Free, free, free, free, free...

Her heart and feet formed a harmony, a relentless beat pounding, pulsing.
Free.

Y/N was free.

The last hour had been quite the adventure, but a quiet one at that. Though she had planned against any unnecessary death, the guards had fallen before she had realized what she was doing. Yet the two bodies were justified in her mind, knowing their intentions, knowing what they had done to the girl in the cell opposite cell. After carefully hiding the remains of the guards, Y/N had slipped out of the prison, using the guard's uniform and keys to get her outside the prison gates. And now...

Free, free, free, free...

The fitness she had maintained in her cell was coming in handy as she darted through the streets inside Wall Sina. It was a frigid night; yet crisp, the kind that leaves behind no frosted footprints, only ethereal puffs of mist. The air itself was frozen, leaving the atmosphere completely empty, hollow. Y/N had managed to leave the prison with perfect timing- the North side of the Inner City was empty, its inhabitants filling the bars across the city.

Y/N ran with an easy, loping gate, Wall Sina growing closer with every light step. She slowed, then slapped a hand over her mouth in horror.

I've no way to get over the wall. Y/N squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm her breathing as the terror set in. She walked quietly up to the Gate, thoughts whirling like a winter wind.

"Name, profession, and business." The words cut the air, knives in the darkness. Y/N stared at the eye peaking through the hole in the Gatekeeper's shack.

"I- Y/N, Inner Prison Guard, visting my husband." Her voice shook slightly as the eye blinked.

"Very well." A small wicker door was unlocked and the Gatekeeper stood erect, letting her pass through. But as she tried to slip by, the man grabbed the back of her hood, and yanked in back. His eyes met hers, and the world seemed to forget to keep spinning. Then, to make up for what time it had lost, it returned to its course in a overly eager manner, and Y/N stumbled, suddenly dizzy. The spots in her vision cleared quickly and she jerked her hood back up, glancing back, holding the Gatekeeper's gaze for a long moment.

The Gatekeeper returned the stare, as if in awe and horror. Then he broke the connection, turned, and ushered Y/N out with a whispered, "I'm sorry."

*Wall Maria, several hours later*

The chant of freedom was all but gone now, Y/N so exhausted she could hardly breath. Yet she had come to the final barrier, the final wall between her and freedom. She stopped outside the Gatekeeper's shack, but her quick eyes could find no hint of the small door that would be used to let her into Shiganshina.

"Sir?" She asked softly, rapping her knuckles lightly against the rough, splintered wood of the door.

She heard a moan from within the building then a rather overweight man shoved his jiggling face out the door. "What the hell do you want, girl?" He spat, spittle shooting in every direction.

She stepped back, wiping her cheek with a green sleeve and putting valiant effort into not vomiting with disgust. "Sir, I would like entry into Shiganshina." The man froze, but she ignored his sputtering. "It's urgent, sir." Because I'll be back in that hell by noon if you don't open this door.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The man stared at her, eyes bugling. "Shiganshina was attacked by Titans three months ago!! Wall Rose fell to the beasts!!!" His spit flew across her stunned face in liberal amounts, yet this time Y/N did not bother to wipe it away.

No... no, that can't... it can't... Akako...

The sun was kissing the sky, shooting bloody rays across the darkness. It was the first time Y/N had seen the sun in years, but she hardly gave it a passing thought. "W-what?"

The man looked shocked. "Get out of here!" He screeched, and in the growing light Y/N could see how bloodshot his eyes were.

"But-"

"If you don't know what happened to Wall Rose, then you are one f-" he cursed, then darted back inside the Gatekeeper's hut, profanity and spit still scattering in every which-way.

Y/N stood there silently for a long while, gaze focused on nothing, mind spinning into dark abysses that should have been left alone.

Akako... My sweet trainee, what... And your cousin...

~~~
"I want to fight like you!" Akako said, desperate, practically sprinting to keep up with Y/N's pace.

"It's not something that can be taught. It's a passion, a fire, a-"

"My very name means passion!" The girl panted, then she grabbed Y/N's arm, pulling her to a stop.

"What?"

"I'm not doing this for fame or money." Akako said softly, staring at the ground as it spun beneath her dizzy eyes.

"Really?" Y/N was incredulous.

"I'm doing this for my cousin." Akako slumped. "I know it's a dumb reason, but... my cousin has no-one, he's always being bullied, and, I thought, this might-"

"You're doing this through honor, then." Y/N said flatly.

"No! It's not just that, but my mum... she... was killed." Y/N raised an eyebrow, waiting for elaboration.

"I want to murder the monsters who... I want them to suffer long, painful deaths. I want them to cry tears of blood, shedding a hundred red drops for each one of my mother's." Akako hissed, voice full of pure, venomous hatred.

Y/N nodded. "And you didn't tell this to me from the start, because why?"

Akako bowed her head, "It still... hurts... so bad." She bit her lip, eyes brimming with bitter tears.

"Akako," Y/N said gently, raising the girl's face so that Akako's watery eyes met Y/N's, "Akako Arlet, I'll take you on as my trainee."