Attack on Titan: Revelations

The Conferance

I saw Niccolo ahead of us freeze at hearing Sasha's words, he cast an anxious yet knowing look back at me but I looked away with a furrowed brow. Worry still beset me and I doubted them highly but I forced a smile at Sasha's words.

Y/n: Yeah...let's just get this other with.

I stepped out of the train and onto the platform and stood next to the others before taking in my surroundings. My eyes widened in shock and a small part of me disbelieved what I was seeing.

Ostia had changed.

No longer were there happy families, large politicians in their stretched waistcoats or commuters boarding the train. The golden days of the past were well and truly behind this station. They were replaced with hundreds of muttering people, many in rags and looking deathly pale and thin with their cheekbones poking out of their stretched skin, looking at us with dead eyes. Others waited for stalls with large lines leading to them were set up by the edge of the large station, variations of 'Refugee Registration' adorning them. The only people not in rags were in white uniforms, Marleyan soldiers who were embarking and disembarking train carriages, some wounded and on stretchers and some idly slumbering about. One thing united all of these people however, they all looked gaunt, pale and almost death like in appearance.

Y/n: What...happened?

Connie: You know, when you described this place. I imagined it to be...I don't know, maybe a little more...alive?

Niccolo: I told you things had changed Y/n...but that was two years ago when things weren't so bad. This is...

Y/n: Unrecognisable.

Erwin: As Heltok said, the wars taken it's toll on Marley. Conscription of Marleyan men for the first time since their war for freedom, a lack of imports and a failing economy. It looks like Trost after Wall Maria fell. Let's keep on going, the conference starts in 20 minutes

We shuffled out of the station, following our Hizuran escort out of the station and into the streets. Even as we meandered our way around it was clear that my old home was no longer the place it was when I grew up. Many homeless people lay on the sides of buildings, soldiers marched tiredly down streets and nobody stopped to talk to each other. Even the grand old marble buildings, designed and built hundreds of years ago during the Eldian empire were showing signs of dilapidation. Glass windows were gone, replaced by old boards, and the white marble walls were covered in damage, some had graffiti on them which displayed rude imagery and phrases directed at the government. I must have looked troubled by this because I felt a pat on my back and a gentle prod from Jean who urged me to keep walking forwards.

Kiyomi: Not much further, just around the corner and we will arrive at the hall.

I nodded feebly as we rounded the street corner, the grand theatre hall came closer with every step and in the distance I could see the old castle Loidis where my journey had begun. There was an angry crowd surrounding the entrance in a hall, members of the MPS held them off in a semi-circle even as they hurled insults and threw a sporadic shove or punch at them. Struggling to get through we eventually made it through the cordon after showing our tickets. I moved Sasha ahead of me, intending to get her out of the crowd before things turned nasty but was prevented from moving forward to follow by the events behind me.

?: Rich bastard!

A dirty small man in a tattered military uniform with one leg and a pair of crutches aimed his insult at Eren and this was followed by a spit which narrowly avoided his face. Eren fixed him with an angry look and made to move forward but was stopped by Mikasa who held an arm out preventing him from striking the man. I quickly placed my own arm on his shoulder and got him to look at me.