The Titan Slayer

Chapter 1

Isabel is dead. Anais's ragged fingernails bit harshly into her palms. Isabel is dead because of me. I sent her away. I'm her sister, and I sent her to her death. Anais's lower lip quivered, and her chin trembled. Tears threatened to flood out of her eyes as she stared vacantly at the pile of letters astray on her desk. 

Anais still couldn't quite process the reality of her sister's death. It didn't make sense. None. Zero. She forced her shaking hand to pick up Isabel's last letter. Isabel's signature messy scrawl brought back the pleasant, if painful, memories of Anais teaching her to read and write. Anais smiled slightly at the memory of her attempting to teach Isabel math, but the hyperactive younger sister could never seem to manage the numbers. Anais reread the letter, tucking her chin into her high collar. A tear trailed a wet path down her cheek.

Dear sister, it read. I'm going on my first expedition tomorrow. I'm so excited! I wish you could be here to see me off. Of course, if you were here, you'd be on the expedition. With your skills and intelligence, those titans wouldn't stand a chance! 

I miss you, Ness. I don't know how to feel. Furlan and I had to convince Levi that it was okay for us to leave the walls with him. Both of us know how dangerous it is, and it's the best place to execute our mission, so I get why Levi is so worried. But, still! He should trust us! He said he'd believe in us! After all, we've been through so much together. I trust him, and Farlan trusts him. Implicitly. 

I'm sorry. I should be happy. I'm leaving the walls tomorrow, and I saw the stars today! They're just like you said, Ness! Sparkling lights far, far up in the beyond, twinkling. You were right. The stars do map the sky with confidence. 

Oh, Anais, I love the sky. It's vast and limitless; breathtaking. I know now why you loved it even if you could only catch glimpses of it. I understand now why you ached to come up here. For that, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't return as I promised so we could come up together. Instead, I left you and came up on my own. 

I'm not going to say it, but I know that you know why I'm writing to you. It's scary but intoxicating. I mean, the thought of leaving the walls is absurd to me - to all three of us. We've lived under a ceiling for so long, after all. Please come up, alright, sister dear? Maybe even join the Survey Corps? They need you desperately. These people are pampered chickens that are scared of their shadows. The amount of internal sighing I've done at them is unbelievable.

Lastly, I want you to smile more, sister dear. You're gorgeous without a smile, but your smile could outshine the stars. I promise. 

I love it when you smile. 

I love you, Anais, forever and ever. But I want you to promise me you'd come up here to join me. Good. It's a deal, then.

Your beloved sister, 

Isabel Magnolia

Anais closed her teary eyes. Isa had predicted her death. She had suspected that she'd die on the battlefield. Yet Isabel still focused on how the stars shone, how boundless the sky was, and whether her asinine sister should smile more because it made her prettier. 

Anais winced at the memories. That was Isabel, alright.

But Isabel also gave her a promise she had to satisfy. That devil. She knew Anais too well - Anais was a person of her word. It was a promise that she had made with Isabel. At that thought, Anais's sanity snapped a little. She couldn't help herself as she doubled over and started laughing hysterically. You're a nasty idiot, Isabel.