Erwin and his soldiers continued to ride down the path through the forest and back with the rest of his men so they could return to Wall Rose. With the failure of the mission brought about by their lack of knowledge of the Female Titan, Erwin and Hanji continued to discuss where the controller of the titan would be or already was.

“When the Colossal Titan vanished,” Erwin explained, “whoever was inside had been wearing Maneuver Gear so that they could escape in the steam. Don’t you think the same possibility applies here?”

“But at the time,” Hanji responded, “based on what we saw when Eren emerged from the titan, we concluded that it would be impossible. His equipment was destroyed and his uniform was gone. Above all, Eren was so weak that he couldn’t even stand unassisted.”

“The Female Titan was able to attract other titans with its cry. We failed to predict this, and so the operation failed as a result. If titan abilities vary depending on skill, it was a total mistake to use Eren, a total novice, as the basis for our assumptions. If we are to outwit our enemy, we’ll have to think outside of the box.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

With the mission declared over many soldiers rode alongside the edge of the forest on their horses, going to meet back up with the other soldiers on either side of the forest and follow Erwin back to Karanese. In particular, Jean and Armin rode alongside their other soldiers while Twilight and Fluttershy flew close above.

“If we’re withdrawing,” Jean reasoned, “does that mean the mission succeeded?”

“If so,” replied Armin, “then we may already know who was inside the Female Titan.”

“Are you sure?” asked Twilight from above. “Then what about those titans that all swarmed into the forest? What about that roar that came before it?”

“It was probably a bear or something,” Jean answered.

“That’s impossible,” Fluttershy butted in. “There’s no way that a bear can make a roar that shrill.”

“You should trust Fluttershy on this one, Jean,” Twilight advised. “She knows woodland animals better than you know the back of your hand. That roar had to come from the Female Titan.”

“Then what do you think happened?” asked Armin.

“I honestly can’t say. But based upon the timing of everything, I can only assume…”

“Assume what?” wondered Fluttershy.

“That… the mission failed.”

“Huh?” exclaimed Jean. “How can you say that?”

“You remember it, don’t you? The moment after we took back the HQ in Trost, all of those titans were eating the titan Eren was in? Perhaps that’s what happened. That roar summoned a bunch of titans and made them eat the Female Titan.”

“What sense does that make? That would imply that we captured the Female Titan in the first place.”

“That could explain the cannons. Maybe the titan was incapacitated, and right before they could take out whoever was inside it, that titan roared and summoned a bunch of other titans to eat it so the Scouting Legion couldn’t do anything more to it.”

“But what does that have to do with timing?” asked Armin.

“If we’re to assume that all center groups in the formation entered the forest, that would probably be about a dozen and a half to two dozen soldiers that were in there when the titans attacked. Even with the combined skills of Erwin, Levi, Mike, Hanji, Eren, Auruo, Petra, Erd, and Gunther, all of those titans would have grossly outnumbered them all.

“However, if the intention of the Female Titan was just to have the titans attack the soldiers, I doubt we’d be retreating now and they’d still be fighting them. My guess is that by the time the titans entered the forest to the time they arrived at the Female Titan and ate it, Erwin decided that it would have become a lost cause to save what has already been destroyed and issued the retreat signal soon afterwards.”

“That’s crazy though!” Jean shouted. “A titan that can call upon other titans?”

“We’re learning new things about titans every day. Why wouldn’t a titan shifter have such an ability?”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Armin, “but what does that mean for Eren? He’s supposed to be brought back before the council after the mission’s over, and if the mission was indeed a failure, what’s going to become of him?”

Twilight winced, knowing that this truly couldn’t be avoided.

“The only thing that we can hope is that Eren didn’t have to do much today that would warrant whatever fate lies ahead of him,” she finally spoke. “I mean, if he didn’t do anything that would incriminate himself further, then why should be punished?”

“I agree,” Armin responded. “Hopefully, Dallis Zacklay will consider this when Eren is brought back to him.”

“I’m sure Eren has nothing to worry about,” added Jean, “so you can quit fretting.”

“If you say so…” mumbled Fluttershy.

“However,” Jean said, “the thing that bugs me more than anything is how the commander was so sure that the enemy would come after Eren if he left the walls.”

“I think it’s because,” Armin answered, “for some reason, they suddenly stopped their advance in the midst of the last assault.”

“Huh?”

