Eren, Rainbow Dash, continued to follow Levi’s horse with Spike upon it along with Erd, Gunther, Petra, and Auruo. Eren couldn’t help but keep looking back, still unsure about what kind of titan was chasing them just moments ago.

“An abnormal?” wondered Eren aloud. “Or is it like the Colossal Titan? Did Commander Erwin–”

“Hey!” shouted Auruo, breaking his concentration. “Snap out of it!”

“Eren,” advised Petra, “think later. We need to get farther in and stand by.”

“Right!” answered Eren.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The many soldiers that were stationed by the cannons with Erwin surrounded the Female Titan below on the ground and looked up at it in awe. The titan, still rendered completely immobile by the hooks and wires pierced into its skin, continued to sport a face of sheer anxiety and fright. Levi, still standing next to Erwin, drew his sword, ready to kill the titan and avenge his comrades.

“Wait, Levi,” ordered Erwin. “An eye for an eye. Waves 2 and 3, fire! Fire the spare rounds!”

More cannons were fired as another barrage of wired hooks were shot at the Female Titan, immobilizing it even further.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

From the outskirts of the forest, the soldiers listened into the woods, hearing the sounds of the cannons firing while looking down at the titans that were clawing at the trees. However, several of them had actually begun to climb up, grabbing hold of the bark and trying to pull themselves up little by little. Krista in particular was watching one climbing titan with dread.

“Um,” she stammered, “it’s climbing up.”

“Yeah,” answered a nearby young, male soldier with medium-length blonde hair. “If it gets any closer, I’ll move out of the way. But I don’t think it will be long before they issue the withdrawal orders.”

“Does that have something to do with the explosions we’ve been hearing deep within the forest?”

“I don’t know.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

On the northeastern edge of the forest, Sasha was squatted down on a sturdy branch, her left hand draped over Rarity’s back and her right hand petting her neck for her own comfort. The swarming titans were making her uptight, but her partner’s soft coat relieved her stress down somewhat. Mikasa and Applejack merely stood bravely on the same branch together, looking down at every titan with violent intent as they inched higher up the trees.

“Mikasa,” asked Sasha, continuing to hear the explosions in the forest, “what do you think that sound is?”

“It sounds like cannon fire,” answered Applejack. “What in tarnation could they be firing at inside a place filled with trees?”

Mikasa stood still, her concentration too focused to answer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Reiner was kneeling on his branch, his head looking down at the titans while his gaze was set on the sounds from within the forest. Bertolt was by his side while Ymir stood one branch over.

It didn’t seem like they’d brought cannons though, figured Reiner.

“It’s really loud back there,” Ymir commented. “Hey, Bertolt, do you know where Krista went?”

Sorry,” he responded, “I do not.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Conny leaned against the bark of the tree, sighing impassively. Pinkie Pie stood in the exact same position on her hind legs, being as close to Conny as both the width of the branch they stood on and the bulkiness of their 3D Maneuver Gears would allow.

“So, Conny,” Pinkie Pie spoke, her voice joy and enthusiasm still strong, “let’s guess what’s going on inside the forest! I’ll go first! I bet they’re making REALLY big popcorn!”

Popcorn? thought Conny. What are you even talking about? We don’t know what we’re doing here and why. I just want to go home.

“Come on, Conny!” chirped Pinkie Pie. “It’s no fun when you don’t play! What do you think that sound is?”

“It’s cannons,” Conny tiredly stated. “There’s really no mystery there.”

Pinkie Pie frowned, dismayed by Conny’s quick ending of her game.

“Aw,” Pinkie whined, “you’re no fun.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Jean, Armin, Twilight, and Fluttershy watched fearfully as a titan with a dark bowl cut climbed the trees, pushing against the two trees it was in between with its hands and feet, sliding up more efficiently.

“Guys,” shouted Jean, “we’re going to shift position.”

“Okay,” Armin responded.

As Jean and Armin swung further into the forest on their Maneuver Gears, Twilight and Fluttershy flew close behind them. They landed at a farther-away tree, allowing the four of them to observe the titan even more closely.

“They’ve started to figure it out,” Jean said. “They seem to get better and better at climbing.”

“That means,” Twilight said, her voice hesitant with fear, “they can learn.”

