Maria sat with Mikasa and Armin, chewing her food as she listened to the pair speak. "Eren's inquisition... What's it about?" Mikasa spoke softly, her eyes downcast. Armin looked at her, somewhat concerned. "I'm not sure, but I'd guess they're deciding what to do with Eren." Mikasa looked confused, her thoughts clearly flickering to the worst. "What to do with him?" Armin looked down, his face clearly showing his worries. "Probably whether to kill him or let him live." Mikasa stood, her hands planted on the table, knocking against the plate before her. Maria looked into her black eyes and placed a hand on hers, swallowing down her food. "It'll all be ok, Mikasa. I promise you." The main entrance swung open and three Military police officers barged into the dining hall. Two wielded guns, while the other one held a notepad in his hand. Maria clutched Mikasa's hand and nodded. The man called out, his voice cutting over the soft chatter of the room. "Mikasa Ackerman! Armin Arlert! Maria Voraste! Are you here?" Maria sighed and dragged Mikasa forward to the door, while Armin responded. "Yes, Sir." The man spoke again, his voice echoing to the far corners of the hall. "You've been ordered to appear as witnesses at this afternoon's inquiry." Maria looked to Mikasa and gripped her hand. "I have a feeling things aren't going to go so smoothly for all this."
Maria sat in the courtroom, resting a hand on Mikasa's. Even though she didn't show it, Maria could feel the unease pouring of Mikasa, that strange feeling of being unsure, and scared. She could tell how Mikasa felt most of the time, and today was no exception. The main doors swung open, and Eren was almost hauled into the courtroom. He seemed dazed and tired, and Maria could tell something was ticking over in his mind. She flinched as a soldier pushed Eren forward using the tip of his gun. A scowl made its way onto her face, angered by the way Eren was being treated. Those ungrateful bastards were mistreating him even though he had already helped humanity more than they ever would. He was forced to kneel on the floor, and a pole was placed over his cuffs, pinning him to the ground. Eren looked to them, and her face brightened slightly, hoping to encourage him. He raised an eyebrow and she shrugged. He still seemed confused, yet she didn't blame him. He most likely had no idea why he was here. Zackly entered the courtroom, and placed his coat down on the table next to where a pile of papers lay. "Well then, let us begin. Eren Jaeger, yes? You are a soldier, sworn to sacrifice your life for the public good. Is that correct?" Eren spoke calmly, his voice wavering with every word. "Yes, sir." The man spoke again and Maria looked forward to where he sat, her face blank and calm. " This is an exceptional situation. This tribunal will be held under military, not civilian, law. The final decision rests entirely in my hands. Your fate will be decided here." Maria noticed the soft expression of knowing on his face. He had been right after all, however she hadn't doubted him. "Do you have any objections?" Eren looked to the floor, the feeling of worry emanating off of him. "No, sir." Zackly re-adjusted his glasses and spoke again. "I appreciate your perception. I will be direct. As anticipated, concealing your existence has proven impossible. We must make your existence public in some form, or a threat to humanity other than Titans may arise. What I will decide today is which force will have custody of you. The Military Police? Or the Survey Corps? Then, I ask the Military Police for their proposal." Another man, who she recognised as Nile Dok, commander of the Military police, began his proposal. "Yes, Sir. I, Commander of the Military Police, Nile Dok, will present my proposal. After a thorough investigation of Eren's body, we believe he should be eliminated immediately. It's certainly true that his Titan power overcame our last peril. However, now his existence threatens to spark a civil war. So we ask him to die for humanity's sake, leaving behind all the information he can." Another man spoke out, raising his voice. He was a Religious leader, part of the Wallist Church. "There's no need for that! He is an invasive pest! He has deceived the wal-" He was cut off as a shoe smacked him in the face, sending him tumbling back. Maria snorted childishly and turned to Nile. "You got more to say, or were you finished?" Nile shook his head and Maria sighed. Mikasa pinched her on the leg and she winced, a throbbing pain shooting out from the small sore. She kicked Mikasa softly under the table, her eyes narrowed to a glare. "He deserved it. I mean, he isn't even Military, so his opinion doesn't matter..." She whispered, a childish grumpy tone to her voice. She turned to face the front again , as Zackly spoke. "We'll hear the Survey Corps's proposal next."