“Even though they managed to break through Trost’s gate, they didn’t even try for the inner gate, and when Eren sealed the gate, they let him. It could mean that they now have bigger concerns.”

“Bigger concerns?”

“Something more important to them than breaching the walls; something unexpected that happened.”

Jean gasped, suddenly realizing what Armin meant.

“Eren’s transformation into a titan?” he wondered.

“I think that’s the only answer,” Armin responded.

“Then… that means… wait… so…”

“Someone who was there, who saw Eren transform, is the titan.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash was back with Gunther’s corpse and Spike as she applied Spike’s discarded and cut cloak around his half-severed hand to stop the blood flow. With the more time that passed, Spike was looking far angrier than in pain.

“We need to hurry!” Spike grunted. “The more we stay here, the better the chances of that person getting away are!”

“Well, I’m not gonna’ leave you to do that!” Rainbow Dash spoke as she tied the final knot. “Besides, Twilight would kill me if that happened.”

“Twilight? Oh no! What will Twilight think if she sees me like this?”

“She’s going to freak out is what she’s going to do! But you did you best, squirt, that’s all I can really say.”

Squirt, thought Spike nervously. What will Levi think of me in this state?

“Now hurry up and hop on,” Rainbow Dash said, fluttering near Spike. “With only one of your hands, you aren’t going to be as fast, so just stick with me until then.”

“Alright!” he called.

With a small reel in with his 3D Maneuver Gear, Spike pulled up and pushed off the tree with his hook coming out of the bark, allowing himself to land on Rainbow Dash’s back and letting her fly off to go and help Eren and his friends.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren continued to look behind him, feeling immense guilt about leaving Gunther and Spike behind while Rainbow Dash got to stay and get help. Before he could mourn and guess any further, the mysterious soldier suddenly appeared behind him, shifting to the right of the group and following them alongside.

“Who’s there?” shouted Petra.

“Protect Eren!” shouted Erd.

“Damn it,” hissed Auruo, “what do we do? Erd, where should we go?”

“There isn’t time to reach the horses! Head for HQ, as fast as you can!”

As Eren and Levi’s squad continued to fly and swing through the forest, they all kept an eye on their attacker to make sure that they wouldn’t try anything on them as the soldier began to fall a bit behind.

“Is it from the Female Titan?” wondered Auruo. “Or is there more than one?”

“Damn you,” seethed Petra, turning around to face the attacker. “How dare you? Come at me! I’ll defeat you, even if it kills me.”

The Female Titan? thought Eren. Impossible. Why? Didn’t we catch it?

Without warning, the assassin swung into the center and flew behind a tree, not coming out from the other side. Erd and Petra were facing the tree the soldier hid behind, expecting their next move each moment. Auruo and Eren had their bodies aimed forwards but their gazes aimed backwards.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“If the enemy has some way to retain its strength,” Erwin said to Hanji, “it may be able to transform once more.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

From just twenty meters from Levi’s group and Eren, a bright, yellow light erupted through the trees as a yellow bolt shot up into the sky, causing gales of wind to sweep about the forest.

“I knew it,” Auruo gasped.

“It’s coming!” shouted Erd.

“The Female Titan!”

Sure enough, the Female Titan, its formed full and restored, appeared from behind the trees as it broke back into a full-fledged run at the four of them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash wasn’t flying as fast as she wanted to, not only wanting to avoid hitting trees, but wanting to make sure Spike could hold on with his injury. Despite being too far away to see it, she had a terrible feeling of what had happened.

“No way,” she nervously whispered. “That guy that killed Gunther, that can’t be… the Female Titan?”

“What?” shouted Spike. “She’s back?”

“Looks like. Spike, you think you can hold on while I shift up a couple of gears!”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Spike declared, hugging Rainbow Dash even tighter with his arms.

Rainbow Dash thrust forwards, hoping to catch up to Eren and the others as well as try and stop the Female Titan.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“How dare you!” shouted Eren furiously, ready to place his hand into his mouth. “This time, I will defeat it!”

“No!” Erd shouted, catching him in the act. “The three of us will kill the Female Titan. Hopefully, Rainbow Dash and Spike will come back shortly, and then you three will continue to head straight for HQ at top speed.”

