Reiner and Bertolt swung as fast down the forest as they could, just managing to match the speed of the titans running after them. The light streaming down through the tops of the trees became more sparse the closer the sun came to setting and the further they went deeper into the forest.

“We need to go someplace with no titans!” Reiner called. “But first, we need to lose these. My titan is too slow! If we get surrounded, I wouldn’t be able to protect us.”

“So why the fuck didn’t we wait?!” screamed Ymir.

The sound of a gun firing off behind Ymir led her to turn her head back. Through the few cracks of space that revealed the outside of the forest, she could see the red flares being fired off into the sky as well as the tiny dots that were the approaching soldiers nearing the edge of the forest.

“Signal flares?” Ymir questioned. “The Scouting Legion came to rescue us?”

“Shit,” Reiner grunted, “they’re all the way here, all because Eren had to go off on me.”

Ymir suddenly gasped at seeing one of the first soldiers in the line as she approached towards the forest. It was none other than Historia.

“No,” Ymir sighed. “It’s her… REINER! It’s Krista!”

“What?” Reiner shouted, turning back for a moment.

“Krista’s come with the Scouting Legion! If you want to take her, we have to do it now!”

“How can you tell! There’s no way you could have seen her!”

“I’m telling you, she’s here! She’s a good person to suicidal extremes! She came to save me!”

“Even if that were so, there’s no turning back now! We have to do it another time!”

“What?” growled Ymir, her brow furrowing.

“How do you plan on taking Krista from here in this situation? Just wait and trust us! We need Krista as well!”

“Then why aren’t we getting her? If we need her, we have to get her now!”

Bertolt couldn’t help but notice Ymir’s voice as it began to sadly waver.

“I want to see her again,” pleaded Ymir. “At this rate, I’ll never see her again!”

“I’m sorry,” apologized Bertolt, “but we absolutely cannot. We don’t know if we’re even going to be able to get out as it is.”

“I promise you,” Reiner assured loudly, “that we’ll save Krista at the very least.”

As Ymir kept flying about on Bertolt’s back, Ymir could only look back on Historia’s face as she genuinely smiled up at her and how safe and loved it made her feel.

“When it comes to these forests,” Ymir spoke, “I know them better than both of you combined.”

Ymir twisted her arm about so that she could grab a hold of Bertolt’s hair. As Bertolt shouted from the pain of the sting, Reiner turned around to see Ymir grabbing at Bertolt’s head as she let her legs go, swinging her legs about.

“Ymir!” shouted Bertolt. “Let me go!”

“From my angle,” said Ymir into Bertolt’s ear, “it looks like I’m in charge now.”

“Huh?...”

Bertolt tried to keep up with Reiner, but Ymir’s legs flaying about put Bertolt off balance, forcing him to slow down to avoid hitting trees.

“Ymir!” Bertolt demanded. “Let go! We’ll fall!”

“I’ll be fine,” Ymir mentioned. “I might not be as strong as your titans, but mine can easily move around in these trees. Who knows, I could probably take Eren from you and return to the Scouting Legion if I wanted.”

Reiner and Bertolt came to a stop at the side of a tree, knowing that continuing would be an even more dangerous option at that point.

“If you guys don’t let me get Krista,” threatened Ymir, “I’ll fight you and get in your way.”

“What do you think will happen to Krista?” Reiner asked. “We won’t be able to help her because of your selfish actions.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Even if I’m taking Krista’s future from her, I want to see her again! I really am a big bitch, I know that, but Krista still smiled at me and was kind to me, despite knowing who I am!”

Reiner and Ymir stared at each other, still waiting for the other to cave in.

“Don’t worry,” said Ymir. “I have a plan. I’ll fight them off too, so it will be easier to get away…”

Ymir suddenly dug her mouth onto Bertolt’s ear.

“…or maybe we should just kill each other instead! Go on! See if I don’t mean it!”

