The Bloom Titan (1/2)

CH.18: An Expedition Outside The Walls

I laid back against a set of stairs next to Petra. We had sat at the stairs for a rest from all the chores Captain Levi set for us. "Ah, walls. This heat is slowly killing me." Petra falls back onto the stairs. I hum in response and fall back next to her. We both stare up at the clouds above us. I notice one of them looks alot like a bird.

"Hey Petra, don't you think that one looks like a bird?" I say to her, pointing up to it. She gasps then I feel her stare on the side of my face. I turn my head to look at her.

"Yeah, it does. Well noticed." She praises me. I smile at her then she taps my arm and points up to a cloud. "That one looks like a tree." (Lol petra joke)
I gasp and hum in agreement.

"Mikasa? Armin!" I hear Eren shout. I snap upright almost immeadiatly to look over at Eren. Mikasa and Armin stood there in front of him and I noticed there was alot more Cadets I knew.

"Petra, can I go see my friends?" I ask her ungently. She nods and I run over to them. "Mikasa! Armin!" I wail, flinging my arms around them both. I hug them both tightly.

"E-Ezlyn, can't breath." Armin wheezes. I let go of them both and laugh nervously. I notice Reiner, Bertholdt, Ymir, Krista, Sasha and Connie standing behind them.

"You, guys joined?" I ask breathlessly. "So that means, Jean, Marco and Annie joined the MP's."

"Marco is dead, Ezlyn." I turn to the familiar voice and look them dead in the eye.

"Jean? W-What did you just say?" I shiver. "Tell me what you said just now is just a sick joke and Marcos hiding behind a corner or what. Marco, come on out. You've been caught!" I yell and Jean places his hands on my shoulders firmly. He looks me dead in the eye with his amber ones. They are full of pain and sorrow.

"Ezlyn, why would I joke about something so serious. He was my bestfriend too." Jean speaks, masking his sadness with seriousness.

I stop breathing and fall to my knees. My heart aches and I lift a hand and raise it to my chest. Marco actually died, what the hell. That's impossible. "What, no." I mutter. "No, no, no, this isn't true. It's not real. This just some strange nightmare right?" I stammer, my voices pitch uneven and filled with disbelief.

Jean sits down next to me and places his hand on my arm. "I'm sorry." was all he could mutter. He stands up and walks back over to the Squad Leader. I sat there, my whole body shaking.

"Hey, E-Ezlyn, you okay?" Armin asks, laying his hand on my back. I stand up suddenly giving him a fright.

"Yes, I'm okay. There's always a time where someone needs to leave this world, am I right." I look at him and he gasps. I feel a small tear fall out the corner of my eye.

"Are you sure, I know Marco was one of your very close friends apart from us." He stammers, putting his hand on my arm. I rip my arm from his and begin to walk away.

"What did I tell you before, Armin. I'm fine." I retort, wiping my face aggressively. I storm into the stables to give Zip some of his dinner oats.

"Oi, recruits! Your uniforms are here!" Squad Leader Ness shouts from outside. I hear a bunch of fast footsteps and turn back round to look at them. All of them flung their capes over their shoulders. I noticed Eren looking into the distance, mesmorised by something. I roll my eyes and stroll over to Zip, who had his head peeking over the stable door.

I glide my hand down his neck before grabbing the bucket of oats that were at my feet.

I can't believe it. I didn't see Marco long ago. It was only last week when I last ate my breakfast with him and Jean. Now that he died, Jean has joined the survey corps.