Eren looked back at the fast-approaching titan, finding it harder and harder to not want to take it on full-throttle.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Here’s what I’ve gleaned from this battle,” Erwin stated, “if we focus on making the best moves, we will never get the better of our opponent. When necessary, we must be willing to take big risks, and be prepared to lose everything.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’ll fight too!” objected Eren.

“No!” ordered Erd. “This is the best move! Your power is too risky!”

“What?” yelled Auruo. “Do you doubt us?”

“Do you, Eren?” asked Petra. “Do you find it that hard to trust us?”

Eren couldn’t help but be reminded of the similar exchange he had with Petra when he and Levi’s men were being chased while on horseback. Now Eren’s trust was beginning to return.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Unless we can change how we fight,” Erwin stated, “humanity cannot win.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

With Eren’s belief in his comrades overriding his belief in himself, he lowered his hand back down and looked forwards, speeding ahead as Erd ordered.

“I believe my squad will be victorious!” Eren called back before he was off. “Good luck!”

Happy to see Eren’s faith in them restored, the three of them turned back and launched hooks at the trees to the sides of them, pulling them towards the Female Titan. As Erd ascended up, Petra and Auruo flew side-by-side at their original altitudes.

Erd lunged at the Female Titan with his swords raised above his head. The titan casually reached forwards, ready to kill the supposed idiot charging to his death. However, a hook launched out behind Erd from the back of his device, the holster for the hook turned backwards. With the tree behind him catching his hook, Erd reeled himself backwards just out of the Female Titan’s reach.

With Erd’s gas exhaust partially concealing the titan’s sight, Auruo and Petra came up from the cloud and hooked into just below the titan’s eyes. Swinging around and pulling themselves towards the titan’s face, Petra and Auruo rotated their bodies that were parallel to the ground with their swords in their grasp and slashed the titans’s eyes like a rotary saw.

Eren was shocked to see as spurts of blood sprayed out of the sockets as the Female Titan, now completely blinded, was forced to lean with its back against a tree, its hands covering its nape.

We took out its sight, Erd observed. For at least a minute, it’ll be in total darkness.

Kill it this time! thought Petra.

Screw capturing it! Auruo declared.

Kill it now! Erd thought.

Die here without honor! Petra thought about the Female Titan.

Make that bitch of a titan pay! Auruo resolved.

Erd, Petra, and Auruo flew about the tree the Female Titan was defending itself with, Erd looking for any spots they would need to attack to get its arms away.

We won’t let your eyes regenerate! he thought, raising his swords back up.

With a look to Petra and Auruo, the two of them flew on both sides of the tree, crisscrossing over one another as they swung up above the tree tops. Their hooks detached from the bark, allowing them to tip their bodies back for a swing, their limbs, torso, and abs in perfect synch with one another.

With a squeeze of their gas levers, they both shot down at the Female Titan’s armpits, their arms thrusting down to cut a sizable chunk from the very sides of its pectorals. With perfect timing, the two of them hooked into the trees which safely swung them to just above the grass and up again.

Erd quickly whizzed forwards at the still stationary titan and cut another hunk of muscle from its right arm, landing on the side of a tree and ready to push off and have another go.

We’ll shear so much muscle around your shoulders, Erd planned, you won’t be able to keep your arms up.

Pushing off the tree, Erd went to the left arm and made a similar cut, followed by further slashes from Petra and Auruo on both arms. As Erd fell back, Petra and Auruo swung in, ready to butcher the titan even further.

Shear it off… thought Petra, as another piece of its arm was sliced.

Make its arms… thought Auruo, making another cut.

…fall! finished Erd, coming back in for more.

With those final cuts, the Female Titan’s arms slid out from behind its neck and fell limply to its sides, the little working muscle it had left unable to support its arms.

“They’re down!” Erd declared, swinging to the titan’s right side.

From the distance, Rainbow Dash and Spike could see this act above all else, specifically with how submissive the Female Titan appeared.

“Holy shit!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Are they really going to kill it?”

“It’s Levi’s squad!” Spike affirmed. “Of course they will!”

Rainbow Dash continued to fly off towards their direction, unsure what would be needed of her. Erd, his blades dulled from the previous slashes, discarded them and put in a new pair.

“Now the neck!” he ordered. “Shear off the muscles that support its neck!”

“And then we can strike its weak point!” Petra shouted, giving herself new blades.

