In the Attack on Titan world?

Chapter 17- revelations and new titans

I was panting, struggling against tears. Connie needed to know just not right now. My heart clenched tight.
Who would have done this? Who would have changed the villagers into titans and how?
Ahead I saw their figures, alongside others of Hanje's squad. I was glad to see they had survived.
I pulled up alongside the leader, I think their name was... I forget.
"Ma'am." I shouted. "There were no breaches up until that village it must be further southwestward."
She nodded. "Who are you?"
"Cadet Drake." I replied giving a one handed salute. "Captain Levi, Commander Erwin and Squad Leader Hanje sent me to check for breaches."
"Good to have you here Cadet." She looked up. "It's getting dark, would you be able to ride a little a head and see if there is anywhere to rest?"
"Yes ma'am!"
I rode ahead.
Ahead of us was a tower, so I rode back keeping a pace with the leader.
"A tower up a head, looks old."
"Well station there. Great job Cadet." I pulled back to behind her as we rode into the castle tower.

I could tell we were all exhausted, me and Jean from riding so hard and the others from fleeing clearly.
"Thanks to the two of you joining us, we have two extra members with ODM gear. We had to abandon it with the 104th." The leader explained.
"Should we search the place for food ma'am?" I asked. I needed time.
"Good idea." She then looked up. "We will go keep watch."
"Layla what happened to your hand?" Jean asked. I glanced down at it I had paid it no mind but it twinged a little.
"Cut it." I said quite curtly. Then realised it sounded harsh. "Sorry Jean." I waved Connie over. "I found your mom Connie." Connies eyes went as round as saucers. "Was she?"
"Alive but barely." I said, holding out my hand. "She was buried under the Titan, I cut my hand trying to free her, but the weight of Titan and brick combined crushed her." I added sadly.
Connie gasped and his shoulders heaved. "She wanted to tell you she is proud of you and if she could have seen you she would have welcomed you home." I pulled him in to a hug. "Remember she's in your heart Connie."
"Yeah, What about my dad?"
I shook my head at his question and let him cry into my shoulder. Jean patted him on the shoulder and I could see in his eyes the day we had found Marco. Death and pain filled his eyes.
"I am so sorry Connie." I said softly. "I did all I could."
"I know and I want to thank you." He pulled away and wiped his eyes. "Thank you for taking the time to try. I just wish-"
"No. Don't think that for a second." I jumped in. "She would not have wanted you to have seen her that way. Mothers tend to do that."
He nodded and walked away. His shoulders hunched but as he spoke with Reiner and Bertholdt about finding food, they raised slightly.
The sound of hooves gave way to Sasha, Christa and Ymir. More people.
The leaders of that group went and reported to the ones up on the roof. I was worried that titans would come, and asked to blockade the doors. It was denied in case of other survivors.

Instead I went and looked out of the window. It was narrow and my head would have barely fit through it.
"You ok?" Jean asked.
"Yeah. Just worrying as usual you know me."
"Well I'm here if you need me." Jean said smiling.
I smiled in replied. "Always." He laughed. We searched for food when the shout came from above.
We joined the leaders. There we saw titans, moving at nighttime. And another one, like it was sitting on the wall, just perched watching.
"Now would be the time to barricade the doors." The female leader breathed. "Then Cadet Drake and Cadet Kirstein, will you watch from the roof?"
"Yes ma'am!" Jean And I said in unison.
"You others barricade the doors and then join the other two on the roof."

Soon the titans were surrounding the tower, splintering wood sounded below. Jean and I looked at one another. A shout and then a cry. Silence, then footsteps thundered up the stairs.
"Titans broke the door, we barricaded it but that's it we are sitting ducks now." Bertholdt said. "No way out."
I looked down, the squad was slicing left right and centre.
I had to try it or we were all going to die.
I took a deep breath.
"Stand back." I said. "Stay away from the edge."
I stepped up onto the edge of the tower.
"Hey!" I sang. "Heyeyay!"
"Layla what-"
"Hey! Eh! This is the night, this is the night. Hey,eyey feeling alive, feeling alive." I closed my eyes, feeling the wind. "My heart goes boom as the stars go blue like a sea of torch lights, the moon ignites as the sun goes down somewhere behind the wall tonight. Have you ever felt like living in the shadows, have you ever felt kept down, I know sometimes it feels like a battle, but it can turn around." I hoped it would be giving hope to those fighting, and fear to the titans.
"Hey, eye, this is the night this is the night, Hey eye, feeling alive feeling alive. The kick drum starts as the walls fill up with titans more. From Trost town to Shiganshina crowd it's here and all over the world. Have you ever felt like standing on a rooftop, have you ever wanted to scream, everybody dance, burn it up, til we blast off just like a rocket machine." I knew I was getting louder and louder and then I changed song.
"Like a small boat, on the ocean, sending big waves into motion. Like how a single word can make a heart open. I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion. And all those things I didn't say, a wrecking ball inside my brain, I was screaming loud tonight, can you hear my voice, This is my fight song take back my life song, prove I'm alright song. My powers turned on, right now I'll be strong, I'll play my fight song, and I don't really care if nobody else believes, cause I've still got a lotta fight left in me." I knew the others were staring but I didn't care. The titans were slowing, that I could see.
But what the one sitting was doing was unclear. So I kept going.
"Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep, everybody's worried about me, say I'm in too deep, I'm in too deep. It's been two years and I miss my home, there's a fire burning in my bones, still believe, yeah I still believe, and all those things I didn't say, a wrecking ball inside my brain. I was screaming loud tonight can you hear my voice this time. This is my fight song, take back my life song, prove I'm alright so-ong, my powers turned on, right now I'll be strong. I'll play my fight song and I don't really care if nobody else believes cause I've still got a lotta fight left in me! A lotta fight left in me. Like a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion, like how a single word can make a heart open, I might only have one match...but I can make an explosion! This is my fight song. Take back my life song. Prove I'm alright song. My powers turned on starting right now I'll be strong, I'll play my fight song and I don't really care if nobody else believes, cause I've still got a lotta fight left in me!"
I screamed that last note. It rang around the tower, titans having been slewn but so had the leaders. I looked down, looked at the grasping hands, the two swing ODM gears attached to either a hand or nothing.
I looked up, the Titan at the wall was standing now.
"Shit." I said aloud. "Get down."
Something whizzed over our heads.
"Congrats Layla, you got them killed and now your gonna get us killed." Reiner said bitterly.
I didn't have time to deal with him right now.
I looked at the group behind me, looked at the Titan about to throw something else and instinct took over.
"Get down!" I screamed at the titan. It froze mid swing, the projectile hitting the titans in front of us. Killing them instantly.
But it hadn't killed all of them. Hands were still reaching up.
"Layla, it's ok." Ymir said with a sad but kind smile. "I knew I would have to do this one day." She looked at Christa. "If it protects Christa, then I'll do it."
She took out a knife as she moved towards me. Was she going to stab me?
"Thanks for doing what you have until now, it's given me some strength and saved us til now. Let me take over." She patted me on the shoulder. And then she sliced her hand and leapt from the tower- my scream died as she transformed.
I had to stop Christa from following her so we stepped back and watched.

Ymir in Titan form began tearing at napes, and I had to look at the Titan on the wall, still holding a bereaved Christa. This Titan- it looked like a monkey, fur over most of its body.