Reiner grit his teeth as he looked into Ymir’s hostile eyes. If Reiner had any chance of escape, he would have to lose this time.
________________________________________________________________________________________

As the remaining forces of the Scouting Legion neared the edge of the titan-swarmed forest, a bright, yellow light exploded from inside the forest, frightening them.

“I’m guessing that’s not a good thing?” Shining Armor asked to Twilight as she flew alongside him.

“Not usually!” she responded.

“It had to have been a titan!” Armin shouted.

Erwin looked about the titans as they waited amongst the trees.

“Did we make it in time?” he asked.

At that moment, the titans all broke out into a run towards the approaching soldiers. Erwin flung his arm to his side, signaling his orders to all of his men.

“Everyone!” he shouted. “Split up! Find Eren and bring him back! We can only assume that they have transformed into titans! Rainbow Dash, fly overhead and inspect anything that leaves that forest!”

“Done and done!” she responded as she flew over the trees.

“Do not try and fight them! Right now, Eren’s return is of the highest priority!”

Erwin, Levi, Luna, Nile, Hanji, Kirill, Petra, Auruo, Annie, Sasha, Rarity, as well as several soldiers and stallion guards all ran left of the forest and ran along its edge. Hannes, Pixis, Historia, Mikasa, Applejack, Armin, Twilight, Spike, Shining Armor, Jean, Fluttershy, Conny, Pinkie Pie, as well as another handful of soldier and stallion guards all made their way to the right.

Soldiers running along on both sides were picked off by the titans and eaten, much to the horror of Shining Armor, and the guards.

“Leave them!” Twilight shouted to her group. “There’s nothing we can do now!”

Shining Armor looked ahead, hoping it would help him drown out the terrified screams of the soldiers before their life ended in the gnashing of a titan’s teeth.

On the other side, Luna, looked at the nervous looks of her guards as they saw several soldiers try and fight out of the titan’s grasp.

“They have done their duties!” Luna bellowed. “We must continue onward!”

“Yes, your highness!” called the guards following her.

Back to the west side of the forest, Hannes hopped atop his horse.

“Pixis! Phil!” he called to the soldiers to his right. “Lead the horses with the pony guards! Shining Armor, I want you and your ponies to follow Pixis!”

“Roger!” Shining Armor confirmed.

Just then, Hannes launched a hook into a nearby tree and flew towards one of the many openings between the trees.

“The enemies will be moving forwards!” he shouted. “Scatter!”

Each of the soldiers following Hannes hopped off their horse and swung into the forest on their Maneuver Gears. The ponies and Spike soared inside as well, Spike hopping off Twilight’s back and swinging alongside Armin and Twilight. Shining Armor, Phil, the Scouting Legion horses, and the stallion guards continued to run around the edge of the forest.

“Find the two of them first,” ordered Hannes, “and then call us when you find something!”

The soldiers went off in different directions around the forest while Conny, Pinkie Pie, and various soldiers from the three divisions went forwards. The soldiers scanned every leaf on every branch on every tree looking for anything that would lead them to their friends or enemies.

As Conny and Pinkie Pie looked about, Pinkie Pie managed to see a titan ahead with a large head and long, black hair. Pinkie, despite the predicament, beamed at her accomplishment.

“I spy with my little eye,” chanted Pinkie Pie loudly, “something that looks like… our friend!”

Conny looked to Pinkie Pie’s direction to see Ymir’s titan hanging from the branch of a tree with its feet firmly against the side, staying perfectly still as its eyes scanned the area around it.

“That’s not Eren!” shouted a soldier behind them. “It’s one of them!”

“No,” Conny protested, “she’s right! It’s Ymir in her titan form!”

Conny swung to the tree Ymir’s titan hung from and hung himself next to her upper torso beneath the arm it used to hold itself on.

“Hey, Ymir,” Conny shouted into Ymir’s titan’s ear, “what happened to you? Why are you alone?”

Ymir’s titan completely ignored Conny, only continuing to look about for its target.

“Where’s Eren!” cried Conny. “And Reiner and Bertolt!”