She turned to her side, to where Erwin Smith, The Commander of The Survey Corps, sat. "Yes, sir. I, 13th Commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith, will present my proposal. We would welcome Eren as an official member of our forces, and use his power to retake Wall Maria. That is all." Zackly seemed confused by the short proposal. "That's all?" Erwin nodded, his face stern and serious. "Yes, sir. With his power, we can retake Wall Maria. We believe it is clear what our priorities should be." Zackly stared at the man blankly. "I see. And where do you plan to begin this mission? Pixis, the Trost wall has been completely sealed, correct?" The Garrison Commander looked up, a soft smile on his face. "Yes, it can never be opened again." Erwin spoke again, somewhat eager. "We would like to set out from Karanes, in the east. From there, we will proceed to Shiganshina. We will determine the route as we go." Another man spoke up, yet another non-Military person in the courtroom. "Shouldn't we seal the all the wall gates once and for all? The Colossal Titan can onl-" Another smack echoed around the room. "REALLY MARIA?!" Armin cried out in surprise and in frustration. The man was holding onto his face, a red mark clearly visible under his hand. "What, they keep interrupting, and its annoying. Honestly, this is purely based of Military law, and what the two sides, who are Military branches, believe is best. Not the pure opinion of some everyday people who got it through their heads that they are special." She crossed her arms, earning a glare from the more cocky civilians, who had a point of their own to add. She sighed, annoyed at the attention and leaned over onto the railing before her. "Hate me all ya want. I'm stating facts here." Zackly nodded, and turned to look down upon Eren. "Jaeger, I wish to confirm something. Can you continue to serve as a soldier, using your Titan powers to benefit humanity?" Eren seemed determined now, and Maria smirked at that. He had finally gotten a hold of himself. "Yes, I can!"
Zackly raised an eyebrow, sceptical of the boy. "But the report on Trost's defense says this... "Immediately after turning into a Titan, he swung his fist at Mikasa Ackerman and Maria Voraste." Eren jerked his head over to the pair, shocked and confused. Mikasa pulled her hair over her scar, a serious expression on her face. Maria turned her head to the ground, a scowl forming on her face. Mikasa turned to Rico, clearly pissed at the woman. "What, you want me to lie in a report. Hiding the truth wouldn't help humanity." Zackly spoke again, his voice monotone. "Are these two present?" Maria gripped onto Mikasa's hand and looked up. "Yes, that's us." Zackly glanced over the pair, curious. "You are Ackerman and Voraste? Is it true that, as a Titan, Jaeger attacked you?" Maria sighed and placed a hand around Mikasa's shoulder. "Yes, it's true... However I've known him long enough to know that this isn't a deliberate attack, and could likely be due to some sort of primal instinct, which could be worked on if given time." Eren looked at the pair, a mixture of concern and shock plastered onto his face. Mikasa squeezed Maria's hand and the pair smiled. "But, on two previous occasions, he has used this Titan to defend Mikasa and his comrades. These events were during the Trost Breach, when many of the soldiers were unable to enter HQ due to a swarm of Titans." Mikasa nodded and took over speaking, her face serious and confident. "The second time, he saved me and Armin from an HE shell. We would like these facts to be considered, as well." Nile spoke out, and Maria twisted around to view him. "I object. I believe these comments are greatly colored by her personal feelings. At an early age, Mikasa Ackerman lost her parents, and was taken in by the Jaeger household. Our investigation also revealed a surprising fact about the underlying events. At age nine, Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman killed three robbers who tried to kidnap her." Maria gripped the railing, anger bubbling up within her. "In self defence. They did it in self defence. Mikasa had confided in me when we were younger, that they planned to sell her due to her race, and had killed her parents after they defended her. It was a case of a kidnapping gone wrong, yes, but the Military Police, who are responsible for taking care of the people of the wall and upholding the law, were unable to find, or save her. The boy who did, however, was Eren Jaeger. And what's more, you belittle Mikasa's voice, but do not ignore mine, for you have no proof that I can not be trusted. I speak honestly, and what's more, for many of my comrades in the 104th Training Corps when I say that this boy before you, is one to be trusted. He has only shown perseverance towards his goal to free humanity from Titans, a life that is highly admirable compared to the sheltered lives that your soldiers live." She leaned over, puffing from how much she had been yelling. Eren looked at her, a soft smile on his face. Still, people in the crowd questioned the pair. The merchant she had attacked earlier spoke out. "What's to say those girls aren't Titans too! Let's dissect them to be sure!" Maria gripped the railing before her, leaning over. "If you believe you are so human, then ,maybe I am a monster. But that's solely because I am stronger than you, in ways more than just physical. My question to you is, has a monster ever shown the devotion to defending humanity like me and my friends, who you stand here ridiculing, have?"