With Auruo following Erd, the three of them all made their way to the right of the titan’s neck. Eren was astounded by the efficiency of these three as they seemed to systematically lay waste to the Female Titan without breaking a sweat.

They’re so strong, Eren marveled. The Female Titan is totally on the defensive. How can they launch co-op attacks like that without even speaking to each other? I bet it’s only possible because they believe in one another. They’ve overcome many hardships that way. That’s why they’re so strong, even after losing Gunther.

Eren, feeling as if they would accomplish their task with no problems, continued to look ahead and fly on.

I’ll go forward, he resolved. If I go forward and believe in them, without turning back, then… I’m sure that’s the right answer! I finally understand!

Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, memories of Levi’s advice earlier in the forest hit him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I don’t know,” said Levi. “I never have. I can believe in my own abilities, or the choices of the companions I trust… but no one ever knows how it will turn out.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren’s discouraging words, forced him to look behind him once more. From further back, Rainbow Dash and Spike flew up closer, excited to see Erd deliver the penultimate blows.

“Strike the neck now!” Erd shouted as he approached the Female Titan’s neck.

Suddenly, the right gouged eye popped open from its socket, completely reformed and new again. With its vision mostly restored, the Female Titan looked at Erd before it aimed its mouth at his body. With a well-timed clamp and shift forwards, Erd’s entire body, minus his now severed left arm and his legs, was inside the titans mouth as his blood sprayed across its face and the ground below. Eren, Petra, Auruo, Rainbow Dash, and Spike were horrified by the sight of another fallen comrade as the Female Titan spit the rest of Erd out of its mouth.

“ERD!” screamed Petra.

Eren, now fearful again for the lives of his friends, swung back around a tree and headed in the opposite direction, his desperate screams helping propel him forwards, hoping he could save at least the others. Petra, seeing its sight return, fell back and reeled herself backwards to get away as fast as she could. Spike, seeing this, furrowed his brow in anger, taking the operational device from his left holster with his good hand and leaping off Rainbow Dash towards her, his fingers choking the gas lever.

“Spike!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Don’t go and lose the other hand too!”

Spike was beyond hearing. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to see another friend die today. Rainbow Dash went to follow him as Petra continued to retreat.

“How?” gasped the terrified Petra. “It can’t possibly see. It hasn’t even been thirty seconds!”

Petra then looked at the one eye popped out and looking at her.

“One eye?” she questioned. “It was able to accelerate the healing to only one of its parts? Is that even possible?”

The Female Titan, now back in control, pushed off the tree it was against and ran towards Petra, its useless arms flaying out behind itself as it gained speed.

“Petra!” shouted Auruo as he tried to follow the titan. “We need to regroup!”

Petra tried to turn back and fly forwards and away from the Female Titan, looking up at it as she let out a final, terrified scream as she knew escape was impossible.

“PETRA!” Auruo yelled. “NOW!”

The titan leapt up, its foot headed right for a tree that Petra was flying straight at. However, before the titan’s foot could drive her into the tree, a wire whizzed by just above Petra’s face as Spike flew with impeccable speeds right at Petra, his wrapped-up arm scooping her waist and pulling her away from the tree.

The force was enough to pull her left arm out to the side, allowing the Female Titan to pin Petra’s forearm to the tree with the ball of its foot. With Spike’s push and the force of the titan’s foot crushing Petra’s arm, bits of torn, stringed muscle and cracked bone slid out of Petra’s forearm as it was separated from the body.

Spike, his rescue stinging his hand once again, tumbled painfully to the ground along with Petra as his torn cloth on his arm unraveled, revealing his wound to Auruo and Eren. As Petra tried getting up, her missing arm forced her to continue lying down, but still being alive, she looked at the mangled stump near her elbow, the resulting pain and sight causing her to scream uncontrollably.

“PETRA!” shouted Eren. “SPIKE!”

The Female Titan, agitated with its target still being alive, stood back up to reposition itself. Spike, seeing this, ran to Petra as he tugged on her remaining hand with his own hand.

“Hurry!” shouted Spike. “We have to run! If we don’t–”

The shadow was already looming over the two of them. Petra, seeing as its attacker was still set on killing her and Spike, did her best to get up with Spike’s help, even if she knew that it was far too late. A hook latched into the center of the titan’s back as the whir of wires signaled that an attacker was coming close.

“Hey!” yelled Auruo. “Die!”