“Listen!” Pinkie Pie pleaded. “I know you might not be the best of chums, but I really want to see Reiner and Bertolt again! I have to talk to them!”

Just then, Mikasa, Applejack, Armin, Twilight, Spike, Hannes, Jean, and Fluttershy came from different angles from the back, and hung to the tree to get the best view they could.

“It’s Ymir!” called Armin.

“Did she become a titan to help us fight?” asked Mikasa.

“Looks more like she’s being a literal bump on a log,” Applejack replied.

“Ymir!” shouted Jean. “Where’s Reiner! Where’d they go?”

Ymir’s titan continued to look about the soldiers that gathered around it, its mute nature angering Conny.

“Hey!” Conny shouted, kicking at Ymir’s titan’s head. “We need to hurry here! Say something you moron!”

“Conny!” scolded Pinkie Pie. “If you keep hitting her like that, she’s not going to want to talk to you.”

“Is it looking for Reiner and Bertolt?” wondered Armin. “Something’s not right. Why is she inspecting us one by one like that?”

Ymir’s titan looked to Armin, who was the last to make a sound. Until…

“Ymir!” shouted Historia’s voice.

Ymir’s titan’s head shot out towards the direction of the call. Sure enough, Historia flew straight for Ymir’s titan, her eyes damp with happy tears.

“Thank goodness you’re alright!” called Historia.

At that very moment, Ymir’s titan pushed its feet off the tree, flying straight towards Historia with its mouth wide open. Historia, as well as the other soldiers around her, had no time to react as Ymir’s titan lunged at Historia while she flew into its mouth.

With a closing of its mouth, Ymir’s titan swung around the nearest tree and leapt to the south end of the forest with near-incalculable agility. Conny, Pinkie Pie, Mikasa, Armin, as well as the other soldiers and ponies were stunned at what they saw.

“She…” gasped Conny, “ate Krista…”

Jean rocketed past his head, Fluttershy following just behind.

“Don’t stand there!” Jean demanded. “Keep moving!”

Just as Conny and Pinkie Pie set off, the other soldiers and ponies were after Ymir as well, marveling as the small titan leapt from tree to tree while still managing to get further and further ahead of them with each leap.

“So fast!” Armin exclaimed. “She’s getting away!”

“Why did she eat her?” Mikasa questioned.

“I never trusted her to begin with!” Jean proclaimed.

“She betrayed us!” Armin concluded. “She’s now on Reiner and Bertolt’s side! We got taken in by her!”

The soldiers continued to fly forwards, knowing that some effort was better than no effort at all.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash followed the fast moving dot that was Ymir’s titan with intrigue high above the forest, unsure of how she was moving about as it reached the southernmost end.

“Weren’t you taken by…” Rainbow Dash pondered aloud.

Just then, she saw as Reiner and Bertolt were waiting upon a branch of the southernmost tree, Eren upon the latter’s back, as Ymir landed before them.

“What?” Rainbow Dash gasped, suddenly understanding the situation. “No…”

Rainbow Dash grit her teeth as she watched another comrade fall from her.

“Give him back!” she shouted as she took a nosedive towards Reiner.

Upon hearing her voice, Bertolt looked up to see Rainbow Dash heading down towards them.

“Reiner!” he shouted. “She’s coming!”

Without a word, Reiner leapt off the branch towards the ground, his hand upon the base of a blade sticking out of one of his sheaths. Halfway down, he sliced his hand open upon the blade, causing his body to glow yellow and burst with steam.

As Rainbow Dash tried to fly down faster and cut Reiner away from his titan body before it could form, the large hand of the Armored Titan reached out to Rainbow Dash through the cloud of vapor. Rainbow Dash tried to redirect her fall and fly away, but the Armored Titan grabbed her from the air before she could have the chance. With her head poking out, the Armored Titan put its fist towards its head as it watched Rainbow Dash squirm inside.

Rainbow Dash could suddenly feel the Armored Titan’s thumb and forefinger squeeze on her neck, making her grunt and fight harder. As she was deprived of more and more air, Rainbow Dash’s vision began to fade, looking out as Ymir’s titan leapt from the tree onto the Armored Titan’ back and Bertolt swung onto it with Eren strapped to him.

