...Forest of giant trees ...

...Yoake (Dawn) village ...

    Yuki hums silently to herself as she swings her legs gracefully back and forth over the balcony railing. A bright smile pulls at the corner of her painted lips, peacefulness overwhelming her senses. Her fingers swiftly guide across a blank page in her opened leather-bound journal while the words echoing in her head slowly bleed onto a white background. Sunlight glows brightly on her untouched porcelain skin, a gentle breeze blowing her violet bangs away from her eyes. Her bright pink  orbs flicker with undiscovered curiosity and the warmth against her tiny frame gives her an uneasy comfort. She slightly lifts her head, her pupils taking in everything past the outposts protecting her village from any roaming bloodthirsty titans. Hundreds of beautiful acres full of thousands of huge wooded areas lay beyond. 

    She instinctively sniffs the air as the scent of flowers mixed with an earthy scent lingers in the air. She lets out a long sigh, the need to just let go of everything at once latching onto her brain. She shakes her head to clear it from thoughts like that while carefully closing her beloved journal. She casts one glance at the ground below her, spotting a specific group of men coming into Yoake village. Her heartbeat automatically begins pounding against her ribcage and the sound of her twin sister charging onto the balcony reaches her ears. 

    "Yuki, sorry to bother you. I know you're busy with your hobbies, but Levi just showed up. He's requested to see you. He said it was an emergency," Her sweet sibling states in a rush, the other girl gracefully stepping onto the marble flooring. 

Yuki flashes her sibling a kind smile as she follows the other girl into her bedroom. Her room is spotless. Not to mention perfect, just like the rest of the two-story manor. 

    "Thanks for letting me know. He was supposed to stop by next week. That's what we agreed on last time he stopped by. Elizabeth tell Mr. Ackerman I'll be downstairs in a moment," she says while quickly dusting off her white sunflower dress. Elizabeth nods her head in response, raising an eyebrow at her sister in suspension. Yuki playfully sticks her tongue at her odd facial expression and checks herself over one last time. 

    "Don't stare at me like that. Please, do what I just said," she demands, gaining a classical payback look from her younger sister. 

    Elizabeth is taller than Yuki with an average build. Her skin is slightly tan from being outside quite often, her face speckled with freckles. Her brunette locks reach her shoulder-blades while her hazel orbs flicker with never-ending mischief. A scar is engraved on her right cheek from playing with knives and fresh bruises cover her arms. She's the complete opposite of her dear twin. Elizabeth is always getting in trouble with their father. Plus, she can't stop helping the men out with fighting titans. She quickly disappears down the hallway as Yuki tightens her grip on her Journal's spine. She takes in a breath to calm her racing heart, heading outside of her room. She casually steps into a narrow corridor while spotting a servant dusting off some pictures hanging on the wall. The older woman nods her head to acknowledge her mistress, a smile appearing on her face. 

   "Miss, he's waiting in the library," she guides the young girl in the direction of the stairs. She quickly yet gracefully walks down the steps and pauses at the bottom floor. 

    "Thanks, if it weren't for you...I'd be lost. I wish my father would stop adding so many rooms," she giggles at her dismay, racing off in the direction of the library. 

    Yuki quietly opens the wooden oak door as she quickly glances around the huge room. It's the size of two master bedrooms combined with a second floor. Bookshelves full of various books line the walls while a tea area is set up on the bottom level. She spots Levi's frame near a window, her stern expression softening. He's standing next to the window frame with his arms crossed over his chest. Sunlight reflecting off the glass glows against his face, the black smeared around his narrow eyes from sleepless nights showing up. She keeps herself still like a mouse and continues silently making him some tea. She knows very well he never gets any peace. For a moment, she's reminded of the lost man she fell in love with. 

    She's currently engaged to him. The two grew up together as well as they were partners on missions. She is also 4 years younger than him. They never doubted each other for a second, each one trusting one another with their life. She casually walks up to him while clearing her throat to let him know she was there. He turns to look down at her, his angular facial features twisted into a blank canvas. 

    "You're late," he mumbles like a parent scolding for her being tardy. She playfully rolls her pink  orbs, handing him the porcelain glass.