With a swing to the left and a pull to the right, Auruo came around and swung his swords at the titan’s nape. He was horrified to see as his broken blades flew freely from the bases while the titan’s now crystalized nape remained intact.

“How?” Auruo wondered. “My blade can’t pierce it.”

The Female Titan shifted back and leaned backwards with its foot reeling back and aimed for Auruo’s spine.

“NO!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she approached them both.

Flying down and up just in time, she put her hooves underneath Auruo’s feet and pushed up, sending him launching up about three meters. The Female Titan couldn’t change its aim back to Auruo now that he was so high, but a new target was set. The titan resumed its kick, the foot plowing right into Rainbow Dash’s back and flinging her into the trees with her 3D Maneuver Gear falling off her body. Rainbow Dash tried to regain her balance, but found that the pain of the hit made her unable to do so.

Rainbow Dash only had a tree to crash into to stop herself, the speed and force that the side of her head hit it with knocking her unconscious instantly. Eren seeing the macabre scene, watched with inconsolable sadness and rage as Rainbow Dash tumbled down to the ground, hitting branches on her way down until she crumpled like a rag-doll on the grass, bleeding profusely from behind the right ear.

“WAAAAAAAAAH!” Eren shrieked.

Auruo couldn’t believe what had happened. Rainbow Dash, a creature he was sure that despised him, saved his life at the cost of her own. Despite his immensely growing admiration and respect for her, Auruo flew down to Rainbow Dash’s location, where Petra and Spike were using their only good hands to swing themselves towards her too.

“Rainbow Dash!” cried Petra, wrapping her torn arm into her cloak. “Please tell me she’s alright!”

Spike ran up and put his ear to her chest, giving a slight, thankful smile shortly afterward.

“She’s still breathing,” he said, “and her heart is beating.”

The sound of crunching earth broke their concentrations as they turned to see the Female Titan staring them down. Auruo quickly discarded his other two blades and put in some new ones, stepping in front of his two allies and ready to protect them.

“Let’s go, you bitch,” he seethed. “You can get to them over my dead body!”

As if Auruo was a mere ant, the Female Titan smirked as she made her way towards them. Eren, flying in much closer, could see what had become of Levi’s squad and his best pony friend as she lied unconscious and quite possibly dying. The sight of Petra’s torn arm and Spike’s sliced hand in particular as they both bled through their cloaks brought Eren to tears.

“I will…” muttered Eren, as he remembered how the soldier killed Gunther and slashed Spike’s hand. “I will…” he grunted even louder, remembering Erd’s eviscerated corpse and seeing Petra’s arm and Rainbow Dash lying still. “I’LL KILL IT!”

As Eren began to fall, he put his hand in his mouth and bit down, encasing his body in bright, golden light. Auruo, Petra, and Spike shielded themselves from the glare which was replaced with a large ball of steam that hurtled towards the Female Titan. The steam faded as well, revealing Eren’s titan as its forward momentum gave it the energy it needed to charge at the Female Titan, who now paid no mind to Auruo, Petra, Rainbow Dash, and Spike as Eren’s titan’s roar made its presence known.

“Hurry!” shouted Auruo. “While it’s distracted!”

“Right!” Petra and Spike quickly agreed.

Auruo picked up Rainbow Dash and slung her over his shoulder, using his free hand to take out his operational device. With their usable hands, Petra and Spike took theirs out of their jackets as all three of them shot at one of the top branches of the tree they stood under, reeling themselves up to get a safe, observable spot.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

From the main path inside the forest, Erwin and Hanji heard the sound of Eren’s titan’s roar, the noise surprising Erwin especially.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

As Mikasa, Applejack, Sasha, and Rarity swung to regroup out of the forest, Mikasa could clearly hear Eren’s roar, stopping dead in her tracks.

“Eren,” she gasped.

Listening closely to the noise, Mikasa hooked a wire to a tree in the direction of the roar and swung out in that direction, shocking the two ponies and Sasha.

“Hold on!” cried Applejack, launching her own hook and following her. “Wait for me, partner!”

“Wait, what?” exclaimed Sasha. “Mikasa? Applejack?”

“Come back!” Rarity called out.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Levi continued along to where his squad would supposedly be when he heard the sound of Eren’s titan.