“Eren,” whined Rainbow Dash, tears running down her red face. “I’m sorry.”

Before Rainbow Dash could choke, the Armored Titan loosened its grip as it reached behind its back and slid into Bertolt’s arms. As Rainbow Dash gasped for vital oxygen, Bertolt used her lack of clarity to his favor, raising one elbow above his head and bringing it down, knocking Rainbow Dash on the back of the head, knocking her out cold.

With his wires still latched into the Armored Titan’s plating, Bertolt quickly pried Rainbow Dash’s operational device shoes from her hooves and undid the straps on her Maneuver Gear, letting it fall down the titan’s back and to the ground. Wrapping his arm around her body and holding on to the end of Reiner’s shoulder plating, he looked back to see Jean, Mikasa and the other soldiers approaching them.

“Reiner!” shouted Bertolt. “Go! NOW!

With an exasperated and disappointed huff, the Armored Titan made a break for the south. The soldiers and ponies others arrived just to see the Armored Titan escape them once again.

“This is bad!” Armin shouted, seeing him flopping around on Armin’s back. “Eren’s being taken away again!”

“Hey!” Applejack called. “Wasn’t Rainbow Dash supposed to try and stop them!”

“You mean her? Hannes asked, pointing at the blue body underneath Bertolt’s arm.

“Rainbow!”

“Guys!” called Shining Armor’s voice below. “We’re back!”

Hannes turned to his right to see Pixis, Phil, Shining Armor, and the horses and stallion guards come around towards them.

“Quick!” ordered Hannes, shouting behind him. “Get back on your horses.”

Hannes, Jean, Mikasa, and Armin rappelled down the trees towards the approaching line of horses as they came around. Timing their jumps just right, they all landed upon the saddles of their horses and sat back down and grabbed the reins. Spike hopped down on Twilight’s back as she swooped down to meet with Armin while Fluttershy flew alongside Jean and Applejack galloped beside them.

As Hannes, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight, and Spike, rode down the open plains towards the Armored Titan, Conny and the other soldiers were jumping down to their horses as well, ready to resume the chase.

“We’ll definitely get them back,” Hannes muttered. “Eren, even if it costs me my life, I will rescue you.”
________________________________________________________________________________________

Erwin and his troop reached the end of their side of the forest, but continued traveling south instead of continuing around the edge and meeting back up with Hannes’s group. As they passed the trees and entered the plains, the titans from the north of the forest still after them, they saw the Armored Titan running off with Bertolt and Ymir’s titan on its back.

Erwin spied his vision towards Bertolt, seeing two bodies in his grasp. He could tell Rainbow Dash straightaway by her cyan coat, dismayed of her failed attempt to save them. However, upon seeing Eren upon Bertolt’s back, his eyes widened upon his target.

“All squads!” ordered Erwin. “Go straight ahead and let the titans follow you! Come with me!”

Members of the Military Police looked behind them, frightened out of their wits to see titans hot on their trail.

“Erwin, you monster!” shouted Nile. “Were the events in Stohess not enough for you?”

Rarity and Sasha looked behind them with extreme apprehension as they fought to keep from falling into the back of the troop.

“Erwin, sir,” Luna called, “my guards and I can easily hold these titans back for you if you wish!”

“I don’t intend on feeding you to them,” Erwin yelled back, “but I need them to follow us for this to work!”

“Just trust in Erwin, you fool,” Auruo snapped back at Nile.

“What did you say to me?” Nile shouted angrily.

Auruo, remembering who he was talking to, kept his gaze forwards and his scared expression away from the others as best as he could.

“Now,” Erwin called, “fulfill your duties as soldiers! The Armored Titan is trying to escape with Eren and Rainbow Dash! He must be stopped at all costs!”

