Blumenkranz (Childhood!Yumikuri #1)

Blumenkranz
Attack on Titan: Yumikuri fic by Akke Andringa

***CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE NOT 100% CAUGHT UP WITH THE MANGA***

844 - Wall Sina

Ymir possessed broad knowledge. Alotta stuff. However, her only other possession was her own body, and the awareness that within her was trapped a monster. She would never renounce her true self, but at this point, that self wasn't doing her much good. When you want to stay alive, you can become anything. She'd ran—and now this was her home.
Her home, to be precise: the attic of a Wall Church within Humanity's safest city, Sina's east wall town, Stohess. It was a nice lodging even if the people weren't so nice. Ymir knew that out of every ten people in the world, only one would have a pure heart, and they could easily be overcome by the others; the weak humans that they were. Ymir wouldn't be surmounted—it's not like she talked to anyone. And, the people that frequented this place were absolutely insane.
"The Walls are going to save us, the Walls are going to save us!" they chattered and chanted like the slightly-less-noisy birds up with her in the rafters. Is that so? Well I got in. I'm certainly no savior.
Of course, none of them were cognizant of the reality of a Titan in their roof who scrutinized their ceremonies with feigned interest. Once, Ymir had thrown scrappy pebble she'd spent onerous time carving out of the stone wall from her knothole to the congregation below, just to see their reaction and pray for it to be amusing. They had sent someone up to see if there was something amiss or needing repair in Ymir's concealed hideaway, and she had almost been discovered. She didn't try that again. She was worldly erudite and always learned on the first try—a skill she had developed out there.
But she really wanted to knock that Pastor on the head with a rock or something. He was boisterous and insufferable...and a liar. Because along with being versed in the details of the going-ons of the Church-goers, Ymir literally observed what happened within these walls. And she knew, thanks to its underhanded influentials, what occurred with The Walls. God, how.. Never mind that; Ymir certainly didn't believe in Gods—and with what she knew, she didn't need to believe in The Walls.
She, like the others of her kind, viewed the walls for what they were. Barriers, gateways. Stones desperately arranged. With the strongest of their kind: humanity's walls were welcomingly swinging garden gates in a spring breeze. Food markers. Not her diet, now anyway.
But now Ymir questioned that view as well. Because the Walls were titans. Why, why, why, why why was the ever-looming question. Only He knows.
No matter. None of that affected her—for now. Ymir returned to watching the mad Pastor Nick in an accelerated mood, his deacon the victim. They had been gossiping about the sick workings of the government, but now their topic was centering in on something baffling. Ymir creped down the hall to get a better grasp of their conversation. She scurried down a floor and hid behind a thick pillar of the third balcony. Ymir had a feline's acute hearing, so she presumed this would be enough. They were talking about someone..
"Does she look like him?" Deacon Grafe asked; his lined face, so sour, reminding her of a malodorous week-old sock. Does the Deacon have a girlfriend? He friends with her brother?
"She looks like her mother, that forsaken quim. An awful reminder." Nick answered, rubbing his forehead. Did he ever not look like he was licked by the flames of hell?
"What luck. What's to be done with the girl?"
"She's was sent to live on the Lenz farm, inland but as far from the estate as possible. Something she's used to. Sir Rod would prefer never to lay eyes on her again. Mr. Ackerman agrees. I can't approve of either of those men—that's between us—but it's for the best. Any threat to the Walls absolutely needs to be nipped."
"I agree, I agree," Grafe nodded like a dog for his bacon. "So this girl will be no problem, then?"
"No single possibility. She'll never lay eyes on her father again unless we wish it. She's no longer a member of the Reiss family. She'll probably sent off to the military camp and back into the Police. Out of our hair."
"She may be able to handle a gun, but Ackerman will shut her up easily, just like her miserable mother. Good riddance with those bitches!" Grafe laughed sickly. Nick patted him on the back somberly. "Please, keep the foul talk in the tavern. Now, let's speak about the new expansion allowances for the Church. His Majesty approved us to send missionaries to Wall Rose. This is a primary opportunity."
"I prefer to not stray into the dumps, but if the King wishes it!" Grafe guffawed once more.
"Be serious, Deacon. Sir Reiss agrees, and that's what matters. He believes that faith in the Walls is the key to control. We'd be foolish to treat the feelings of the true king lightly."
"Does he want his offspring to attend church?" Ymir could see the spit-spray accompanying his laughter from her perch. She was tempted to spit on his head. She was also mesmerized. Nick, defeated as ever, removed some wine from the altar cellar, pouring some for himself.
If Ymir was literate, she would have wanted to have been talking notes. Fortunately her memory was not short. The two men sat, sipped and continued their discussion of the Church of Wall Rose Expansion Initiative. Ymir soon lost interest and climbed back to her hideaway.
Wrapped in swathes, she began to imagine a girl. She had no idea how old this girl was, but Ymir was inclined to imagine she was the same age is her. The people of Sina didn't look like her, so she probably had pale skin and rosy cheeks dotted with light freckles.. Beyond Ymir's eyes, she had hair the color of hay. The girl, pretty, a secret. Just like Ymir.
It took less than one night of colorless dreams for Ymir to understand that she desired to meet the mysterious girl, secret of Wall Sina and child of a "true king". It was one of Ymir's few desires, so it burned strongly. By morning, she had decided to join the military the day she turned 12. She realized, of course, that the girl may not be around the same age as Ymir and therefore in the same training class. However, she maybe be able to find her by following the Military Police route. Gave her something to do, anyway. She was already kind of planned on joining the military, eventually. Rather, she didn't plan. It was a logical idea. A mission to locate a legendary princess was not, but you had to have some balance, didn't you?
Stomach grumbling with a different kind of want, headed down to the market to swipe some fruit and observe soldiers of a King.