That voice, Levi thought. Don’t tell me…

Levi, not wasting another second, pulled a U-turn around the first tree he could and rocketed off in the direction of the roar.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Petra, Auruo, and Spike, with Rainbow Dash lying next to them on the branch, watched as Eren’s titan made a mad run for the Female Titan.

“That bitch,” Auruo hissed, as he drew his sword. “She’ll pay for what she did to us!”

As Auruo was about to swing down to engage with the titan, the side of a blade came from his left and laid itself upon his chest, surprising Auruo.

“No,” Spike said, his right arm holding the bladed device as his gaze was kept on Eren. “Eren trusted in you to stop her. Now, it’s your turn to trust in him.”

Eren’s titan came closer with its left arm reeled back, and ready to hit. Sliding closer to her, it dipped down and attempted a hard uppercut with its right arm that the Female Titan avoided with a juke to her left. The Female Titan’s arms were still useless to it, so the titan made another safe juke to its left and ran at Eren’s titan, driving its foot into its stomach.

Anger was in both of their faces as the Female Titan continued to push Eren’s titan back. Eren’s titan put weight in its feet to stop the slide and pushed back with his knee, lifting its arm up for another punch. Bringing its fist down, Eren’s titan attempted to make contact, but the Female Titan backed away in time. Its struggle to get away from Eren’s titan forced her to fall back onto a tree.

The Female Titan, regaining its balance and ground, stood back up before Eren’s titan. The wounds in her arms began to hiss and steam, trying to regenerate themselves. Eren’s titan, seeing this, ran up to the Female Titan with its arms still poised and made several punches at its head, the Female Titan ducking and moving out of the way of each hook and jab.

With a missed uppercut, Eren’s titan finally made a successful hit to the Female Titan’s chest, tumbling it to the ground before it quickly got back up. Knowing that it needed more time for its limbs to heal, the Female Titan ran off deeper into the forest, Eren’s titan furiously chasing it down and leaving Auruo, Petra, Spike, and Rainbow Dash behind.

“Hurry!” shouted Spike. “Let’s go after them!”

“Alright,” Auruo spoke, trying to pick up the cyan pegasus, “just let me grab Rainbow Dash.”

Before he could comfortably position her, sounds of retracting wires and bursts of gas came closer to them as Levi swung out to see the four of them on the branches. Pulling himself up, he could see the damage that had been done to his team. Spike, despite looking as emotionless as he always did, could tell that a fiery rage was pent up inside of him after seeing the deceased Gunther and Erd as well as the injured Petra, Rainbow Dash, and himself.

“Where did they go?” asked Levi.

“Due east!” Auruo called.

“You four, get back to HQ. Make sure not to get hurt any more than you already are. Quickly!”

“Yes, sir!” complied Auruo, Petra, and Spike, still giving him the salute.

Without further questions, Levi continued in the direction Auruo said while Petra and Spike used their one hands to go back into the formation while Auruo carried Rainbow Dash with one arm and used his other hand to follow the other two back to safety.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Further inside the forest, Eren’s titan had finally caught up with the Female Titan. As Eren’s titan continued to punch at the Female Titan, it still managed to dodge each attack. With one particularly close uppercut, the Female Titan fell onto its back. With its arms still unusable, Eren’s titan climbed atop it, sat on its waist, and held its shoulders down.

With the Female Titan right where he wanted, Eren’s titan lifted its left fist up to drive it into the Female titan’s face. Eren’s titan, through Eren inside the nape of its neck, looked upon it with spite and hatred.

I made the wrong choice, Eren thought. I wanted to believe in my companions. Because of that, one of them is injured and two of them are dead! If it hadn’t been for Rainbow Dash and Spike, they all would have died.

His anger began to boil again on looking further into the Female Titan’s face.

But it’s because of you that they’re now hurt too!

Eren’s titan brought his fist down, but the Female Titan tilted her head out of the way for the fist to hit the ground instead. With the strength of the hit and the lightness of Eren’s titan’s body, its elbow tore through its arm and caused muscle to be pulled out from the forearm. Eren’s titan lifted its arm up to see that its fingers too were torn and bony. The Female Titan, now looking somewhat fearful of its predicament, looked Eren’s titan in the eyes with its one eye.

If I had believed in myself from the start and fought, Eren thought, if I’d only killed it at the beginning!

Eren’s titan made another downwards punch with its other arm, the Female Titan moving out of the way for this one too. This time, Eren’s titan’s wrist tore open, making both of its arms useless now. With steam pouring out of its wounds, as well as from the Female Titan’s, Eren’s titan could only continue to look down at its enemy.

