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THE GUNSHOT UPWARDS, RED SMOKE TRAILING BEHIND IT. The sound of horses galloping was heard next before a shout from a soldier instructing another.

"Titan spotted at three o'clock! Fire the signal!"

"Smoke shell confirmed on the right wing!" a soldier said to the commander.

"Do not change the formation!" he instructed, "Have the right-wing merge in the centre and stay on course! We only have until sunset! We must take the shortest possible path!"

Mikasa's horse galloped in front of everyone else's. F/n's hair was flowing behind her as she tightly hugged the girl's waist, eyes strained in front of her as it searched for Titans every once in a while.

"Mikasa! Oi, Mikasa! Mikasa!" Hannes, a unit captain of the Garrison, shouted, "Stop pushing so hard. You're drifting near the vanguard. It will ruin the whole formation."

"I know how you feel but didn't I tell you?" he continued in a softer tone, "Eren won't get taken away without putting up a fight. Don't you agree?"

Mikasa gave him a nod and the man grinned.

"You know he'll never give up. So it's up to us to stay calm and be there when he needs us. Just like we did back then."

A small smile grew on the black-haired female's lips before determination flared through her eyes as she touched the red scarf around her neck.

F/n was silent as ever. Not because she didn't know what to say in the conversation but because of thinking of ways to fight the Titans.

This would be the first time she would ever fight a Titan and she was clueless, still. The only thing she knew was to cut their napes off like how Levi had taught her during their training session.

Then came a red smoke flare, followed by another and a green one before two red others followed.

"All soldiers, prepare for battle!" Erwin's voice echoed through the open area, making F/n's hands clench around the two swords beside her thighs.

Slowly but surely, the soldiers made their way closer and closer to the forest. The closer they got, the more anticipation clouded in the air, making it thicker and thicker.

Suddenly, a bright light shone in the forest and they all gasped in surprise.

"A light?" F/n heard Mikasa mutter.

"Straight ahead in the forest! I saw a light!" Armin shouted, "It's a light that appears when a Titan transforms!"

"So we're just in time," Erwin said before shouting out a command, "Soldiers disperse! We believe that the enemy has already transformed! Locate and recover Eren!"

F/n watched as a Titan grabbed one of the Military Policemen and ate it, blood splashing everywhere.

"Mikasa..." F/n murmured, tugging onto the girl's jacket.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'll protect you."

"Engaging in battle is not the objective! Prioritise recovery and retreat!" the commander shouted.

"Phil! Round up the horses!" Hannes commanded.

"Yes, sir!"

F/n and the group shot up with the help of their ODM gears. The wind pushed against her face with force as she soared up into the sky, flying from tree to tree.

"First priority is to find the enemy and let the others know!" Hannes said, "They should be fleeing from the forest! Disperse!"

The short woman flew away before a roar interrupted her, causing her to flinch and land on a tree. A figure flew past her and she followed Mikasa with Armin flying behind her.

They landed sideways in a tree, F/n tightening holding onto her swords when they spotted the Titan in front of her.

"So that's Ymir?" Armin asked.

"Did she turn into a Titan and fight Reiner?" Mikasa asked.

"Ymir?" Jean repeated, "Did you get away from Reiner? Where are they?"

"Tell us something, Ymir!" Sasha pleaded.

"Say something already!" Connie demanded, landing harshly on her head and continuously stomping on her head, "Hey, ugly! We're in a hurry!"

F/n narrowed her eyes at the girl in her Titan form, noticing how she kept glancing from side to side. The realisation hit her and she immediately flew away with her ODM gear.

"F/n!" Mikasa shouted.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Connie asked.

F/n spotted the short blonde girl and flew towards her, landing on a tree with a small thud.

"Christa..." she said and the girl glanced at her with wide eyes as she pointed to the direction she came from, "Ymir."

"Where?" she immediately asked and F/n guided her through the trees and where the others gathered around.

Historia gasped.

"Ymir!" she shouted with a gasp and Ymir, still in her Titan form, turned to her, "Thank goodness! You're all right!"

But the reaction was not what anyone expected for she jumped up and ate her. Mikasa gasped, shooting up and taking F/n away before the Titan could reach her.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked and F/n nodded, watching as Ymir bounced from tree to tree and away from them.

"Don't just stand there! Chase her!" Jean shouted and Mikasa, Armin and F/n followed behind him, "She's fast! We're losing her!"

"Why would Ymir do that?" Mikasa wondered out loud and Jean glanced at her.

"I can't be the only one who could've guessed it would turn out this way!"

"Yes! She's clearly hostile to us now!" Armin concluded, "It looks like she's cooperating with Reiner! She lured us right in!"

F/n narrowed her eyes at Ymir's Titan form, gritting her teeth in anger and frustration. Her kind was the one who hurt Hange. It was their fault she was resting back inside the walls.

Her eyes shone purple and the familiar sounds of slashing and clashing reached the other's ears. The crystal reached Ymir and trapped her hand on a tree she was holding onto, resisting her from moving any further.

The three adolescents gasped in surprise, taking a quick glance at F/n who was flying closer and closer to the Titan before snapping out of their trance and following behind her.

A light shone, a bright light that indicated that a Titan had formed. The armoured Titan appeared, using his strong hand to crush the crystals into pieces. Ymir hopped onto his shoulder as he ran away with Berthold, who was carrying Eren on his back, beside her.

"Oh, no... Eren's being taken away!"

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