Eren rattled his chains defiantly and pulled towards the Military police side. "Anyway, I may be a monster but they don't have anything to do with it! Nothing at all!" Many people objected to his voice, yelling out that they didn't trust or believe him. He kept going however, raising his voice even further. "No! I mean... you are wrong. But you're simply coming up with theories that fit whatever it suits you to think. Besides, all of you people.... You've never even seen a Titan! What is the point if those with the means and power do not fight? If you're afraid to fight for survival, then help me! You... cowards! Just shut up and bet everything you have on me!" They pulled their guns on Eren, and Maria gripped onto the bench, ready to launch at them all. However, she noticed Levi approach him, and tried to jump off as he kicked Eren square across the jaw. Mikasa grabbed her arms as Levi began to kick and beat Eren. She struggled in Mikasa's gasp, looking up and giving Levi a stone cold glare. She turned to Erwin, her face contorted with rage. The Commander gulped and turned away from her, pulling at his collar. Mikasa pulled her down from the railing as Levi looked over and met her gaze. All he saw was rage, there was no humanity in the eyes his had met with. He looked at the girl coldly and kicked Eren again. "You lot are like dogs. You need to be trained. And I believe the best way to train someone is through pain. It's much easier to kick someone while their kneeling too." Maria ripped an arm from Mikasa's grip and grabbed the railing. As the short man kicked Eren again, a sickening crack filled the room. In Maria's hand was a severed chunk of the railing, which she had pulled straight out. Erwin spoke up, taking the opportunity to make a point, while Levi stood on Eren's head. "Sir, I have a proposal. The details of Eren's Titan powers remain uncertain. Making it dangerous. Thus, I propose to have Captain Levi take responsibility for Eren's control and embark on an expedition outside the walls." Zackly raised an eyebrow and tapped his fingers under his chin. "With Eren in tow?" Erwin nodded and looked to Eren. "Yes, sir. Based on the expeditions results, I'd like you to judge whether Eren can control his Titan power and whether he is a boon or bane to humanity." Zackly intertwined his fingers, resting his hands against his neck. "Control Eren Jaeger... Can you do it, Levi?" The short man nodded, his face still blank and stoik. "I'm sure I can kill him. The only problem is I doubt I can do any less." Armin clung onto Mikasa, who was staring holes into Levi, while Rico struggled with Maria. She writhed at the words of the shorter man, mumbling under her breath. "If the Survey Corps are all assholes like this, I might just have to join the Garrison then. But before that, I'll kill this short bastard." Zackly spoke again, resting his hands down on the table. "Then my decision is made. The Survey Corps get Eren."
"That was really terrible. It hurts, right?" Hange spoke to Eren as they carefully dabbed at his wounds with a cotton ball. He pressed a cold pack to his face, sore from earlier that day. " A little." Hange smiled and looked at him curiously. "So, how does it hurt?" Erwin spoke calmly, pacing the room. "I'm sorry. But thanks to that, we had you turned over to us." Eren nodded, still happy to be in the Survey Corps. "Yes, sir." Erwin nodded as he stood before the boy. "The pain you endured allowed me to play my cards at the right moment. You have my respect." He held his hand out and kneeled to face the boy, a strange sparkle of delight in his eyes. "Eren, I look forward to working with you." Eren gasped in shock before reaching his hand to meet the Commander's. "Yes, sir! Thank you!" Levi collapsed onto the couch next to him, his legs crossed and arms outstretched. "Hey, Eren..." Eren turned to him, intimidated by the man. Levi looked at him, curious. "Do you resent me?" Still shaken up from earlier events, Eren only stammered out his answer. "N-no... I understand why it was necessary." Levi nodded and turned to face forwards again. "That's good. I don't think that Voraste girl respects me however." Hange frowned at the dark haired man, their hands to their chin. "You did take it pretty far though, so I understand why she did that. Jaeger lost a tooth. See!" They unwrapped a handkerchief carefully, holding out for them to see. Inside was a slightly chipped, bloody tooth. Levi looked at it, disgusted. "Don't pick that up... It's creepy." Hange shook their head, staring down at the tooth. "Even this is an important sample." Levi turned to the boy, who seemed scared for his life. "Eren, what I did is still better that getting dissected by people like Hange, right?" Hange shook their head, their voice solemn and soft. "I'm not like them... I wouldn't kill him. Hey, Eren... Let me see the inside of your mouth." The boy calmly lifted his head and opened his mouth for them to see. They gasped, drawing the attention of the others in the room. "The tooth... It's already grown back." Eren touched the gum where it had been, only to find the fully grown tooth in its place. Hange squealed in delight and Eren sighed. Erwin, who sat in the corner of the room, looked to the boy. "So Eren. Those girls who were defending you, and that blonde boy, which branch are they going to?" Eren smiled widely, remembering that they were all going to join him. "Maria really wants to bring justice to all the deaths caused by Titans and help free humanity, so she's always wanted to join the Survey Corps. Armin said he wanted to join too, simply because he wants to die for a good cause. And Mikasa's hell bent on protecting me and the others it seems." Erwin nodded, a twinkle still in his eyes. "You know, I knew Maria when she was young. She was quite different back then. She was more joyful, because she had her father." Eren looked at him curiously while Levi nodded somewhat knowingly. "I'm assuming her personality has to do something with issues around Wall Maria falling." Eren sighed and rubbed his jaw tenatively. "I suppose you could call it that. For as long as I've known her, she's trained her ass off in hopes to defeat the titan that killed her father. Her aggressive behaviour before was due to her protective and somewhat clingy nature. She struggles with the thought of losing a loved one, so being in that trial would have wreaked havoc on her mind if the outcome had been any different."