Back then, thought Eren, if I’d turn into a titan… No… If I’d fought, even before that… Captain Levi was there too. We would have won! Maybe we could have captured it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“You aren’t wrong,” Levi told him. “If you want to do it, do it.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

I… Eren resumed. I made a choice, and it almost killed everyone. It’s my fault that Gunther and Erd died and that Petra, Spike, and Rainbow Dash are injured. But despite all that, it’s still your fault!

Eren’s titan bent down at the Female Titan’s face and shouted out into it, the Female Titan’s only reaction being to turn its head away.

I’ll tear you apart! declared Eren. Once my hand heals, I’ll rip you apart! Tear you to shreds! Rip you into tiny pieces, and eat you!

Eren’s rage and fury began to consume his titan as it lifted its arms up, jerked its head in all directions, chattered its jaw open and closed, and rolled its eyes into the back of its head as Eren’s emotions overloaded his titan, but healed its body faster.

Just then, the left eye of the Female Titan shot open, and it lifted its left arm to grab Eren’s titan’s right arm. With her other arm, it placed it on Eren’s titan’s knee and pushed out of Eren’s hold, freeing itself. With Eren’s titan’s limbs healed, it made another punch for the Female Titan, but the Female Titan kicked Eren’s titan off of itself and sent it flying into a tree.

As the Female Titan got back up, Eren’s titan launched off and uppercutted it, taking a piece of its face with it. With the other hand, Eren’s titan made a wide and powerful hook that the Female Titan ducked out of the way of and rolled to regain its footing. The force of Eren’s titan’s swing caused it to fall as well, but also rolled to maintain its footing.

Eren’s titan ran back up to the Female Titan and delivered a succession of punches aimed for its face, but the Female Titan was quick enough to dodge them all. As Eren’s titan came in for another hit, the Female Titan hardened the area around its hand and forearm and punched Eren’s titan in the jaw, smashing it off like a pumpkin.

Eren’s titan was undeterred, sliding its upper teeth against the hard, crystalline plating and bringing its left arm out. With nowhere for the Female Titan to go, Eren’s titan uppercutted the Female Titan in the gut, sending it flying up about twenty-five meters into the air and into a tree. With the Female Titan looked disoriented from the hit, Eren’s titan used the opportunity, to run up and drive its knee into the Female Titans face. The Female Titan was still able to get away, running to the side as Eren’s titan’s knee hit the bark.

Both titans were getting exhausted by this point, as Eren’s titan leaned up against the same tree and panted while the Female Titan ran off to catch its own breath. With the fight not seeming to go one way or the other, the Female Titan walked back up to face Eren’s titan once again. As Eren’s titan readied himself, something about the Female Titan struck something inside Eren himself. The mounting realization was affecting his titan as it stood motionless with his eyes shrunk.

*KHWAK*

The Female Titan drove its leg arm through Eren’s titan’s wrist, its head, and the adjacent tree, cutting all three objects cleanly like a sword. The hand, the top of Eren’s titan’s head, and the tree all fell over, and without a head to control the titan’s body or see, Eren’s titan fell to its knees and laid still.

The Female Titan walked over to Eren’s titan an knelt down, putting its mouth near the neck. With tremendous strength, the Female Titan opened its jaw wide, tearing the cheeks that kept it together. Once the flesh was entirely ripped, the Female Titan bit down on Eren’s titan’s neck and tore the skin and muscle off it, revealing Eren, exhausted and emotionally torn, inside it.

Mikasa and Applejack swung in, seeing the Female Titan as it was getting at Eren.

“EREN!” screamed Mikasa.

“Get yer’ mitts offa him!” demanded Applejack.

However, as they came to a better and clearer vantage point, both Mikasa and Applejack were terrified to see as the Female Titan grabbed Eren with its teeth and tilted its head back, allowing Eren to slide into its mouth, the torn cheeks making it much easier for him to enter. Mikasa and Applejack could only watch as the Female Titan stood back up with its mouth healed and ran west through the forest.

“W– Wait…” Mikasa whimpered. “Eren… Don’t go.”

Mikasa’s scared and horrified face soon turned to wrath as she and Applejack sped off to follow the titan and rescue their friend. Even with Mikasa’s anger, resolve, and skill with her Maneuver Gear, Applejack was close behind, just as hellbent to rescue her friend.