    "You're early. You were supposed to show up next week, remember," she replies and glances at the window to see a group of his closest friends waiting outside. He makes a tch sound through his teeth, drinking his tea without another word. 

    Levi is a bit taller than Yuki with a slightly muscular build. His jet black bangs fall at the sides of his head and his gray pupils flicker with emptiness.

    "How's everything here? By the looks of it on my trip here, it's not safe. Your home could be destroyed by titans at any moment," he says it as bluntly as possible. She sighs involuntarily, wondering what's happening beyond the outposts. 

    "It's fine. My father and his men can handle any titans that threaten us. I'm not worried about it. I am stuck in this manor twenty-four-seven, after all," she states while biting into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. He also knows she wants to fight alongside him, but after she almost died due to a mission gone very wrong...he advised her not to be on the field. 

    "How are the journals coming along?" He quickly changes the subject for a moment to stop her from snapping or pouting. Her disappointed expression immediately melts away and she exchanges his teacup for her book. She swiftly sits the glass gently on the window frame, her eyes lighting up like fireworks. 

    "It's great. I'm impressed with how well all my research is going about the titans and everything else related to it. I'm glad you gave me the project. I'm having a lot of fun. I'm almost done with all the journals you've already given me. This is one would number ten," Yuki explains with excitement as she stands next to him. She casually leans her head against his left shoulder, watching his eyes scan the text written on the pages. An impressed smile pulls at the corner of his lips for a minute while he takes in everything she's done over the last couple of months. He places a hand on top of her head, ruffling up her violet bangs. Her face flushes light pink and she instinctively wraps her arms around his waist. She hugs him like it's the last time she'll ever see him, pulling him closer. 

    She hesitantly lets go of him as she hears the sound of yelling mixed with threats reach her ears from outside. She sighs in annoyance, staring past his shoulder-blades. Her pink  orbs lock onto a group of men about to get into a fight with each other over some gear found on a half-eaten corpse brought in a few minutes ago. She makes a tch sound through her teeth, wondering where in the hell her sister disappeared to. 

    "Levi, can save me the small chat? There's something you're not telling me. You have that look in your eyes. Plus, my sister told me it was an emergency," she says while beginning to head for the door leading outside. 

    "Can't put anything past you, huh?" He mumbles, walking behind her to stop her from leaving. He swiftly wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer to him. 

    "That's an understatement," she replies, reaching back to place a hand on top of his head. 

    Her face flushes light red as she ruffles up his jet black bangs. His own face fades to a faint pink shade, propping his chin on top of her right shoulder.  

     "I want you to leave Yoake village. It's not safe, the Titans population has increased dangerously high in this exact area. You have to leave and come with me. It'll be safer behind the walls. You can stay with me. I'll be able to protect you...it's the only way," he buries his face into the side of her neck while mumbling his words into her skin. Their bodies have no distance whatsoever, her back pressing against his frame. He squeezes her tightly to show he has missed her over time and laces their fingers together. Her heartbeat automatically begins pounding against her ribcage, her desire to leave with the man she loves or to stay to protect her family tearing her mind apart. 

    "I want to...I really do, but I just can't. I have to stay here to protect my family. My father is very ill and I'm the only one who can take his place as head of my bloodline. I'll come to stay with you and I'll follow your lead when my obligations are finished here," she states matter-of-factly as she bites into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. That's the hardest thing she has had to say in a long time, her heart instantly sinking. Levi's body goes stiff at her response while his muscles tense up. He quickly lifts his head, a dark yet cold sternness replacing his calm demeanor. He swiftly lets go of her and twirls her around to face him. He places a hand on each of her shoulders, locking eyes with her. 

    "I don't care. Titans will strike at any time and we're leaving whether you like it or not. I'm not going to let you make an idiotic decision. Got it, Yuki," he demands harshly and grabs her left wrist. She struggles to break free from his iron grip, her body being dragged in the direction of the doorway.

    Yuki fights against his hold as he continues dragging her across the marble floor. She puts her weight on her feet to slow down his fast-paced walking, but it's completely useless. It's like she weighs absolutely nothing. Then again what did she expect from the proclaimed "humanity's strongest soldier." 