“I’m sure some of them are better than others, though,” Armin added.

“Twilight,” Jean said, “it seems like something is going on deeper in the forest. I think that plan you came up with before we entered this forest was right. More specifically, however, I think they’re going to capture whoever is inside of it. That was Erwin’s goal.”

“Well,” Twilight answered, anger returning to her voice, “I want to see who it is when the time comes. I’ll make her pay for hurting Armin and killing all of those soldiers.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and the other four soldiers of Levi’s squad were finally stopped and waiting inside the forest away from the path, standing on the tall branches of trees and awaiting further orders

“That was his plan from the very start, right?” asked Eren to Petra and Auruo. “I can see why he wouldn’t have told the new troops, but why wouldn’t he have told you when you’ve all been with the Scouting Legion for so long?”

“Shut up!” Auruo snapped back.

“Aw, come on!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “That’s a good question, so answer it!”

“Are you two saying that the commander and the captain don’t trust us?” Petra replied angrily.

“It certainly looks that way, don’t it?”

“Petra,” yelled Auruo, “knock his teeth out, and then swap the front and back ones when you put them back in!”

“No,” stepped in Erd, “Eren and Rainbow Dash are right. I think there was a reason the commander didn’t trust us.”

Erd’s response put the other soldiers on edge.

“Like what?” asked Spike. “Why would he do something like that?”

“There’s only one reason why he wouldn’t trust his fellow soldiers. There’s someone who can become a titan, or there’s a spy helping them inside the Scouting Legion.”

“A spy?” wondered Rainbow Dash. “How can that be?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“You think so too, right?” asked Jean to his other three friends. “It has to be one of us.”

“Yes,” agreed Armin, “I think so too.”

“It’s no reason that everyone got different plans of where Eren’s location was,” Twilight supposed. “It seems that Erwin was making sure they all only knew the bare minimum of our mission, and even then it was false, to make sure that the one person, or possibly even people, who would orchestrate this treason didn’t know too much and ruin it.”

The titan continued to climb and advance, trying its best to get to Armin and Jean.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“At any rate,” Erd said, “the commander is certain. “I’d imagine the only soldiers who were told of the plan were those who have stayed alive for the last five years.”

“I see,” Gunther said. “So that’s it.”

“It must be,” Auruo reasoned. “Understand, Eren, Rainbow Dash? That’s why.”

“Yeah,” agreed Petra. “If that’s the reason, I understand. He’s assuming that five years ago, when the wall first fell, a spy infiltrated our ranks. That’s how he narrowed down the possibilities.”

“But what about me or Spike,” asked Rainbow Dash, “or all of my other friends for that matter? We haven’t been here for five years, and we would never do something like that!”

“Perhaps…” Erd thought.

“Perhaps what?”

“…Perhaps that’s what the spy would want us to think.”

“WHAT? Are you saying that I’m the spy?”

“Shut it, you dumb bitch!” Auruo snapped. “Just think about it! You and your friends have abilities that defy all laws of nature, and you just showed up out of the blue! How can you expect someone like the commander to trust something like that?”

“Auruo,” Gunther spoke, “calm down. Rainbow Dash, we know you and your friends wouldn’t betray us, but the commander isn’t so sure. Of course, the reports say that the one who killed Sawney and Bean was human, but there could have been other factors.”

“Like what?” asked Spike. “We were only told of Sawney and Bean the night before they were killed. Before that, we were in jail and then put on trial. There’s no way we could have known enough about those titans to have a motive to kill them.”

Erd was actually quite impressed with Spike’s reasoning. It really shed the ponies and Spike in a positive light that realistically couldn’t be dampened. But, there were other factors that had to have been there for Erwin not to tell the ponies anything.

“This is only hypothetical,” Erd said, “but hear me out. Perhaps after the spy killed Sawney and Bean, they met up with you or your other friends and let you in on their actions and had you join them. Or perhaps with the magical abilities of Twilight or Rarity, they share a telepathic link with the spy that they could use to relay their plans without needing to organize and risk being caught.”

“That’s ridiculous!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “There’s no way–”

“You’re a really shitty listener, aren’t you?” yelled Auruo.

“And you’re a really shitty person!” Rainbow Dash retorted, pointing her hoof at her.

“Both of you!” barked Erd. “Quiet!”

