Ymir's Legacy

Ch. 26; The Sea

Hours had passed since the recovery of wall maria had been achieved, the cart, beast, and armored had managed to flee. Armin sacrificed his life to distract the colossal and let Eren seal the hole, however Bertholdt was defeated, and the titan serum entrusted to Levi had been given to Armin, who then ate Bertholdt and now holds the power of the colossal. Aila had been seriously injured, even after resting for hours, her wounds were still healing, her limbs had grown back and her cuts and bruises had healed, however her burns were still in the process of healing. Annie had fully recovered, feeling just slightly fatigued and sore, Armin was still out cold from emerging from his titan. Sasha suffered a major blow to the head by a rock from a building crushed by Reiner, she had a laceration on her side as well, but the bleeding stopped and she would be alright with rest and medical help back in wall rose. The only survivors of the scouts who had come to retake wall maria were Aila, Annie, Sasha, Mikasa, Eren, Armin, Connie, Jean, Marco, Hange, Moblit, Nanaba, Gelgar, Ymir, Levi, and Marlo, the other soldiers including commander Erwin were wiped out by the colossal or the beast. The survivors rested atop the wall, waiting for Armin and Aila to be well enough to move, Sasha would have to be carried in a cart back since her injuries were so severe. When Armin awoke, they explained the situation to him, telling him of his newfound power and how he came to get it. Eren and Mikasa were to be placed in solitary confinement for thirty days due to their attempt on Levi's life when he was deciding who to give the serum to. After explaining everything, Hange, Ymir and Levi had Mikasa and Eren take them to their home to investigate the cellar in which Grisha Jaeger held his secrets. The others were to stay on the wall and watch over the injured and the horses that were left until they returned, those who weren't injured were to pack up and prepare to return to wall rose and report their success, they were to leave when they returned.

Aila tossed and turned in her sleep, visions had come to her, the man in the white robe who had her titan before her was in front of her. His life prior played through her head, he was a soldier of the top ten cadets in his year, and was chosen like her to hold her titan. He had a family, a wife and a daughter, she was probably her age, she watched as he lived his life completely different from hers, never having to use his titan once to fight. She watched as his life unfolded, but it came to a climax when the man had left his home late at night and headed to the capital, he met with Rod Reiss and Kenny Ackerman. They discussed in private who would inherit the guard titan, the titan that she now holds, they looked through a book of cadets and read over each one of their files, finally coming to Aila's. "She seems like a promising candidate, she's written down as good in a fight and tenacious, she'd make a fine guard", Rod said pointing to her file, they all agreed on her being the next, though they had to keep everything about her titan from her, the truth of the walls too, they didn't know how she'd react, so they'd keep her in the dark. A few days after deciding she would inherit the titan, she watched as the man was brought forth, and was chained to the ground and walls. She watched as she was turned to a titan, just as she reached out and grabbed him, and pulled him to her mouth, she jotted up. "NO!", she screamed, Annie leaned forwards and held Aila, "Ail! Shhh.. shh, it's ok you're safe, look at me", Annie gently held her fiance's face in her hands, she turned it to face her. Aila started to breathe normally again, she calmed down at the sight of her love, she lifted her hand up and caressed Annie's hands on her face, leaning into her touch. Annie smiled, she pulled Aila's head into her chest and held her, "I think I know what you dreamt of.. all titan holders have these dreams of their past holders memories, you'll be ok eventually", Aila took a deep breath and kissed Annie. She looked over at the ruins of Shiganshina, memories of her childhood began to flood her mind, "Annie, please.. can you take me down there I... I need to see my home again", Annie sat hesitant at first, but ultimately agreed.

Aila stood up, she folded the scout cloak she was covered in and walked over to Sasha, placing it under her head. Annie met with her, "What happened to Sasha?" "When Reiner attacked for a second time she got caught in his fire and was hit by debris", Annie explained. Aila clenched her fists and growled, "That bastard... I'll make him pay one day", Annie rested her hand on her shoulder, "WE will make them all pay", Aila looked up and nodded. Aila used a spare cloak and rested it on Connie's back, he was exhausted and had fallen asleep while watching Sasha, Jean was taking up his watch now. "Jean, Marco, Marlo, we'll be back", Annie shouted, "Huh? Where are you guys going?", Marlo asked. Aila looked down at the destroyed homes below her, "Home..", she leapt off the wall and used her ODM gear to fly down, Annie at her side. Once they got to Aila's area, they started to walk, Aila looked around at her destroyed home, she pictured her running around and laughing with Eren and the others as kids, a smile with sadness coated in it. Annie noticed, she grasped onto her hand, trying her best to comfort her. Aila looked down and smiled, she was grateful Annie was there to support her, as they continued to walk down Aila's neighborhood Aila noticed an overgrown tree in a small area of grass. She gasped once she looked over, it was the tree she was sitting at when she was reading the day wall maria fell. She ran over to the tree, "Aila be careful there could be titans around here!", Annie shouted as she ran after her. She stopped at the tree, tears filled her eyes, she bent down and picked up a book covered in grass that lay decaying in front of the tree. It was the book she had left behind that day, Annie caught up to her, she noticed she was crying, "Aila what's-", she stopped when she saw the book in her hands. She remembered how Aila had told her that when she was a kid she would sit at a big tree and read when she had time, she quickly realized that this was the tree she spoke of, and the book she held in her hands was probably the last book she ever read here. She knelt down and held Aila, rubbing her back, letting her cry and let her emotions out.