members don't usually go on winterbreak, since they can take a leave anytime they want, but the headquarters were getting quiet as a lot of members were taking a leave. Apparently only ten percent of each squad members can take a leave at the same time. They would take turns taking leave. At least everyone will get a chance to see their families once a year.
Today is exceptionally cold as the snow has been non stop falling since midnight. Nanaba's bunk mate left for her hometown last night so her bunk felt extra cold this morning and she just got up an go to the bath for a quick shower before everyone else. The mess hall also felt a little different, she bring her soup and drink to the table in the centre of the room since it was the farthest from the window and the least cold. As she started eating her breakfast she got a little chance to look around the room that was usually packed and saw the senior members and officers gathered on the farthest corner table by the window. She recognized the one talking non stop is Hange Zoe, the guy in front of him is Erwin Smith, but she couldn't remember the other two guys's name, the one next to Hange and the one next to Erwin, she only recognized him as the scary, silent, giant guy.
After breakfast, she went to the stable to tend the horses, luckily the snow had stopped. Since there were no schedule for anyone to use the horses in the morning, she immediately help Dieter to let a several horses out from their stall and direct them to the snowy field outside. Dieter loves to spoiled the horses and just let them roam on the field outside on a quiet day like this. As she was cleaning the horse's stall, the four senior members walked in and talk with Dieter by the door. They got into a playful argument about Dieter wants them to show him written permit signed by Commander Shadis on taking the horses today because he didn't get the memo.
Nanaba was still cleaning one of the stalls when she noticed Miss Hange and the scary, silent, giant guy coming from her peripheral vision. Hange cheerfully told him something about she thinks she found the source of the fruity smell. Still focused on her task, Hange and the giant guy stopped at her stall and asked about the horses' whereabout.
Stepping out to the hallway, Nanaba explained to her that Mr. Dieter is letting the horses out for some air in the field outside. As Nanaba talked with Hange she felt something towering her from behind, when she looked up, she saw the giant guy and, was he sniffing her? Hange chuckled at that and immediately told Mike to stop creeping out the boy like that and go outside and get their horses. So, his name was Mike, and another person who thought she was a boy, Nanaba thought.
*****
Her first expedition outside the wall had her and three other members in charge to guard the supply cart and spare horses, under Hange's team. She spotted her very first titan on an open field, her heart went thundering in her chest now. Will today be her first titan kill? Will she be killed today? Will anyone be killed today? Million questions running through her head. Hange, as if she can read her mind, yelling at them to stay focus and not get distracted by the titan and stand by for her orders. There's two titans now, the second one is faster than the first one, steadily threatening the right sight of the convoy, when two soldiers separated themselves from the convoy and dashed to them, while the rest of the convoy continue. Nanaba saw them maneuvering in the plain field, intercepting the titan's course, one flying through the air and goes straight to slice the titan's ankles while the other one goes to the titans neck as it fell and sliced it. Hange told her that they would stayed behind for a while and observing the first titan's movement to make sure there were no threat to the entire convoy.
As the convoy approaching the forest, the two soldiers finally catching up to return to their original position at the front. That's when Nanaba saw them, it was Erwin Smith and Mike. Hange whistles and shouting 'good job' at them. Erwin gave a smile and gallop ahead of them, resulting a string of cheers as they pass more men. Mike behind him gave a look at Nanaba as he passed. The scene where they charged that titan burned in her mind, this is the first time she saw anyone use maneuver gear in a plain field like that, since all the training in academy were more focused on an area where tall structures were available.
Nanaba's first kill was on the second night they camp, she was on guard duty. Standing on one of the big tree a little bit further from the camp fire, she can hear the Commander and the Officers still gathered by the fire discussing plans for tomorrow. She can also see the other member on guard duty several trees to her left and right. Two hour into her shift she saw something moving before her, among the trees. She gave a torch signals alerting the other night guard for a titan sighting. Julia, the girl to her left gave a torch signal, confirming the sighting. A five meters abnormal that moves at night. They hoped the titan was just passing and won't go anywhere near the camp. Quietly they followed the titan when they realised, the titan is approaching the camp, so they made a move. Jumping closer to the titan, they have take it out before it reached the camp. Julia's steadily getting closer to the titans from the left while Nanaba from the right. Julia, being closer to the titan made a jump to slice the nape. When the titan's head suddenly turned at her, surprised, she had to changed her trajectory to avoid getting caught by the titan's hand, making lost her aim. Nanaba jumped in from behind the titan's head to finish the slice. She immediately jumped to where Julia was, checking on her while still on guard, in case another one showed up.
The loud crash of the titan's fall apparently caught the attention of anyone still awake that hour. Hange was the first to arrive, screaming excitedly and immediately went to examined the titan, followed by Moblit who struggled to open his eyes and following Hange's order to draw the titan before it evaporate, clearly he was fast asleep when Hange dragged him out of bed for the titan.
They spent three day outside the wall, twelve casualties overall with four human deaths and three horses. Luckily the journey home is smooth without any titans encounter. Nanaba would never forget the first time she saw a human being dragged and devoured by a titan. It was not something anyone could ever forget. The sound of air whistling in your ear as a titan's hand swing by you, grabbing your comrade, the scream, the crunching sound made as the titan devoured your comrade, the blood splattering around. They all have to get use to it. Mourn for your fallen and continue.
As they arrived at the HQ and tending on their horses, Nanaba was approached by Hange. She congratulate her on her first titan kill and good job on the deep cut she made on the titan. Almost severed it's neck, she said. Hange then proceed to tell her, should the opportunity arrived, she would be glad to have her on her team. Lastly, Hange made sure that she was to never hesitate to come to her whenever she needs to talk about something, anything. Nanaba just laughed at Hange's nonstop chattering, happy to found herself a new friend.
Laying in her bunkbed that night felt surreal. She remembered everything that happened the past few days. Her first encounter with a titan, her first titan kill, her first time seeing her comrades died in front of her eyes. She sighed and reminded herself that this is the life she's chosen for herself, so she better get used to that from now on. On her first titan kill, she barely remembered how it actually happened, she only remembered vividly her comrades congratulate her afterward. She remembered feeling proud of her first kill where she finally felt like she was now a Survey Corps member.
THE END