Both of them settled down, sharing spiteful glances at each other.

“Rainbow Dash,” continued Erd, “I said this was hypothetical; it’s not necessarily true. This could just be what is running through the commander’s mind. He thinks of these things way before any of us can; that’s what makes him such a good commander. You may very well not be a threat to humanity, but if the commander even suspends a sliver of his doubt, everything that we’ve worked for, everything that can be done to save humanity… could very well be destroyed in the blink of an eye.”

“Then if this is the case,” Spike said, “then other humans could have been let on in this person’s plan too.”

“Right. That is why the Commander can’t trust anyone that he’s known only after the fall of Wall Maria. You can understand this now, right?”

Rainbow Dash hated to be thought of as mistrustful by Erwin himself, but the logic and evidence was too sound for her to fight it any longer.

“Yeah,” she grumbled. “I understand.”

Suddenly, Eren gasped, remembering Erwin’s question back when he watched the smoldering corpses of Sawney and Bean.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“What do you see?” Erwin asked. “What do you think the enemy is?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“That’s what the question meant,” Eren muttered.

“What question?” wondered Petra, then gasping as she remembered it herself. “Wait, that’s right! Back then, the commander asked me that same question!”

“If we could have answered it,” Erd said, “maybe we could have participated in this plan. I doubt that anyone could have back then, though.”

“I knew,” spoke Auruo, gaining an instant skeptical glare from Rainbow Dash, “but I didn’t say anything. Do you know why?”

“Why?” replied Petra.

“What, you can’t tell? Well, I shouldn’t expect that much from the likes of you. You have yet to reach my level.”

“Yeah,” snorted Rainbow Dash, “your level of bullshit!”

Petra who had been glaring at Auruo for his response, was now smugly snickering at Rainbow Dash’s comeback.

“Eh?” exclaimed Auruo. “You want to say that again, you winged freak?”

“Why should I have to?” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk and a shrug. “If you’re so smart, you could have heard me the first time.”

“You should learn to respect your superiors, you dumb horse!”

“And you need to learn to stop biting your tongue all the time.”

As Rainbow Dash and Auruo continued to trade verbal blows, Petra giggled at Auruo’s expense while Erd, Spike, and Gunther continued to observe them. Eren, however, looked away, thinking of all that had happened so far.

If this succeeds, Eren speculated, I can get closer to the truth of this world. But… too many have died regardless.

Eren winced at the memories of each of his comrades falling prey to the Female Titan, leading Erd to turn his attention from Rainbow Dash and Auruo, who eventually found themselves in a fiery stalemate.

“Do you think the commander is wrong?” asked Erd.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The titan that had tried to climb lost its footing, falling back down to the ground and leaving Jean, Armin, Twilight, and Fluttershy safe for the moment. It still didn’t keep them away from their discussions.

“I can’t say he was right,” Jean stated to Armin and Twilight. “If we had known there was a titan informed of our operations, we could have dealt with this in a different way. Your team’s squad leader and the others would’ve too.”

Twilight and Armin were haunted once again by the deaths of Sys and Ness, but they still couldn’t say that Jean was right about this.

“No,” Armin muttered, “it wasn’t wrong.”

“Huh?” questioned Jean. “What wasn’t wrong? How many do you think died for no reason?”

“They didn’t die for no reason,” Twilight responded, “they died for reasons that were not given to them or that they couldn’t understand.”

“But why?” asked Fluttershy. “Why wouldn’t Erwin tell us this?”

“Because then success would have been completely out of reach,” said Twilight. “If Erwin had told us about there being a titan in our ranks, that person would have continued hiding, and no one would ever know who did all of this. Not to mention, what good would telling everyone do even if we told all the right people?”

“What are you on about?” asked Jean.

“Once the four of us all knew of the titan and its capabilities, our combined efforts still couldn’t stop it. We almost lost Reiner, Armin, and even you. Even with all the information at our disposal, we were still overpowered, and so would anyone else that faced her.”

“But don’t you think those that have died or are dying had a right to know? Once that titan did show itself, couldn’t Erwin have warned someone? Anyone?”

“Jean,” Armin spoke, “after all is said and done, it’s easy to say, ‘We should have done something else.’ However, no one knows how things will turn out. Either way, you have to make a choice. You must. The lives of a hundred fellow soldiers, or all the lives of the humans within the walls. The commander made his choice. He chose to let those one-hundred die.