Eren and Squad Levi rode towards an ornate castle, which Oluo explained was the old Survey Corps HQ. "Originally, it was an old castle we remodeled. So it certainly looks imposing. But being so far from the rivers and walls, it ended up being useless for the Survey Corps. It was established right after the Survey Corps's formation, when ideals were all they had. But I never imagined that this giant ornament would end up being the perfect place to hide you." Eren turned around and met eyes with Levi, his breath hitching, somewhat in fear, before turning around again. Olou rode his horse closer to Eren's and began to speak, leaning closer to him. "Don't get cocky, new kid." Eren looked at him confused, a bead of sweat dripping down his head. "Sir?" Oluo got even closer, his expression twisting into something reminiscent of someone taking a strained poop. "I don't care if you're a Titan. I can't believe Captain Levi will spend all his time with a brat like you..." His horse slipped on rock, and he bit down onto his tongue, blood spraying out. His horse gave a pained whinny, and he gave a muffled scream, clutching his face in his hands. The group arrived at the quaint castle, and tied their horses. Petra spoke to Oluo as he clutched his hand to his mouth. "It's no wonder you bit your tongue, talking up a storm while riding a horse!" He shook his head as he sat on the edge of the well. "First impressions are important. The new kid almost pissed his pants." Petra sighed and shook her head at the man, folding her arms over her stomach. "I think he was just surprised by how dumb you are." He held a cold pack to his chin while she looked at him, wondering how he had made it up until then. "Either way, my plan worked." She gave him a pitiful look. "You didn't always talk like that, did you? If... if you're seriously doing it to imitate Captain Levi, please stop. You aren't like him in the slightest." He chuckled softly and looked to her, an oddly creepy smile on his face. "Trying to bind my hands, Petra? You haven't followed all the necessary steps to become my wife." Petra looked at him disgusted and shook her head. "I wish you'd bitten through your tongue and died. Going on and on about how many Titans you've killed..." He spoke in an odd tone, his tongue swollen. "Don't worry. I bragged about the rest of you, too." Petra frowned at him and Eren finished tying his horse. *So those are the members of the Survey Corps Special Operations Squad. Also known as Squad Levi. Petra Rall. Titan kills : 10, Assists : 48. Oluo Bozad. Kills : 39, Assists : 9. By any definition, they're the best. Eldo Jinn. Kills : 14 , Assists : 32. Gunther Schultz. Kills : 7, Assists, 40. They're the best of the Survey Corps, specially selected by Captain Levi. And.. If I lose control, they'll be the ones who kill me.*
"Oi, Reiner!" Maria called out to the tall blonde as she approached him, Annie and Bertholdt, a tray of food in her hands. It was lunch back at the Training Corps, and she was wildly excited. She couldn't wait to talk to them about what had happened in the courtroom, and there was also the topic of what branches they were going to after graduation. She slipped into a seat next to Annie, across from the boys, and placed her tray down, almost spilling her yogurt. "Man, the inquiry was awesome. I smacked a couple dudes in the face with my trusty boots, and Eren got into the Survey Corps. They're betting his survival on the success of the next mission to Shiganshina, cuz if it fails, the Military Police are gonna slice him up. I kinda got really angry and-" Maria was cut off as Mikasa placed her plate next to her and took the words from her mouth. "And she gave Captain Levi a death stare, the strongest soldier in the Survey Corps. Then she broke the railing on the stand we were in." Reiner looked at Maria in disbelief, while Bertholdt cracked up at the blonde's face. "They also accused