The Birth of Freedom

Feast for the Brave

RIAN

The pleasant sound of chatter and laughter filled the usually peaceful great Hall as scouts new and old mingled for the feast of the brave. True to his word, the Commander had announced the news of mine and Aurora's promotion to team leaders, and we had been congratulated with a cheering salute before the feast of something other than food rations began.

Spirits were high as I meandered around the Hall speaking to various scouts and thanking them for their congratulations. It was strange to think that even though Aurora and I had only been here just over two years, we had made it to team leader. 

At this rate, we will both be high ranking officers before we are 30.

"But you have to its tradition!" Gelgar's booming voice declared, drawing my attention to the gathering on the edge of the dancing space as long red hair swished back and forth with the shaking of my sister's head.

"Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people, and I can be doing without it." Aurora drawled before she flicked Gelgar on the nose, making the gathering of Nanaba, Miche, Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Jean around her laugh. 

"You're killing me here!" Gelgar whined as he tried to make his best puppy dog eyes at Aurora, causing both her and Nanaba to snort. Moving closer, I met Nanaba's eyes and sent her a confused look hoping she could elaborate. 

"Gelgar says that Aurora has to dance," Nanaba explained as she rolled her eyes at Gelgar's pouting face. He did this every time a feast occurred, which thankfully was not often. Since we had enlisted, Gelgar had taken it upon himself as the big brother figure to try and bring things from Shiganshina into the scouts to make Aurora and I feel more at home. At first, it had been touching when the songs from our home had been played, but it soon turned into amusement for Gelgar when he learned that as graceful as Aurora was on the battlefield, she was, in fact, a terrible dancer. 

"Why?" I said before I snorted at the unamused expression on my sister's freckled face. 

"Because it's a song from Shiganshina! It's from her home!" Gelgar protested and sighing deeply, Aurora drained her cup and slammed it on the table before shaking her head in exasperation. Joy filled Gelgar's face then as my sister rose to her feet, only to drop as she held her hand out to Armin. 

"Fine, but If I have to do this, then it won't be with you." Aurora relented, "Armin, come dance with me."

Armin rolled his eyes at her before taking her hand and leading her to the only open space in the Hall. The music picked up as the entertainers saw them take to the floor, and it brought a smile to my face as the music of my hometown suddenly filled that Hall. Armin pulled his cousin into the circle of his arms, and then they danced to the beat of the music as Aurora's deep green skirt twirled around her. Happiness swelled in my chest as I watched my sister laughing as Armin swung her around, too long had gone by since I had heard her laughing so freely. 

Everyone around us began to clap and cheer as Aurora accidentally tripped on her own two feet and crashed into Armin's chest and a familiar snort of amusement drew my attention to Eren beside me as he watched the pair correct themselves and try to keep up with the beat. 

Now is as good a time as any.

"I shouldn't have raised my blades to you, it wasn't right." I apologised wholeheartedly before turning to face Eren and his guarded features fully. I expected him to be distant, but I hadn't planned for it to hurt so much when I saw the mistrust in his eyes. 

I broke his trust, now I have to earn it back. 

"I don't think you're a monster" I began, "And I'm sorry that I've been off with you it's just that-"