Jean was haunted by Armin’s words, not only because they sounded so cold and uncaring, but because they actually sounded reasonable.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Eren,” Erd told him, “you don’t know it yet, but you will soon. The reason that Erwin Smith is entrusted with humanity’s hope, the Scouting Legion.”

“Just look at how much Captain Levi trusts him,” Petra said in full confidence.

“If you live that long,” Auruo added.

Eren still couldn’t feel sure about this.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I haven’t lived that long,” continued Armin, “but I’m certain of one thing: If there’s anyone who can bring change, it will be someone willing to sacrifice what they care for. It will be someone who can throw aside their humanity in order to defeat monsters. Someone who can’t sacrifice anything can never change anything.”

“Armin is right,” spoke Twilight. “Us ponies are sacrificing much by even coming to this world. We’ve left behind friends, mentors, even our families to ensure that you and your race succeeds. Right now, Erwin is doing all that he can to stop this traitor, bring them to justice, and still get Eren to Shiganshina so we can discover the secret behind these monsters.”

Jean gasped again at the mounting reasons.

“So far, you have done nothing but wonder what we should do or what should be done in light of all that’s happened. Right now, there is one and only one thing we can do, and that’s to put our faith in our commander.”

Armin smiled, strengthened by Twilight’s uplifting words. With that said, Jean, Armin, Twilight, and Fluttershy continued to look at the titan that fell as it tried getting back up.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“FIRE!” Erwin ordered.

Hanji, standing on a branch with a barrel cannon underneath her boot, pulled the string of the cannon, launching out seven more hooks as they pierced the Female Titan on the left side of its rump. The wires were pulled back to ensure maximum tension and hold.

“How do you like that?” asked Hanji. “You won’t be able to even scratch an itch now. You won’t be able to make any kind of move, probably for the rest of your life. They’re designed so that the more you heal your wounds, the more immobilized your joints become.”

Hanji giggled, enamored by the ingenuity of these weapons. Her giddiness turned to serious confusion as she looked up at Erwin and Levi above and to her right.

“But they still can’t draw out whoever is inside?” she wondered. “What are Levi and Mike doing?”

As if an answer to her question, both Levi and Mike swung down on their 3D Maneuver Gears, their blades aimed for the titan’s wrists. Just before they could strike, a crystalline plating covered the entirety of both of its hands. As the two soldiers swung with everything they had, the only thing they managed to do was snap the blades off near the base and take only chips out of the plating that formed.

Erwin watched Mike as he came up back to the branches at his level. Mike showed his broken blades and shook his head, telling him that their swords were useless for now. Erwin acknowledged him and looked back down on the Female Titan, specifically at its hands.

It can selectively harden its skin to protect certain parts of its body? thought Erwin. It’s similar to what I’ve heard about the Armored Titan. If we continue using the Maneuver Gear and blades, will it weaken? We don’t have time to find out. In that case…

Erwin raised his hand, calling forth a soldier with short, spiked brown hair from behind him

“Yes, sir?” the soldier answered.

“Prepare the explosives,” Erwin ordered. “Blow off its hands.”

“Yes, sir, but there’s a chance that the amount we carry has enough firepower to blow up what’s inside.”

“Then set them to amputate the wrists,” he said, putting his hand on the soldier’s shoulder. “Set them all off at once at my signal.”

“Roger.”

The soldier swung down to the soldiers stationed on the ground. Once he landed, he called them forth with his hand, signaling them to pull some dynamite stored behind the cannons. Meanwhile, Levi stood atop the titan’s head, his blades drawn and ready to strike if necessary. His eyes were filled with fury, wanting nothing more than to kill the titan and spare himself the tension

“Hey,” he told it, “why not just come out? We don’t have time to waste. So, what do you think will happen to you now? Do you believe you can escape? I wish you’d consider all the trouble we’re going through. As I recall, you killed my troops in various ways. Did you think it was fun?”

The titan didn’t seem capable of any facial movement in its state, but Levi could feel that it was trying to find every last option of survival inside its head.