of being titans, so y'know, normal stuff." A deafening silence fell over the table and Reiner and Bertholdt looked at her, then to each other. "Eren defended us though, but that was why Levi got violent. And then the midget gave a speech about how he "could kill Eren" and shit. Mikasa and I would kill him if he did." Annie turned to Maria, who was now stuffing her mouth full, and sighed. "Man, for someone who wants to join the Survey Corps, you're already getting them to dislike you." She just nodded in response, and swallowed her food, crumbs around her mouth. She rubbed her face, brushing the crumbs off onto her tray. "So, where are you three planning to go?" Annie looked down to her plate, her voice monotone per usual. "Military Police." Maria frowned and grabbed her hand. "How about we write letters to each other when we start. After all, you'll most likely be staying in Stohess, and I know where the HQ is there." Annie smiled, and turned to Bertholdt. "Judging from your faces, you two are going to the Survey Corps. Don't worry, I'll write to you too." Bertholdt smiled, a soft blush creeping up on his face. Maria noticed this and turned to Reiner. She smirked at him, wiggling her eyebrows childishly. He snorted at her antics, drawing Bertholdt's attention to him. Maria fell into a fit of laughter, leaning back and falling off her seat. Annie sprung over the table and headbutted Reiner, while Maria desperately dove to save him. "Spare me! Aaagh!" Reiner screeched out as Annie slapped him across the face. Maria helped him up and laughed. "Man Reiner, you're acting like a damsel in distress right now." Reiner smirked at her and said "Well I don't exactly look the part." Maria smiled and lifted him bridal style. "I think something can be arranged." He stared back at the others, horrified as Maria dragged him away.
She lugged his pretty-ified self over to the dining hall, moving him onto her shoulder as they walked into the doors and down the stairs. Maria smirked as she felt Reiner squirm in the newfound attention as everyone stared at him. "Jerk.." He grumbled under his breath, barely audible to Maria. She turned to face his head, and lifted his chin with a finger. "What was that, Reiner?" He turned red, shocked by how close she was. She laughed and walked over to her table to where Annie and Bertholdt sat with Mikasa, barely holding their laughter in. She dropped the struggling male of her shoulder and began to walk to her seat. "Sit down, Reiner." She ordered him, a growling tone in her voice. He walked and sat next to Bertholdt, who slammed his head onto the table, laughing uncontrollably. Annie began to quietly laugh, gripping her sides at the sight of the blonde male. Armin walked over, tray in hand, opting to sit next to Reiner. "What in the world happened here?" Maria smirked and jabbed a thumb at herself. "He thought he could be smart with me. I said he was acting like a damsel in distress so the smartass said he didn't exactly look the part, but I fixed that." Reiner frowned, his face still red. "Aw Maria! Haven't you mocked me enough yet?" Maria sighed and nodded, watching Reiner as he left. Bertholdt raised his head from where he had laid it, his eyes teary from laughing. "I mean, that was one way to interpret his remark. " Maria giggled childishly and smiled at him. "Nahh, that's gotta be the best way." She noticed a large lump of mash stuck to Bertholdt's shirt, and wheezed as he looked down at it, the cold potato softly plopping onto his lap. Annie grabbed a napkin and picked it from his lap, calmly taking it and tossing it into a near-by bin. She then helped him zip up his jacket, his face red from how close he was to her. Maria giggled and grabbed their plates. "I'll take these, then I have some ODM Training to do!" She walked through the aisles of tables and dropped off the piles of pottery dishes before sprinting off to the ODM apparatus.