Erwin and the others broke into their fastest gallop possible, passing the Armored Titan while being hidden from its view.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Armin, Jean, Applejack, and Mikasa galloped alongside each other behind Hannes and Pixis while Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy flew at a close distance behind. As they rode and flew towards the Armored Titan, they were somewhat relieved to see that they were gaining on it.

“We can catch up at these speeds,” Jean said. “We can make it!”

“But…” Armin speculated, “if the Armored Titan were to remove its hardened skin around its joint areas, it could run faster.”

“I doubt it could run faster than we can fly,” Twilight mentioned.

“Right, but with its plating still on, we won’t be able to stop it!”

“No,” Mikasa disagreed, “if we can slow the Armored Titan once, we can slow him down again. This time, I’ll make sure they lose…”

Armin gasped, unsure of Mikasa’s true intentions.

“And if she gets in the way,” Mikasa added, “I won’t hesitate to cut Ymir down to size as well. No matter what it takes, I have to…”

Applejack looked to Mikasa nervously, hoping she wouldn’t compromise Pinkie Pie’s wish.
________________________________________________________________________________________

With each running step the Armored Titan took, Bertolt adjusted his hold on Rainbow Dash, ensuring that she stay with him the entire time. Ymir’s titan suddenly began gagging, putting its hand over its mouth. Bertolt looked as Ymir finally opened its mouth and retched, spitting out Historia, who was still covered in the titan’s saliva and bile. Historia coughed and gasped for air as Bertolt looked to her with surprise.

“Krista!” he called out.

Historia began to open her eyes, her vision greeted by Ymir’s titan’s giant eye as it looked down on her. Along with the sky moving at an alarming rate, the bouncing on the Armored Titan’s back also unsettled Historia greatly. Ymir’s titan’s neck split open, releasing a plume of steam from the slit that appeared.

“Ymir?” Historia exclaimed.

Ymir’s body raised out of its titan’s back, but her face arms and neck still had her titan’s muscles grafted on to it, showing hideous scars on her face as several of them snapped off as she raised her body up. Ymir coughed up the bits of wet, slimy flesh that built up in her mouth.

“Krist…” Ymir wheezed, “no, Historia. I’m sorry… about swallowing you like that. You’re not mad, are you?”

Krista looked beside her to see Bertolt on the other side of the Armored Titan’s back, Eren strapped to his back while Rainbow Dash was held snug in his arms. The sight of Eren and Rainbow Dash taken by him made Historia gasp in fright.

“Ymir!” she shouted. “What is going on? What are you doing? We came to save you and Eren–”

“You didn’t need to!” Ymir yelled back. “Just be still! I’m going along with Reiner and Bertolt now. You should come with too. There’s no future for us inside the walls!”

“What?”

Tears began to form in Ymir’s eyes as she tried to convince her best friend to do something she didn’t even feel comfortable doing.

“Come on,” begged Ymir, “it’s not so bad outside the walls. Nobody will ever have to tell you that, ‘The world would be better if you hadn’t been born.’”

“Of course they don’t!” screamed Historia in fright and confusion. “That’s because the only things outside the walls are trying to kill us!”

“No one’s perfect, right?” Ymir shouted. “If you can ignore that fact, it’s not so bad!”

“What are you even talking about? I don’t even understand it at all!”

Historia looked back at Eren and the unconscious Rainbow Dash in Bertolt’s arms.

“I see…” she sighed nervously. “You’re being threatened by them, aren’t you!”

“It’s actually the other way around…” Bertolt meekly butted in.

“Isn’t it?!” Historia screamed at Ymir, ignoring Bertolt. “Ymir?! Please let me fight with you, so let me go!”

Ymir gasped, unsure if she heard Historia correctly or not.

“Even if you have your reasons and you just can’t tell me,” Historia proclaimed, “no matter what, I’m on your side!”

Historia and Ymir continued to look at each other with tears in their eyes, each one of them overly gladdened by their feelings for each other. Bertolt looked behind him, seeing as the soldiers and ponies were close enough for him to recognize some of their faces.