Lenz Farm

Krista had been planning it for weeks. Well, not planning. More like, blindly anticipating. Someone more levelheaded than her may have hit her on the hair with a rock. Not that she had anyone genuinely interested in looking out for her. That's what big sister would do. The only sister she had existed in distant dreams.
Once a month, in the proper season, Mr. Lenz allowed her to go into the city with donkey and a cart full of the apples she picked alone in their orchard. Mr. Lenz was by no means of her own kind but less cruel then men she had known before. The juice of the apples had been the only sweetness since arriving at the Lenz farm; or since birth, really. She could only eat them if she didn't get caught. She was expected to feed the pigs and eat alike to what filled their troughs. Animals were her friends. People, not.
So this was a blessed season. Krista was unafraid to leave alone but found the city daunting. She was unallowed to speak to anyone but her buyer; and ordered to keep her eyes on the ground and at the same time be aware of her surroundings.
The trader at the market was the same gruff woman who offered the meek girl no discount and no smile, just one wordless honey candy. Krista accepted it gladly, her insides churching the same as when the candy had been stirred. Her shadow looked different under the afternoon loom of the buildings. Afternoon? How did it get to be so late? She'd better hurry home where a whipping would surely be waiting.
Realizing her own cowardice, she'd given up her plan on the way into town. It was foolish. She let her opportunity burn. Running away. She had no place to run to. She'd read storybooks about princess trapped in towers. That is where I belong. In her heart, Krista felt belonging to nowhere.
Go into the city the second week of the month with apple cart. Sell apples. Try to sell Donna the donkey—sorry Donna—in a day. If impossible before dark, abandon her. Take the money and run before darkness falls.
The plan ended there. Krista held Donna's rope tightly. She had not the strength to let go. Fortunately for her, someone would revolutionize her world that evening.

A/N:  The is the first part of the first "chapter". I have their entire adventure written in scenes and segments, and just need to thread it together. For now, view this as a preview of a larger tapestry, a prologue if you will. I will give a full analysis of this work at a later date.