“Right now,” he continued, stepping forwards, “I’m having fun. Well, so are you, right? I think you can understand me… Oh right, I wanted to ask you something. Is it okay if we cut off your hands and legs? They’ll grow back, right? I’m talking about your limbs, not the titan’s. We need you alive, after all…”

With its options soon running out, the Female Titan took in a large inhale, shocking Levi. With its lungs full, the titan let out a loud, booming shriek that blew a wind out around the area, the nearby soldiers covering their ears.

The titan continued to scream out, its voice piercing the ears and hearts of the soldiers stationed outside the forest. Fluttershy squeaked in fear and hugged Jean tight, who was too stricken with confusion at the noise to notice. Sasha hugged Rarity tight, the lack of warning frightening her half to death.

The titan eventually stopped screaming, leaving nothing but a void of silence in its wake. Levi cleared his ears with his pinkie before focusing back on the Female Titan.

“Well,” he said, “that was a surprise.”

Hanji, down below, stood in fear as another soldier besides her continued to cover his ears.

“Were those her dying screams?” he wondered aloud.

Mike flew up to Erwin quickly, a worry stricken expression on his face, knowing something was wrong.

“Erwin,” he spoke. “It stinks.”

“What direction?” Erwin asked in return.

“Multiple sources, from all directions at once.”

Erwin’s eyes widened in shock, looking out to see a rustling of leaves and bushes out to his right. Without any other warning, dozens of titans were running through the forest towards the Female Titan and the soldiers near it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Armin and Jean were horrified to see as the titans that were once climbing for them take off all at once.

“They’re all running into the forest?” Jean wondered. “When did they suddenly start ignoring us?”

“It has to do with that roar we just heard!” shouted Twilight as she hovered into the air on her wings, drawing her swords with her magic. “Either way, we were ordered to keep those titans out of the forest, so let’s do it!”

Without another word, Twilight flew out at the titans, setting her sights on the titans she planned to kill. Jean and Armin, knowing she was in the right, followed her out on their gears, leaving Fluttershy alone.

“Hey!” she cried out, flying as fast as she could. “Wait for me!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Conny and Pinkie Pie zipped through the trees, following the swarm of titans as they moved further into the forest, ignoring them completely.

“They’re all abnormals?” wondered Conny.

“It doesn’t matter!” yelled a squad leader with short, black hair. “Don’t let them through! Begin combat!”

“Come on, Conny!” chirped Pinkie Pie. “Let’s do it together!”

Pinkie Pie zipped down lower at a larger titan and took out its neck, felling it. The titans behind it, however, ran over their fallen other as if it was a large hill. Conny, knowing that they had orders to follow, lowered himself to Pinkie Pie to help her out.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mikasa drew her swords, looking below at the massive stampede.

“What just happened?” she asked as she walked to the end of the branch with Applejack to go off and fight.

“Wait!” called a frightened Sasha, reaching out to Mikasa. “I’ve heard that scream before. In the forests where I’m from, that’s the cry of a cornered animal that has nothing to lose. I was taught to exercise greater caution once a hunt drew to a close.”

“So be careful?”

“Sounds like the long and short of it,” Applejack responded.

“No!” yelled Sasha. “You need to be a hundred more times careful than usual! If you underestimate this forest, you’ll die!”

“I grew up in the mountains too,” Mikasa said.

“And I have a real dangerous forest just outside my farm,” Applejack added.

“Those who grow crops wouldn’t understand!”

“I see,” Mikasa replied.

It’s true that Sasha’s intuition is usually good, Mikasa reasoned, especially when she predicts things are going sour. Armin thought Eren would be in the center, toward the rear…

“There’s no time to waste!” yelled Applejack. “Let’s go!”

Applejack hopped off the branch and swung out at the stampede. Mikasa followed immediately after.

“Wait!” screamed Sasha, on her knees as she reached back out. “Mikasa! Applejack!”

“As much as I despise Applejack’s rough-and-tough attitude,” Rarity said, picking up Sasha with her magic and standing her upright, “she’s right. We have to stop those titans before they get further in.”

Sasha winced, wanting nothing more than to not engage in the titans, but she knew that orders were orders. In synch with each other, both Sasha and Rarity jumped off the branch and raced off to follow Applejack and Mikasa.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

As the titans continued to come closer and closer, Erwin knew that time was becoming more and more precious by the second.