    "This isn't very appropriate, Levi. Seriously...Let go of me," she demands while noticing more corpses are arriving through the village's back entrance. She looks forward just in time, the wooden frame coming inches from hitting her face first. She braces herself from impact and closes her eyes tightly. He quickly pulls her out of the way in seconds, the young girl hesitantly opening one eye. 

    Her pink orbs grow wide in shock as her face flushes a bloody red shade. Her back is leaned against a wall, Levi's body blocking her from escaping. She bites back her rude remarks while footsteps approach them. Both Levi and herself turn their heads to see Erwin along with her twin sister staring at them. An awkward silence lingers in the air for a long minute, the small group staring at each other. 

    "Um...Are we interrupting anything? If you two are busy, we'll wait outside for a few more minutes," Erwin says casually and Elizabeth mouths the words "What the heck?" to her sibling. 

    "Yes, you are," Levi states as he glares at her. She sticks her tongue at him in annoyance, gently shoving him away from her. 

    "No, I'm glad to see you're okay. It's been a-while. Levi just rescued from me being a clumsy idiot. I almost tripped and he caught me before I could give myself major head trauma," Yuki quickly states while smiling kindly at the commander. Everyone but Levi relaxes, Erwin greeting the young girl with a swift handshake. 

    "I hate taking him away from you, but we have an emergency. Levi, we have to go right away," he says and the short man growls to himself. Yuki kisses Levi on the cheek quickly, moving behind him. 

    "Well, you have to go. I'll come to the city in a few days, I promise. I'll be fine and you have nothing to worry about. Make sure, you give those sad group of soldiers hell while I'm not there, okay," she mumbles as she pushes him out of the doorway. She playfully fixes his hair back in place, before shutting the door in his face. She sighs in sadness while standing in front of a nearby window. She props her elbows on top of the frame, watching him gracefully saddle up for his journey back. Tears cloud her pink orbs and emptiness overwhelms her soul. She allows the cold yet sadly drops to roll down her pained facial features, her gaze lingering on the horizon even after they're long gone. 

Yuki roughly wipes away her tears with the back of her hands as she feels the weight of someone's hand on her shoulder. She lets out a shaky breath, turning her head to come face to face with her twin. She smiles through her pain while Elizabeth squeezes her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. 

    "Hey, it's okay. You'll both be fine. You'll see him soon, I just know it. Cheer up, sis," she says like it's a fact, winking with her right eye. Yuki slightly giggles at her sibling's silly expression and quickly pulls herself together. 

    "Yeah, I'm going to finish filling in that journal. If I don't get done by the time I see him again...he'll scold me for sure," she responds, heading outside of the library. 

    Elizabeth follows her carefully as she begins heading for the stairs. She sneaks up behind the other girl, jabbing her in the sides. Yuki quickly twists around while glaring in her sibling's direction. 

    "What were you two really doing?" She teases, wriggling her eyebrows. Yuki rolls her pink orbs in disgust at her childish behavior and grabs a broom the servant left leaning against the wall. She smirks wickedly, her twin sister beginning to run away. 

    "Hey, get back!" She shouts and chases the other girl around the living room area. The two giggle like they're little kids once-more, each one playing along. 

    Suddenly, someone bursts through the front door as multiple screams break the heavy silence. Both girls stop in their tracks, their bodies freezing in place. Yuki blinks while bracing herself for what she was afraid of. She forces a blank canvas onto her facial features, letting her fear fuel her paralyzed body into action. She pushes Elizabeth towards the bloody man and curls her fingers into fists. 

    "Take her. Get a wagon ready to go and gather my family. Also get a small group of men ready to protect us. You leave in exactly ten minutes, regardless if I'm safe or not," she demands, determination mixed with pure fire flashing in her pupils. 

    Her twin struggles against the man's iron grip as she begins racing upstairs. Elizabeth swiftly grabs her wrist just in time, dragging her backward. Yuki snaps her head in the other girl's direction while chaos takes over her home. 

    "Yuki, promise me...you won't die. You better be in that wagon or I'll beat you up myself. Don't get eaten by a titan either. Cause I'll make sure to carve you out of its ugly body to teach you a lesson. Got it, sis," she states matter-of-factly, her grip tightening around the girl's wrist painfully. Yuki flashes her a twisted smirk and nods her head in understanding. 