Depression turned to fear when he saw the faces of Shining Armor and the stallion guards, who he didn’t recognize before, as well as the crests of the other Military divisions. If it weren’t for the Armored Titan’s running, Bertolt would have felt his legs buckle underneath him.

“The Scouting Legion, Garrison, and Military Police are here!” Bertolt cried out. “And not only are the ponies with them, they brought more! All white stallions with body armor!”

Ymir grit her teeth, frightened by the appearance of the new ponies coming to Eren and Rainbow Dash’s rescue.

“They’re going to catch up to us,” Bertolt cried, “all because you had to bring Krista along. Ymir, just what do you think we’ve been doing all of this for? What’s going to happen when the others catch up? Are you going to abandon Krista to save yourself?”

Ymir, seeing her options fading, couldn’t help but strongly consider Bertolt’s unintentional suggestion.

“Ymir!” demanded Historia. “Let me go, now!”

Ymir, despite her instincts telling her fight over flight, couldn’t even bear to imagine letting Historia go.

“I can’t!” Ymir wailed. “Historia, the real reason I captured you was… to save myself.”

Historia’s eyes widened, unsure of Ymir’s intentions.

“A really long time ago, I stole the titan’s power from the comrades of Reiner and Bertolt. After I killed their friend before they destroyed Wall Maria, they caught me, but the offered me a way out: if I helped them bring you back, they would pardon my offense and let me go. After all, you’re an important person to them who knows secrets about the titans and the walls. No matter what happens, I’ll be free because of you.

Krista looked to Ymir, suddenly flashing back to their past conversations.
________________________________________________________________________________________

“Then it’s you,” spoke Ymir in the snowy forest. “An illegitimate child of a mistress driven out of the house.”
________________________________________________________________________________________

Is it because… of my family?” Krista asked as she rode beside Ymir on their way to Wall Rose.

“…Yeah,” Ymir answered. “That’s right.
________________________________________________________________________________________

“I was fully ready to die back at Castle Utgard,” Ymir sobbed, “because I was tired of living. I truly mean that. But… I’m scared of dying. I want to be saved! Even though I said that everything was for your sake, in reality, it was for my own. Please, Krista, help me!”

Ymirs eyes were closed as tears streamed down her face, scared by how her only friend would react.

“Ymir,” cooed Historia, “didn’t I tell you?”

Ymir opened her eyes and looked towards Historia. As Historia looked into Ymir’s eyes, her face filled with sincerity and love, Ymir felt a warm, soothing glow over her own face.

“No matter what,” Historia wept gladly, “I’m on your side.”

Just then, Eren’s eyes began to open. As his vision came to, he looked down at the ground passing him from below, his human and pony comrades running just feet behind the Armored Titan while some of them swung around it using their Maneuver Gears. Hannes leapt off his horse and swung right at the back of the Armored Titan’s knees. While Hannes’s swing was strong and accurate, the blades bounced right off the plating, not affecting the Armored Titan’s strides at all.

Eren looked confused over what was happening, but as he looked to his right, he saw Rainbow Dash slung over in Bertolt’s arms. Bertolt felt Eren stirring on his back, looking behind him just as Eren did, managing to look into each other’s eyes.

As Eren’s anger began to boil as he looked at his and Rainbow Dash’s captor, a hook flew from below and hooked into the back of the Armored Titan’s neck just to the left of Eren’s head. Eren saw that the owner of the hook turned out to be Spike.

“Don’t worry, Eren!” Spike declared as he flew closer. “I’m here to sav–”

Just then, Ymir’s titan’s hand reached in front of Eren’s head and placed the wire in between the fingers of its hand. With a slight yank, Ymir pulled the wire out and let go. With nothing to hold himself to, Spike began to fall back to the ground, only for Twilight to catch him with her magic and place him back upon her back.

Just as Ymir’s titan turned back to see where Spike was, Mikasa flew straight at her and swung her blades out, slicing out the left eye of Ymir’s titan. As Mikasa landed upon the Armored Titan’s back, Bertolt quickly climbed the Armored Titan’s shoulder plate and ran to its neck, panting and wheezing in fright.