“Ready the explosives, now!” he ordered out.

“Erwin,” exclaimed Mike fearfully, “the first wave will come from the east. They’re almost here!”

As predicted, three titans ran into view, only the first of many.

“Cart guard team,” ordered Erwin, “intercept!”

Three soldiers went out, zipping at the titans and hoping to distract them from the other humans. As the soldiers got closer, they were all amazed to find that even after soaring past them, the titans continued their beeline at the others.

“They ignored us?” shouted a brown-haired soldier with goggles. “Are they abnormals?”

“Three are breaking through!” yelled a soldier standing at the cannons.

“Captain Levi!” shouted another soldier at their leader, who continued to stand upon the Female Titan’s head.

“You just did something,” Levi asked, stamping on the titan’s head with his boot, “didn’t you, bitch?”

Levi sighed, knowing that a confrontation was unavoidable. Raising his swords for attack, Levi launched a hook at a nearby tree and pulled himself towards the three quickly-encroaching titans. With his speed and dexterity, Levi seemed to ricochet from one titan to the next, slashing the napes off of each of the titans and ceasing their advance.

A smaller titan, about three meters in length, ran at the Female Titan’s legs, instantly putting the flesh into its mouth and biting down and tearing off. Erwin was stunned at this observation.

So they’re after the Female Titan? he thought.

Now, the dozens of titans that had escaped the soldiers along the forest’s edge were coming in all at once.

“Titans from all directions!” shouted a soldier.

The soldiers down on the ground quickly latched to a branch above and pulled themselves up, awaiting further orders.

“All men, engage!” ordered Erwin. “Defend the Female Titan, even if it means your lives!”

As instructed, the soldiers all went for the titans closest to the Female Titan, cutting their necks with fury and drive. However, there were not nearly enough soldiers to take them all on, and some would get through and begin devouring the Female Titan. As one titan went down, another one broke through and began to eat the Female Titan’s flesh. Erwin watched as his men did all they could against the swarm, but even he could tell that it wouldn’t be enough.

Levi, even with his speed and strength that matched that of three soldiers, could not keep up with other titans that continued to pour in from the sides. Hanji and Mike, despite their experience, were heavily outnumbered as the titans formed a wall around the Female Titan. It soon came to the point in which the titans eating the Female Titan could not be reached because of the two to three titans that crowded behind them.

“It’s no use!” Hanji cried out.

None of the soldiers stopped for even a second. Even if they knew that their efforts would be futile, they knew that giving up would take away any hope of success that they had left. With titan blood spraying in all directions without end, and the Female Titan’s body becoming less and less as it was devoured, Erwin knew that it was over.

“Retreat, men!” demanded Erwin.

At once, the soldiers, pulled away from the bloody scrum and latched themselves to the closest tree.

“Back into formation!” continued Erwin. “Return to Karanese!”

The others could only watch as the titan that they had spent so much time and blood capturing being devoured before their very eyes. Hanji’s goggles were taken off her eyes, allowing her to cry for both the loss of her fallen men and the seemingly pointless endeavor they died for. Mike panted, the near-constant hack-and-slash having taken much energy from him. The others either sat on the branches of the trees or hung from the bark on their 3D Maneuver Gears, completely demoralized by the loss of their elusive prisoner.

“We’ve been had,” Erwin said to Levi, who hung from the same tree that Erwin stood on just feet below.

“Just look at you,” hissed Levi, wiping some evaporating blood off of his face. “Don’t tell me, the enemy–”

“–was willing to sacrifice everything. I didn’t expect the enemy to destroy itself along with the evidence by making titans devour itself.”

“All our talk at the court martial, and this is what happens. If we return empty handed, who knows what will happen to Eren or us. I know the ponies and Spike have nothing to worry about, being that they have the same rights as us humans, but for someone like Eren…”

“We can think about that after we return. Our priority right now is getting home without additional casualties. For now…”

The steam from the corpse is limiting visibility, thought Erwin as he looked at the large, white pillar of vapor rising into the sky. It could interfere with our signal flare message relay system.

“I’ll call my team,” Levi said, crouching in to launch off.

“Wait, Levi,” spoke Erwin. “Refill your gas and blades.”

“There isn’t time. I think I have plenty. Why?”

“That’s an order. Follow it.”