    "Don't worry, Beth. I'll make sure I leave one hell of a mess for the both of us," she responds, the man finally being able to drag Elizabeth out of the door. 

    The two make eye contact for what feels like the last time as the building begins shaking on impact. She turns her attention back to the stairs, swiftly racing into her bedroom. She runs in front of her closet while quickly picking up a metal box sitting on the floor. She pops open the top of it, her gaze locking onto her gear. 

    Levi told her she wasn't allowed on the field anymore as well as her staying out of danger if possible. Regardless, she kept her gear from her missions. She even practiced using it in private on random titans whenever she was upset. She picks up the contraption while tossing the box aside. She carefully slips it over her shoulders, the straps pressing along her body giving her a new sense of meaning. She carefully moves her clothes hanging up out of the way and immediately spots a pair of blades leaning against four nails stuck in the wall. She picks them up by their handles, slipping each one into a slot carved into two metal slabs at her hips. 

    Yuki races onto her balcony as she carefully braces herself against the railing. She quickly glances around, sadness pumping throughout her circulatory system. Yoake village is currently under attack by titans. At least twenty to twenty-four giants are roaming freely. She spots multiple people being eaten alive, blood mixed with bodily fluids leaking down the bloodthirsty monsters' massive jaws. She growls in hatred while watching most of the buildings collide with the ground. Her knuckles fade into a white shade, hot fury taking over her bright pink orbs. A group of men struggles to fight back and it quickly ends in more blood, body parts, bitten off heads, and bodily fluids splattering onto everything in sight. 

    She suddenly feels hot air blow against her back as she realizes the wagon is currently on the move like she ordered. She gracefully twirls around, her eyes locking onto a titan looming above her. She smirks wickedly in response while it tries grabbing her. She jumps backward out of the way, gravity taking a-hold of her body. The wind blows against her back and she free falls for a minute or two. She presses on the trigger, a grappling hook launching itself forward. 

    The metal claw buries itself into the titan's shoulder-blade as her body zooms upward. She narrows her eyes, using the wind to guide her. She quickly slices the back of the titan's neck while launching a new grappling hook toward the wagon. Blood splatters in a random direction, its body falling like a puppet. The ground shakes on impact and its corpse collides with her home. The metal hooks into the wooden structure, sending her body speeding forward. She unhooks it quickly as she front flips into the back of the moving contraption. She stands gracefully on her feet, casting one last glance at Yoake village. She swiftly wipes the blood on the blades away by using the fabric of her dress while wrapping her slender fingers around a nearby pole. She hesitantly takes a seat next to her sister, keeping an eye out for any more titans. 

    Suddenly two titans charge out of a group of giant trees as Yuki stands up quickly. The wagon vibrates under her feet, the wheels moving quicker by each passing second. She steadies herself without any problems while two men on the right are squished by the approaching titans. 

    "Move this wagon, now!" She demands, getting ready to take the monsters who murdered her bodyguards. Her twin sister quickly grabs her arm and tugs her backward. 

    "No, don't leave me. You've already risked your life for us. It's not worth it, Yuki," she says, tears clouding her watery eyes. The young girl rolls her eyes at her sister's words and gives her the classical look Levi gives her whenever she tries to talk him out of something he was going to do whether she liked it or not. 

    "Those men died protecting us. I owe them the titans that ate them in return for what they've done for us," she replies, narrowing her focus on the spot she's going to shoot the grappling hook onto the nearest titan. Elizabeth grabs both of her sibling's arms and hugs her from behind. 

    "No, stop! I know how you feel and I know why you put yourself on the line! You call it justice for the fallen and you're doing your job! But...but, you enjoy taking them down! You also prefer to die during a brave act to make yourself feel better! Well, it's not happening! I don't care if you despise me for holding you back, but I need you here! Not anyway else!" She shouts at the top of her lungs, burying her face into the other girl's lower back. Yuki turns to look down at her younger self as Elizabeth's tears fade into cries of help. 

    "Elizabeth," she mumbles her name quietly, wondering how to react. The wagon suddenly leans forward while the two girls struggle to stand upright. Gravity takes a-hold of the wooden contraption, it beginning to roll down some kind of ditch. Yuki and Elizabeth's bodies are tossed around like a puppet on strings until everything comes to a standstill. Yuki's head hits a beam harshly, her unconscious form colliding with the roof. 