“Reiner!” cried Bertolt as Mikasa jumped onto the Armored Titan’s shoulder. “Help!”

As Mikasa lunged at Bertolt, with her blades, the Armored Titan’s hands raised up, crossed over, and cupped themselves over both sides of its neck. As Mikasa drove her blade forwards, the Armored Titan’s fingers closed themselves, making Mikasa’s blade bounce off the hand and break off. Mikasa looked into Bertolt’s eyes through the gap in between the Armored Titan’s index and middle finger, her anger scaring him beyond all measure.

Ymir’s titan began to climb up onto the Armored Titan’s shoulder, forcing Mikasa to flee as its arm made its way for her as it tried to find the best thing to hold on to. Mikasa jumped off and hooked into the back of the Armored Titan’s head, swinging around to the other side of the body.

Just as I thought, Mikasa seethed, Ymir is not going to make this easy for me.

Mikasa then looked down at Twilight, who looked up as she observed Mikasa and Bertolt’s bout.

But I’m certain Twilight doesn’t want me killing her either. However…

Keeping her gaze down, she watched as Applejack hopped up and launched a hook into the Armored Titan’s head, right next to hers.

…if we work together to cut the muscle on her arms and legs, we can still injure her and get her off.

Mikasa drew a fresh blade out as both she and Applejack came at Ymir’s titan from their different angles. Right before the two of them could make a cut, Historia onto Ymir’s titan’s head in between them.

“Mikasa!” cried Historia. “Applejack! Stop!”

“Krista!” shouted Applejack.

With Historia in their way, both Mikasa and Applejack landed besides each other on the back of the Armored Titans head, looking at Historia with confusion and betrayal.

“Please,” Historia begged, “don’t kill Ymir!”

“We ain’t doin’ nothin’ of the sort!” responded Applejack. “But if she keeps tryin’ to stop us from gettin’ our friend back, I can’t make no promises!”

“Please, understand! Ymir will die if she doesn’t obey them. She has no choice!”

“Then let me make one,” issued Mikasa. “Either you and Ymir keep out of our way, or I’ll kill you right here.”

“Mikasa!” exclaimed Applejack. “I thought–”

“I’m tired of playing the pacifist. Without Eren, humanity is doomed, and we’re losing him each second. So now, I’m offering you a choice, Applejack. The lives of a few, or the lives of everyone.”

Applejack looked at Mikasa and her violent ultimatum with shock. Just before Mikasa could act or Applejack could stop her, Ymir’s titan climbed up and roared into both of their faces.

“Ymir!” shouted Historia. “Stop it! They’ll kill you! Do you understand?”

As if it were its motive all along, Ymir’s titan climbed back down to the Armored Titan’s upper back, unveiling a large number of soldiers all flying out at the Armored titan’s neck.

“Incoming!” cried Applejack.

Mikasa and Applejack leapt off to both sides as Armin, Twilight, Spike, Jean, Fluttershy, Conny, and Pinkie Pie were given enough room to land.

Inside the Armored Titan’s hand, Rainbow Dash finally woke up, looking about her dimly lit surroundings. She felt as if she was being held, but before she could look up to see what was happening, Bertolt was suddenly thrust into the side of the Armored Titan’s neck, which served as a wall.

In reflex, Bertolt dropped Rainbow Dash onto her stomach as Eren pushed off the Armored Titan’s palm, another wall, with his feet and pressed the front of Bertolt’s body into the Armored Titan’s neck.

“Eren!” ordered Bertolt. “Stop! Don’t struggle!”

Just then, Bertolt felt a painful, forceful sting on his calf, shouting in pain as he stomped his foot down to get Rainbow Dash’s mouth and teeth off his leg, but to no avail.

“It’s pointless, isn’t it Bertolt?” asked Jean from the outside of the Armored Titan’s hand.

Next to Jean and hanging on across the front of the Armored Titan was Conny, Pinkie Pie, Armin, Spike, Applejack, and Mikasa. Fluttershy and Twilight flew on both sides of the Armored Titan’s head.