It didn’t take long for Levi to respond.

“Roger, Erwin,” he responded. “I trust your decision.”

As Levi went down to fill his tanks and sheaths, Erwin continued to look upon the titans as they continued eating every last bit of the Female Titan’s corpse.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Shortly after, a blue smoke signal shot out of the forest and into the sky. Even though the steam from the Female Titan’s corpse was still strong and thick, other people south of the blue pillar could still see it fine, resulting in a line of blue smoke rounds from around the forest. Krista and the young, males soldier that she was with looked up to see the signal.

“We’re retreating,” he stated to the soldiers behind him. “Everyone, retreat! Get back on your horses and retreat!

“Right!” Krista responded.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“What?” exclaimed Jean, hanging from the side of a tree. “It’s already over?”

Armin dangled from a branch while Fluttershy and Twilight stayed aflight between them.

Just… Twilight thought, also seeing the large pillar of steam. Just what happened?
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“We can go home!” Conny shouted. “All right!”

“Then maybe we can finally play some games!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mikasa, Sasha, Applejack, and Rarity stood on a single branch, looking at the signals in the sky.

What’s going on? wondered Mikasa. Where’s Eren?
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Levi’s squad, as well as Eren, Rainbow Dash, and Spike saw the blue pillar ascend as they were a managing and reapplying their 3D Maneuver Gears to themselves.

“Looks like it’s over,” observed Gunther. “Back to the horses, prepare to retreat!”

“You heard the man,” Auruo spoke. “Let’s go see what the bastard inside looks like.”

“Will we really find out who it is?” asked Eren.

“It’s thanks to you,” Petra said.

“But I didn’t really do anything.”

“You had faith in us. This is the result of your choice to trust us back then. Making the right choice isn’t easy, you know.”

“And,” Rainbow Dash mentioned, looking right at Petra gratefully, “I guess that it taught me that loyalty isn’t just about what you can do for your friends, it’s what your friends can do for you that can make the difference. Hey, I should tell that to Twilight! That would make a great friendship report!”

Petra smiled, happy to be of assistance in any way.

“Friendship report, schmendship report,” Auruo yelled back, “you two shouldn’t spoil the brat! I mean, what did he do anyway? He was pathetic; just kept whining.”

“I wonder if that sounds like someone ELSE I know?” grumbled Rainbow Dash.

“Well, coming back alive on your first excursion is pretty good, but it doesn’t count until the mission is over. Listen, kiddos,” he said, leaning towards them, “the expedition lasts until you’re at home in bed.”

With their gears fully fixed and ready, Eren and Petra stood back up, ready to go.

“Yeah,” Eren sighed, “I know that.”

Erd leapt off their branch, followed by Gunther, Spike, Auruo, Petra, and Eren. As they all, flew out through the trees, Erd, turned to face Petra and Auruo.

“Auruo! Petra!” he shouted. “You two pissed your pants and cried on your first mission! You’re all grown up now!”

“GYAAAAH!” shrieked Petra, horrified by Erd’s betrayal while Eren, Spike, and Rainbow Dash were dumbfounded. “Don’t say that! What if he stops respecting me!?”

“So it’s true?” wondered Eren.

“It sure is!” answered Erd. “And I didn’t, by the way, Eren.”

“Idiot!” barked Auruo. “I’ve killed more of them than you! More of them than you, idiot!”

“Kill count isn’t all that makes us a soldier!” Erd responded.

“Shut up, idiot!”

“Petra,” Eren called with a slight grin on his face, “does that mean you sprayed it everywhere while in mid-air?”

“So not only do you bite your tongue,” spoke Rainbow Dash to Auruo, “but you pee yourself too?”

“Shut up!” yelled Gunther. “Do you think you’re on a picnic? We’re outside the walls! I didn’t piss myself either, Eren.”

“Uh-huh. Sure you didn’t…”

Gunther ignored her remark, instead keeping his mind focused on the trees ahead. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard. Soon from Gunther’s right, he saw a green smoke pillar reach into the sky.

“Oh,” he said, “I’m sure that’s the signal from Captain Levi. We’ll rendezvous with the captain, so let’s cut the chatter until we get back!”