“Give…” seethed Mikasa as she got closer.

The Female Titan, seeing Mikasa and Applejack get near, covered her neck with her left hand.

“Give…” she began to shout as she flew up and fell towards the titan with her blades drawn. “Give Eren back!”

Mikasa went into action, spinning her blades out from behind the Female Titan and whizzed past her right cheek, cutting it. Applejack went for under the arm, flying underneath the bicep and slicing off a small portion of its arm. Mikasa and Applejack spun around to face the titan. Mikasa went first, hooking onto a tree to her left and flying near the titans free right arm. Applejack followed close-by, choosing to swing under the titan’s right arm instead.

Mikasa hit her own mark, leaving a nice, long cut on its arm. As the Female Titan reached for Mikasa, Applejack used the distraction to swing under her arm and over her head, the loop sending her towards the left arm. Shooting another hook into the titan’s left arm, the Female Titan used the opportunity to reach to her shoulder, grabbing a hold of Applejack’s wire. Applejack winced with fear, knowing she was caught.

With speed and diligence, Mikasa swung underneath the Female Titan’s left arm, cutting a larger piece from her arm as well as cutting off its thumb in one quick front-flip, forcing the titan’s grip on the wire to slip from its grasp, allowing Applejack to reel it back into her device. Now, Applejack and Mikasa were flying right besides each other.

“Thanks a bundle, Mikasa!” exclaimed Applejack. “I thought I was a goner there!”

“We’re not done yet,” growled Mikasa, looking as the Female Titan reached for Mikasa and Applejack with its right hand, the thumb growing back.

Mikasa passed through the titan’s finger tips and flew towards its face, giving its cheek another cut. Applejack spun counter-clockwise to the right, avoiding the titan’s hand and having another go at the titan’s arm. With a launch of her hook, Applejack reeled herself in the moment the hook made contact with the flesh, quickly cutting another piece of muscle from the arm. With the muscles cut again, the titan’s arm fell, leaving the Female Titan to cover its neck with the other hand disdainfully.

“She’s all yours, partner!” Applejack called.

Mikasa swung down to the back of the Female Titan’s knees, spinning herself for more strength and momentum.

“Give him back!” she screamed, cutting the ligaments behind its knees.

With the Female Titan’s speeds, the cut tripped it and brought it to its knees, hunching itself over with its hand still on its neck to protect both Eren and itself. Mikasa pulled herself back and came forwards again, the swords set on the titan’s hand.

“Give him back!” Mikasa demanded, bringing her blades down.

The Female Titan’s hand was covered in the crystal plating only, breaking Mikasa’s swords. Seeing that they didn’t do anything, Mikasa flew up to a tree, Applejack going there to see what happened.

“What in the wide, wide world of Equestria is that?” asked Applejack, looking at the crystal on the titan’s hand.

“My blades can’t break it,” Mikasa panted as the Female Titan glared back at her.

“I doubt even my kicks could break through that.”

“It doesn’t matter. I know… that he’s alive. I know that Eren’s alive!

Mikasa pulled the catch of her operational devices back, detatching her broken blades and replacing them with new ones.

“No matter where she goes,” declared Mikasa, “I’ll kill her, rip her apart, and get you out of that filth. I’m sorry, Eren. Just wait a little longer…”

Quickly, the titan stood up and punched at Mikasa and Applejack, both of them able to jump away and push off, heading back for it. With the pursuit resumed, the Female Titan stood up and ran away while putting its right hand back on the neck as steam poured out of its left arm, healing itself.

“Wait!” shouted Mikasa.

Suddenly, she felt someone grab at her waist, and pulling her forwards.

“What–” she shouted. “What are you…”

Mikasa and Applejack both looked to see that it was Levi, who let Mikasa go and allowed her to fly with her partner again.

“You two fall back for now!” he ordered.

As Levi flew on ahead, Mikasa and Applejack continued the chase, unable to let no more bad happen to their friends.

“Maintain this distance,” Levi spoke to both of them. “It may be tired; it does not appear to be going very fast. He seems to have been bit right out of the neck. Tell me, is Eren dead?”

Mikasa didn’t answer him, instead focused on saving Eren, whom she knew with all her soul that he was alive, from the mouth of the Female Titan.