A Siblings Promise (An AOT Sibling FanFic)

A New Beginning

As comfortably as they could without their dear family, the Smith family lived with Adaline Pixis, a widowed woman growing in age who was more lonely than she was tired. Her brother, Dot Pixis, being a high-ranking official in the Garrison had them at an advantage to live a peaceful life. While she did her best to give the children a nice home, it would never be the same. Cordelia had nightmares about the incident weekly and would wake up trembling and sobbing. The only one to calm her was Erwin. Though time had passed, she never opened up to anybody about what she saw that day. Even through Erwin's persistence that she should trust him, it was too difficult for Cordelia to relive. Thus nobody except one knows what happened that fateful day.

Adaline knew to give the children space. For the first few months, Cordelia barely ate and spoke. Her eyes were full of nothing but severe emptiness. Erwin was greatly concerned about his sister's health and had to coax her to eat to ensure she wouldn't get sick. Erwin knew he had to be strong for his sister, yet Adaline could see the toll it was taking on him as well. How can a child, at 11 years old, be the parent figure for his sister? The thought was outrageous to Adaline. She did what she could to help.

As time went on, the children learned that grief does not last forever. Though they seemed normal after their time of grieving, the memories of their past wouldn't escape them. Especially Cordelia. Her facade was obvious. Adaline often heard her crying softly at night. Erwin rarely left his sister's side and protected her with every fiber of his being. They were not interested in friends, either. It seemed they were only satisfied with the comfort of each other's company. 

Dot Pixis, Adaline's brother, would come to visit on his breaks from the military when he could. He was surprised at Adaline's impulsive decision to adopt the children; considering she never had the drive to have any children of her own with her now-deceased husband. Dot was slightly suspicious of the children and their lack of opening up about their trauma but took them in as his niece and nephew anyway. On the outside, they seemed happy. On the inside, the children were hurting more than anything. Erwin swore an oath to keep the reasoning for his family's death to himself. He'll tell his sister the truth of what he's learned when she was ready, unlike what his father did with him.

~7 Years Later~

"So you leave tomorrow, hm?" Adaline said to her practically adopted 18-year-old son, Erwin, as she swept the outside porch of their home. He sat on the porch steps while she swept. His blond hair nicely parted to one side and his clothes, though old, clean.

"Yeah..." Erwin looked into the fields to see his sister picking bouquets of flowers in the field in front of them. He had grown into a handsome lad. Tall and lean posture. Ocean blue eyes, and neatly kept blond hair. The local girls eyed him every time he went out. He, however, was not interested in anyone.

"She's grown into something quite special, hasn't she?" The old woman teased.

Erwin furrowed his eyebrows at the remark, 

"Yeah... She's really grown," he paused, the memory from when he announced his military decision came forth to his mind.

~~~

"Cordelia," Erwin began as he stared at the ground.

"Hm?" Cordelia turned to look at him while cleaning a glass mug with a rag, her blonde hair pushed back into a headband and her hair in a messy ponytail.

"What's the matter, Erwin?" She asked, smiling.

"I'm... joining the military. I leave in a month." 

CRASH

The sudden sound of glass shattering disrupted Erwin's thoughts and caused his eyes to meet his sisters. Her blue eyes were wide with shock, her expression matching.