Gunther stopped on a tree branch and pulled a pistol from his coat. Aiming it into the sky, he pulled the trigger and sent out a green smoke round.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

From farther away, a soldier with their cloak hood pulled up over their head looked at Gunther’s signal, a smoke pistol in their hand. Tossing it to the ground, the soldier pulled their blades from its sheaths, jumping from the branch they stood on and heading towards the signal Gunther made.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Erwin, Hanji, Mike, and the remaining soldiers from the cart guard rode down the path back out of the forest, contemplating what would happen next.

“Erwin,” Hanji spoke, “why did you order Levi to resupply? There’s no time to waste.”

“The Female Titan was eaten,” Erwin said, “but did you see the person inside get eaten? I didn’t.”

Hanji gasped, seeming to understand it.

“You can’t mean–”

“I do. If your original hypothesis is correct, and they can still move to a degree after retaining human form, and if they’d prepared 3D Maneuver Gear in advance, the one within the Female Titan is wearing our uniform right now. The enemy is camouflaged as one of our men.”

Hanji eyes widened, knowing what this could mean for Levi and his squad.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The mysterious soldier was now flying alongside to the left of Levi’s squad and Eren, Rainbow Dash, and Spike. Gunther, on the front left, looked to his left to see the soldier, confused over who they were.

“Captain Levi?” he wondered.

Gunther’s eyes widened, realizing that it wasn’t him.

“No, it’s not!” he exclaimed. “Who are you!?”

Suddenly, the soldier spun its body towards the squad and pulled its swords back to attack. Spike, realizing this, squeezed down on the lever on his operational device and sped ahead to intercept the soldier’s attack.

“Stop!” shouted Spike.

With a puff of gas from the soldier’s back, they rocketed towards Gunther. Gunther tried to pull out his swords, but it was too late. As Spike crossed over to stop the soldier, he put his left hand out, knowing it would be the first arm to reach them. Spike’s sword was held out in front of Gunther’s head, but the soldier’s aim was precise. With swiftness and accuracy, the soldier cut both Spike’s hand and the back of Gunther’s neck. Both Spike and Gunther fell down, scaring the others.

“Spike!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

As Gunther fell, his wire caught him, but his motionless body swung him into a tree, his head colliding with it as he just limply dangled. Spike, while hurt, was still mobile, using his free, painless hand to latch to the tree Gunther was on, hanging on just next to him.

“Gunther!” screamed Eren. “What? Why?”

“Gunther!” screamed Rainbow Dash. “Spike!”

Eren and the others swung down to check on their comrades. However, the sight of Gunther paralyzed Eren in fear and dread. The back of Gunther’s neck was replaced by a wide score reached more than halfway through the neck, causing Gunther’s head to dangle only by the skin and muscle of the front of his neck. Eren felt a tug on his cloak, looking up to see Auruo pulling him forwards with Petra and Erd close behind.

“Eren, don’t stop!” he shouted. “Keep moving!”

“You go on ahead!” Rainbow Dash shouted out as she hovered by Spike. “Spike’s hurt! I’ll catch up!”

The others seemed to pay no attention to Rainbow Dash’s shout, instead going after the soldier that killed one of their best men.

“Spike!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Are you alright?”

“She got me,” Spike panted, still trying to fight the sheer stinging sensation, “but it’s only a cut, right?”

Rainbow Dash then looked to see blood spreading around the area of his cloak, staining it. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened, knowing from the blood flow that Spike got more than just a cut.

“Spike,” moaned Rainbow Dash, “let me see your hand.”

“Huh?” Spike said, shifting his hand from under his arm. “Sure, I guess I–”

Spike suddenly gasped, knowing that something wasn’t right about the feeling in his hand. It also felt like he couldn’t feel his index finger nor his thumb. Spike then realized what this probably meant, causing him to hyperventilate. Not wanting to believe it, he pulled his hand from under his cloak, the sight of it causing Rainbow Dash to gasp loudly in shock, her eyes flowing with tears.

The right half of Spike’s left hand was gone, replaced by a crimson-flowing slant that ran from the base of Spike’s third finger to the very side of the wrist. Spike’s own tears began to flow as he grunted and heaved, being scared, hurt, and repulsed by his wound. Shutting his eyes and biting his teeth as hard as he could, he tilted his head to the sky and let out a shrill and pain-riddled wail.