She rubbed a hand along the large pole and shivered before attaching herself to the chains. She swung limply towards the crank to raise the chains, twisting with her arms as she slowly tipped upside down from being pulled away. She felt the crank slip from her grip and she relaxed, pushing off the pole and into the center. There she hung, her legs bent and tucked in above her head. The breeze softly swung her around, yet she stayed almost perfectly still. She focused as the blood slowly trickled to her head, and she focused, hoping she would improve on her air time. She had been training like this often, in case she got caught on something upside down, or if a certain trainer of theirs decided her work was unsatisfactory. It was a possibility with using ODM, and one she would be sure to account for. She stayed there, still, for another half an hour, before a familiar feeling of nausea came crashing over her. The world blurred slightly as she swung up and maneuvered her legs over to the crank, which she began to sloppily turn between her feet. She collapsed to the ground and wiped her forehead, a bead of sweat dripping down from the crown of her head. She unbuckled her gear, her fingers slipping against the hooks and clips that held her up. Maria hit the floor, her torso slamming into the dry, cracked earth. Small clouds of dust rose from the impact, sending her into a coughing fit. She stood and walked to the sinks on the side of the dining hall, where she turned on a tap, the metal squeaking as she did so. She leant down and cold water hit her lips, and she began to gulp it down. The sand from in her mouth washed away and her headache began to clear, as her body slowly adjusted back to normal.
She heard the boy's cabin door swing open, and saw Reiner walk out, most likely headed off to town to grab some snacks. She knew the boys had been planning a fun night, in celebration of graduation being soon. "Reiner, Reiner! Wait up!" She yelled out to the blonde, waving her arms wildly as she dashed to meet him. He ignored her presence, and as they passed the girls cabin, she grabbed his arm and pinned him to the wall. "Reiner.. Did I upset ya before or something." He turned away from her and she sighed. "It's fine, you ignore me..." She sat down on the floor and bowed her head. He looked at her and frowned, noticing small wet dots forming on the sand below her face. He grabbed her arm and lifted her up, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry Maria. You embarrassed me quite a bit back there, I will admit. I just didn't like all the judgemental or snarky looks I was getting." Maria gripped his shoulders and rested her head against his neck, standing on her toes in order to close the height gap. Reiner pulled back and lowered himself slightly. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and smiled. "Don't get yourself too worked up, I could never hate you." He walked away and Maria slumped against the wall, her face bright red. She clutched her chest and stared after Reiner,
The girls, who had discretely been watching from Mikasa's window, all reacted differently to the scenes as they unfolded. Ymir and Mikasa were childishly oohing, while Sasha giggled at the pair. Annie nodded in approval, glad to see the pair making some progress. Christa just got flustered at everything, cowering behind her hands. When the thud of Maria's body hitting the ground brought them all back to reality, Christa rushed out, concerned, while Annie got ready to smack someone across the face. However, they were somewhat relieved to find Maria on the ground, completely red in the face, and babbling absolute nonsense. Annie picked her up and dumped her onto the bed below Mikasa's, once occupied by Mina. Christa and Ymir went to the medical cabin to quitely retrieve some painkillers for when Maria awoke from her daze, along with a glass of ice from the kitchen, and some bandages. The pair returned, relieved to have not been spotted by the few soldiers patrolling the grounds. Christa placed a wet cloth on Maria's head, then wrapped it in bandages to secure it in place. Then Ymir took over, and dumped the cup of ice onto Maria's crotch. "MOTHER OF SWEET FUCKING HOLY SHIT!" She yelled in surprise, shooting up and barely avoiding another head injury as she stopped inches away from the bed above. Christa shoved a pill and a glass of water into Maria's hands, and she downed both in a mouthful. "Thanks.." Ymir looked at her, and snorted. "Seriously man, what was that? Like bro, oh no, I got kissed on the forehead. I think I'm gonna-" Maria cut her off and shoved Christa into her, the small blonde's face landing in her breasts. Ymir turned bright red, and Maria swore she saw her steaming. "Oooh!" Christa pulled back, her face pink. She punched Maria on the arm, and the girl fell down laughing. Ymir shook herself into reality, cooling off much faster than Voraste had done. "Jeez, Ymir. You were steaming so much I could've mistaken you for the Colossal Titan!" Ymir scowled and dove onto her, and the two quickly began to fight, diving and rolling around. The other's backed up as stray kicks went flying everywhere. Mikasa and Annie turned to each other and dove into the pair, each tackling one of the two. Annie chopped Maria on the neck, putting her to sleep, while Mikasa grabbed a sleeping pill from Christa's hand as the girl stood behind her, and shoved it into Ymir's mouth. The two collapsed back off the now unconscious bodies of their targets and lifted them onto their beds, loosely throwing their bed-sheets onto them.
Maria felt a dream slowly fill the empty void in her calm mind, however it seemed lucid, like reality outside. But there was someone in the corner. Their face was familiar and she swore she saw him for a second. He seemed to glow while the others chatted on cheerfully, like a bright contrast in the dimmed surroundings. Then he moved towards her and placed and arm on the bed frame above her. "I've got your back."