Yuki flutters her eyes open as a ringing sound echoes in her eardrums. She blinks, her eyesight fading between white and black until everything comes into focus. Pain automatically plunges into her limbs while she shakes her head to clear it. The scent of thick metallic lingers in the atmosphere, wreckage covering everything in sight. She coughs loudly and carefully pushes herself up to a sitting position. Her eyes dart around the caved-in wagon, her orbs locking onto an awful display. Her heart begins pounding painfully against her ribcage as an unbearable sadness stabs into her very soul. Her torso rises and falls rapidly, panic settling into her breathing. She carefully crawls through the small space while her gaze stays locked onto the dead body of her former twin. Tears cloud her blood-shot pupils, a new injury scaring her already stitched together heart. She struggles to control her overwhelming emotions and lets them out by screaming at the top of her lungs. A battle cry of despair mixed with hatred at the titans breaks the heavy silence, blood-stained drops falling down her face. 

    Her sibling's body lays broken against the crashed wagon. A beam is impaled through her abdomen as well as forced head trauma cracked on the corpse's right temple. Brain matter leaks from her injury, her intestines spread out of her sliced open flesh like candy. Blood spreads out around her cold husk into a thick pool while her eyes are dilated. Her fingers are curled into fists, something shiny poking between her stiff knuckles. Yuki hesitantly takes the item and examines it like it's priceless. A key glints in a ray of sunlight shining through a gap in the frame, her fingers quickly slipping the necklace over her head. She emotionlessly kicks the wooden floor blocking her path until it gives way under pressure. She crawls through the small gap, emerging into what looks like a clearing with a dried-up pond. 

    Yuki pushes herself to her feet as the need to vomit settles in her throat. She coughs harshly, forcing her aching legs to carry her around the other side of the wreckage. She props her left side against its frame while silently watching what happened to the rest of her beloved family. She swiftly drops her journal where Levi could find it if he locates the wreck, writing a message on the cover with the blood smeared across her fingertips. She takes in a breath to stop herself from giving up now and wraps her slender fingers around her blades' handles. She narrows her eyes at the titan who killed her loved ones, adrenaline giving her enough energy to finish the job. 

    The disgusting creature is currently eating her father along with the rest of his men. Body parts lay scattered about as well as blood with a mixture of brain matter smeared across its rotting flesh. Its eyes glow a red shade, its teeth dyed crimson. Human flesh hangs from between its lips while parts of its bones show though from injuries other people inflicted on it. She begins charging into the situation, launching a grappling hook at its shoulder-blades. She zooms forward quickly and swiftly begins slicing parts of it's limbs off. She moves at a high speed, her blade cutting all over its tall body repeatedly. 

    Tears mixed with cries of emptiness break free from the damaged girl's vocal cords as the titan screams out in alarm or pain. Yuki flips gracefully into the air in front of its face while swiftly slicing deeper into its facial structure. The body of her father drops to the ground among the other poor souls, the girl finally landing on her feet.

Yuki casts a glance at the giant with a twisted expression and watches its lower jaw collide with the dirt. Bloody injuries are carved into its lifeless husk, its limbs separated from its bone joints. It hits the ground with a sick shake and the girl's energy immediately gives way. She falls into a bloody puddle on her knees, her paralyzed expression reflecting back at her. 

    Her body shakes violently as she struggles to stay together. She gazes at herself in the bloody reflection, wondering how she ended up like this. An hour ago she was laughing with her sister. She had giggled like a hyped little kid. She even got to see Levi, but now... it's like she's broken or she's living in some kind of nightmare. Her skin is caked with blood along with mud. Her violet bangs are sticky from sweat, her facial features stuck in an expression that looks like a porcelain doll. Fresh blood drips from her clothes while her mind can't process anything at the moment. She shivers, exhaustion threatening to knock her out. Suddenly, she hears loud footsteps approaching from somewhere nearby. She lifts her head with some effort and her blurry vision locks onto a group of creepy looking men. Her functions automatically shut down against her will, her body hitting the ground just like the titan next to her.