“He’s such a handful, isn’t he?” asked Jean. “There’s just no helping him! I hate him for it too!”

Bertolt let out another scream as Rainbow Dash moaned like a dog would gnawing on its bone. Applejack could tell what was going on inside all too well.

“Rainbow’s got quite the bite, don’t she?” Applejack teased. “Serves y’all right, ya’ big bully! Let them out and she might let you go!”

Inside, Bertolt squirmed about, unsure of which undesirable fate he would want to meet outside or keep experiencing inside.

“Come on, Bertolt,” cried Pinkie Pie, “why are you and Reiner doing this? I thought we were friends!”

Bertolt kept his mouth shut and his voice quelled, even as Eren continued pushing and Rainbow Dash continued biting. Outside, back on the horses and ponies following the Armored Titan, Hannes looked upon the desperate negotiation nervously.

“Yeah,” Jean agreed to Pinkie Pie’s statement, sporting a smile to make his nostalgic words all the more genuine. “Aren’t we a group of friends that shared hardships and lived under the same roof for three years? It was always so beautiful how awful you looked when you slept! Every night, we’d wait for the next magnificent face you’d make, and then we’d even predict the weather based on it!”

“And remember that party we threw for all of you guys,” Pinkie Pie added, “and how happy you looked playing Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Pony with me?”

Bertolt’s eyes bled furiously with frustrated tears, completely ignoring the pain in his chest and leg.

“And you were one of the best dancers there!” Pinkie Pie continued. “I had so much fun with you and Reiner, and I hoped that when we were done, we could have another party and have even more fun!”

“When we all said we’d make it out,” Conny spoke, “didn’t you say that we’d grow old together, and drink together? Was all of that a lie? Well? What are you guys thinking about now?”

Bertolt sniffled, unable to hold his feelings back.

“Enough,” Mikasa spoke, “just concentrate on getting Eren out by any means now, or we’ll never get Eren back. They are a plague on mankind, and that’s all there is to it.”

Bertolt couldn’t stand it any longer. With a massive inhale, he gathered all of his words and planned to speak them the best he could.

“Who!?” he screamed, stopping Eren and Rainbow Dash. “Who do you think actually wants to kill people? Who likes doing something like this? Who do you think wants a life like this; being hated by people? Even if you killed us, what was done can’t be undone, but who could forgive monsters like us?

“The only times I felt happy was when I was a soldier! No, Conny, it wasn’t a lie. Jean! Pinkie Pie! It’s true that I lied to you all, but I didn’t lie about everything! I really did see you as the best friends I ever had! And Pinkie Pie, that party you threw for us was one of the happiest moments of my life! But I have no way to show you how sorry I am! If only somebody… somebody… could find us…”

Ymir could hear everything, and Bertolt’s pouring his soul out only made her feel worse for the acts she was committing. While the soldiers and ponies on or near the Armored Titan were emotionally stunned, Pinkie Pie sobbing her eyes out, Mikasa looked at the hand where Bertolt and Eren were held.

“Bertolt,” said Mikasa, “give Eren back.

“I…” Bertolt bawled, “I can’t! Somebody has to do it! Somebody… has to do the dirty deed.”

Hannes peered beyond the Armored Titan’s legs, the sight coming at them putting him into a nervous frenzy.

“Guys!” shouted Hannes from below. “Get out of here!”

The others on the Armored Titan looked forwards, the sight they saw making them equally as scared.

“Just what…” gasped Hannes, “what does he plan to do?”

Hannes and Pixis’ group, as well as the Armored Titan, were headed straight for a massive wave filled with dozens of titans, a large group of soldiers being chased by them as they ran towards the Armored Titan.

“Erwin?” questioned Twilight.

Sure enough, Erwin led Nile, Luna, his soldiers, and the massive swarm of titans straight at the Armored Titan, who lowered the plating over its mouth to reveal its angry scowl over the harsh, bloody battle that would ensue any moment.